The Naked Accountant
A series of ramblings on how we built flinder and the lessons along the way | The only newsletter dedicated to growing an outsourced finance function 🚀
No, you can’t put a value on a brand. But a brand adds value to your firm.
We don’t talk enough about brands in accounting. flinder is proof that a strong brand can deliver strong results: new business, recruitment, and even our exit were supported by a clear, consistent, and unique brand story.
Yes, accountants can build great software. But should they build to sell?
Let down by vendors, some accountants step up to the challenge of product innovation. Having been there, done that myself, I spoke with several other accountants-turned-product-owners about the risks and rewards of building accountancy software - and building it to sell.
Storytelling that sells: what we got right (and nearly got wrong) in flinder’s CIM
A CIM has several layers: it’s about what you say and how it’s said, too. Storytelling helps differentiate, engage, and highlight important details. We nearly fell victim to one, easy mistake though...
With software letting us down, should firms keep buying - or build - a practice management system?
flinder’s custom practice management tech stack was a key factor in the firm reaching multi-million-pound revenue. So when is it the right time to buy a practice management solution and when are you better off building?
The CIM that sold flinder (and what it taught me)
Writing flinder’s CIM was a five-month process. It took time. But the time we invested early-on in storyboarding and scoping the document paid off once out in the world. Five months of planning and countless iterations created the CIM that sold flinder in just 55 days.
Clients want something new from accountants. Are you ready to compete?
New service offerings demand a new set of skills from accounting professionals. Firms can create and protect value-adding propositions - if they’re hiring, training, and empowering the right accountants for the role we play today.
