Practice Pulse
Practice Pulse is a podcast in which members of ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) talk about daily life in public practice and share tips for running and improving an accounting practice. Episodes feature conversations among ACCA members, with guest episodes in which ACCA partners offer their advice on growing a practice. The focus is practical, peer-to-peer guidance for accountants working in or building their own firms.
Episodes
Bean Counter to Boss 10
In the final episode of the series, Amy Hancock and James Goulsbra talk about their experiences at Accountex 2024 and their key takeaways - the advent of AI but how it can never replace accountants, and how you shouldn’t get sucked into any software without doing your research first. They also mop up all the areas they promised to re-visit in earlier episodes such as their hourly operational costs
Bean Counter to Boss 9
In the penultimate episode of the series, Amy Hancock and James Goulsbra talk about collaborating with staff, clients and other accountants. A support network of other accountants is important for referring work you don’t have capacity or expertise for, but also so that you can have assurance that every practice has similar pain points. Then there’s networking with other industries and with other
Bean Counter to Boss 8
Amy Hancock and James Goulsbra talk about what productivity means to them, how staff are key to your productivity, and the different KPIs you can use.
This podcast series complements our hub Creating Tomorrow’s Practice Today – a hub covering regulation, tips from other members and ACCA partners, and how you can build your community. There’s even a checklist that you can use to check your progress
From Practice to Business - Financial health
In this episode hosted by Carl Reader, Alistair Barlow of Ascendant shares his journey from corporate life at PwC to co-founding and then exiting Flindr — a modern accounting firm built on data, insight, and innovation.
Starting with just £500 each and a blank canvas, Alistair and his co-founder reimagined what an accounting practice could look like. Rather than defaulting to traditional models, t
Bean Counter to Boss 7
In this episode, Amy Hancock and James Goulsbra talk about taking on staff – at what point it becomes necessary, whether to recruit an admin role or an accountant role first, how outsourcing can help, using HR consultants, and planning for future recruitment. Who’d have thought that Pilates classes are a great place to recruit….
This podcast series complements our hub Creating Tomorrow’s Practice
MTD for ITSA - segmenting your clients
At the time of the recording of this podcast, there was less than 500 working days until Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment (or MTD for ITSA as it's better known) was due to come into effect. Accountants may be wondering how much work is going to be required to prepare for it and operate under it. In this podcast, Jordan Smith and Andrew Smith of A G Smith & Co share their thoug
Using Capitalise to help your clients raise finance
ACCA member Graeme Tennick of Graeme Tennick & Co tells us why he uses Capitalise, and takes us through some case studies to illustrate the benefits to his practice and his clients.
Bean Counter to Boss 6
Amy & James look at the risk of pricing too low when you first start up, different pricing models, pricing strategy, proposal software, price increases, and the advent of value pricing.
This podcast series complements our hub Creating Tomorrow’s Practice Today – a hub covering regulation, tips from other members and ACCA partners, and how you can build your community. There’s even a checklist
Starting your digital journey
ACCA members Gavin Spencer of Beach Accountants and Emily Inman of Zynct Ltd talk about why you need to have your practice on the cloud and discuss practical aspects - such as whether you have to have every client on the cloud, and whether there any cheaper options for small clients.
From Practice to Business - Modern marketing
In this episode, our host Carl Reader of the dt group sits down with Liam Wilson, founder of Elevate, to unpack how he scaled his accountancy practice to £700,000 in just two and a half years without spending a single penny on marketing.
Liam shares his personal journey into accountancy, shaped in part by watching his father navigate business struggles. That early exposure instilled a deep underst
How to market your firm on a budget
This new podcast series in partnership with PracticeWeb will look at how to grow your practice through data driven marketing. In the final episode of the series, Mike Crook and Zoe Sweet of PracticeWeb discuss how you can market your firm on a budget. They’ll cover why marketing is important, the marketing options available for different budgets, the marketing tactics that work for the firms they
Introduction to apps
If you're moving your practice on to the cloud and are wondering about all the apps out there, then listen to this podcast in which ACCA members talk about the apps they use and how it helps their practices. From expense management apps to receiving payment apps to cashflow forecasting apps - hear how these apps can help from your fellow practitioners.
Bean Counter to Boss 5
What’s the best way to get your new accountancy practice out there? Amy Hancock and James Goulsbra talk about marketing your practice using social media as well as more traditional routes to market their practices, the importance of SEO for your website, and how it isn’t a case of one size fits all.
This podcast series complements our hub Creating Tomorrow’s Practice Today – a hub covering regulat
From Practice to Business - From technician to strategist
In this episode, Yogesh Patel talks to host Carl Reader of the dt group about his journey from practitioner to owner of Telic and the emotional, strategic, and cultural shifts that came with it.
Taking over a business you once worked in is no small transition. Yogesh reflects on stepping out from being the bottleneck, putting his own stamp on the brand, and redefining the firm’s identity around qu
How can marketing help overcome the price objection
This new podcast series in partnership with PracticeWeb will look at how to grow your practice through data driven marketing. In episode 5, Mike Crook and Zoe Sweet of PracticeWeb discuss how marketing can help overcome the price objection. They’ll cover the role that marketing plays in removing price objections, how to communicate your value to reduce those price objections, and practical tips on
Going Digital - Gillian French
ACCA member Gillian French of DNA Accountants talks about how she moved her practice on to the cloud earlier this year just as the pandemic hit.
How to create a marketing strategy and plan for your practice
This new podcast series in partnership with PracticeWeb will look at how to grow your practice through data driven marketing. In episode 4, Mike Crook and Ray Newman of PracticeWeb discuss how you create a marketing strategy and plan for your practice. They’ll cover what makes a strong marketing strategy, how you create a strategy, how you create a marketing plan, how you measure return on investm
Bean Counter to Boss 4
In this episode of the series, Amy Hancock and James Goulsbra talk about the add-ons to bookkeeping software that they use, debate CRM versus Excel, and talk about how you manage anti-money laundering requirements.
This podcast series complements our hub Creating Tomorrow’s Practice Today – a hub covering regulation, tips from other members and ACCA partners, and how you can build your community.
From Practice to Business - Technology
In this episode, Eriona Bajrakurtaj shares her inspiring journey from growing up in a family business to becoming a respected leader in the accounting industry. Drawing from her experience at Majors Accounts, Eriona discusses the challenges of navigating family dynamics, embracing digital transformation, and harnessing the power of community support with host Carl Reader of the dt group.
The conve
Should you become a specialist firm with a niche focus
This new podcast series in partnership with PracticeWeb will look at how to grow your practice through data driven marketing. In episode 3, Mike Crook and Ray Newman of PracticeWeb discuss whether you should become a specialist firm with a niche focus. They’ll cover the pros and cons of being a specialist firm, what the benefits of being niche are, whether niche just means a single sector, how you
Economic Resilience - Help your clients come out of this recession better off
It’s no secret that the macroeconomic environment has an impact on small businesses. Supply chain disruptions, staff shortages and rising overheads all come as a result from the global events of the last 3 years.And whilst we all hear the global news and economic updates, it can be easy to forget this has a very real-life impact locally as well as globally. With 61% of the UK’s employees from smal
Going Digital - Eriona Bajrakurtaj
ACCA member Eriona Bajrakurtaj of Major's Accounts & Co Ltd talks about the obstacles she encountered moving her family's traditional practice onto the cloud, and how being able to collaborate with other practitioners at the time would have made a huge difference.
From Practice to Business - The extended team
In this episode, host Carl Reader of the dt group sits down with Soaring Falcon’s Alex Falcon Huerta — accountant, entrepreneur, tech advocate, and digital nomad — to explore her unconventional journey through the profession.
Alex shares how she carved her own path in accounting, blending practical experience with a passion for technology and innovation. From speaking on global stages about fintec
Bean Counter to Boss 3
In the first of two episodes about software, Amy and James look at whether you get the clients or the software first, the different types of bookkeeping, accounts & tax production and proposal software, CRM, and how the software needs of your practice will evolve over time.
This podcast series complements our hub Creating Tomorrow’s Practice Today – a hub covering regulation, tips from other m
ACCA chats - episode 2
Following on from episode 1, ACCA members Carl Reader and Alastair Barlow talk about how they now have the time and headspace to think about their practices and what they want to achieve. Topics covered include benchmarking, nicheing and next level software.
Beyond the trophy - why accountancy awards matter
Winning an accountancy award isn’t just about the trophy—it’s about credibility, industry recognition, and growing your client base. But is it worth the time and the effort? PJCO Chartered Certified Accountants has been nominated for and won multiple awards. In this podcast, its Managing Partner Peter Jarman talks about the process that he and his team go through when deciding whether to enter an
From Practice to Business - The in-house team
In this episode hosted by Carl Reader of the dt group, Nikki and Nigel Adams dive into the journey of Ad Valorem, exploring how a lifestyle choice grew into a thriving, values-driven accounting practice. Nikki and Nigel share their experiences building the business, navigating challenges, and creating a culture that balances client focus, team cohesion, and long-term vision.
The conversation touch
Bean Counter to Boss 2
In the second episode of the series, Amy Hancock and James Goulsbra talk about practice structure, practice names, the ideal client and deciding on the services you’ll offer when you’re first setting up.
This podcast series complements our hub Creating Tomorrow’s Practice Today – a hub covering regulation, tips from other members and ACCA partners, and how you can build your community. There’s eve
Economic Resilience - Your journey into advisory
In this series, we explore the big issues impacting business and the accountancy profession as we navigate economic downturn. This time we are focusing on the role of advisory. With the increase in the complexity of the world in which businesses are operating, coupled with client’s ever-changing needs, forecasting has become increasingly challenging. This challenge is amplified by the significant
How to use marketing to win the business you want
This podcast series in partnership with PracticeWeb will look at how to grow your practice through data driven marketing. In episode 2, Mike Crook and Ray Newman of PracticeWeb discuss how you can use marketing to win the business you want. They’ll cover what the objective of marketing is, how you attract the clients you want, what marketing tactics work best for firms, how to create a marketing l
Going Digital - Peter Jarman
ACCA member Peter Jarman of PJCO Accountants Ltd talks about how he moved his practice on to the cloud and the importance of an in-house champion. His current in-house champion - ACCA trainee Tom Belton - joins the podcast to provide some insight into the role.
Bean Counter to Boss 1
In the opening episode of our new series, ACCA members Amy Hancock of Hancock & Hastings Ltd, and James Goulsbra of Garrett Adam Accountants Ltd talk about how they came to start their practices. Find out about the services they offer, the use of specialists, and where they expect to be in five years’ time.This podcast series complements our hub Creating Tomorrow’s Practice Today – a hub cover
Navigating your exit strategy
This podcast has been created from the session that Alastair Barlow (founder and former CEO of flindr) and Bhimal Hira (partner at Prysm Financial) presented at the 2025 Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping in Birmingham, UK about their experiences exiting their practices. In it, they talk through the essential components of exploring exit options, assessing your company’s financial health, an
From Practice to Business - Systemisation
In the first episode of our podcast series about taking your practice to the next level, Phil Ellerby shares the remarkable journey of building Northern Accountants from a garden shed startup in 2008 to a thriving £3.5 million turnover practice with host Carl Reader of the dt group.
What began as a move driven by necessity rather than passion evolved into a masterclass in systemisation, leadership
Economic Resilience - Advisory in the face of uncertainty
In this series, we explore the big issues impacting business and the accountancy profession as we navigate economic downturn. This time we are focusing on the role of advisory. With the increase in the complexity of the world in which businesses are operating, coupled with client’s ever-changing needs, forecasting has become increasingly challenging. This challenge is amplified by the significant
How to grow your practice through data driven marketing - an introduction to the series
This new podcast series in partnership with PracticeWeb will look at how to grow your practice through data driven marketing. After an introductory podcast, we'll dive into five further podcasts on how to use marketing to win the business you want, whether you should become a specialist firm with a niche focus, how to create a marketing strategy and plan for your practice, how marketing can help o
Going digital - Graeme Tennick
ACCA member Graeme Tennick of Graeme Tennick & Co talks about why he moved his practice on to the cloud, and the mistakes he made along the way that you can learn from.
ACCA chats - episode 1
ACCA members Carl Reader and Alastair Barlow discuss how the accountancy profession has always been driven by external forces of which COVID-19 is the latest.
