​The Business Growth
Accounta​​​​​nt

‘If you’re serious about growing and developing your accounting business, then Paul Shrimpling’s book is essential reading. Don’t just read it, take action. Do nothing at your own peril.’

The Business Growth Accountant is a treasure trove of advice on how to move your firm up the value curve – by giving your customers the services they need and want. In addition to Paul Shrimpling’s sage advice – and here I will reveal my bias – be sure to pay particular attention to three more Pauls quoted in the book: the late Paul O’Byrne, RIP, and his partner, Paul Kennedy, who continues to run what I believe is the most innovative accounting firm in the world, O’Byrne & Kennedy; and, of course, Paul Dunn, the man who blazed the trail and helped thousands of firms fulfill the transformational journey that is energetically articulated throughout this book.

“For any firm that is looking at staying ahead of the inevitable ‘march of automation’, this is the book for you.

Sharing knowledge and facts is no longer the role of the advisor, Google will do that far better. Your ability to remain relevant in the new digital age will depend on your skills in questioning, building rapport and connecting with your clients at a far deeper level.

As machines get better at answering questions… you need to get better at asking them. Paul’s book shows you just how to do that.”

The Business Growth Accountant is a comprehensive, plain-speaking guide to profitability and advisory business growth. Many theorise about this – Paul tells you how!

Paul highlights in his book how the accountancy profession is changing and changing at a rapid pace. He highlights that fact that to be a successful accountant in the ever-changing technological world, that you will need to adapt quickly or you will become extinct. As a profession, we have to reinvent ourselves to be more valuable to our clients. His book takes you on a journey of how to embrace technology and utilize it together with a mindset of developing great questions to be an invaluable resource and advisor to your clients. The age of compliance as a value service to a client is coming to an end. However, the age of our true value is just beginning if you want to embrace technology, are forward thinking and enjoy helping your clients become really successful. If you want to be an accountant of the future, Paul’s book is a must read to help you on that journey.

“Just read Paul’s book through and found it to be very engaging and, in places, challenging (in a good way). I think the footnotes with links to online material really add to the value and I really liked the section on “Numbers To Grow By”. Lots of material there that I will use. I thought the Rugby story was a particularly excellent example of how changing the scoring (measuring) can change behaviour.”

I was inspired to be a Chartered Accountant by seeing what a business-savvy accountant called David did for my parents and their business. My parents worked hard, but the success of their business enabled me to enjoy a better life and certainly an upgrade on my holidays! They never made a major decision without David’s input. He was their sounding board, corporate finance man and friend.

One summer in his office David showed me he had a team delivering numbers. A team that meant he could spend his time understanding the numbers, talking to clients and using them to bring greater success to his clients.

Firms need to understand that being just an accountant was never enough and now, in the world of cloud accounting, the need to demonstrate you add value is more important than ever.

This book won’t make you into a business savvy accountant, but it will challenge everything you’ve learnt and done in the profession to date. And then show you how others have done it successfully so that you can follow their lead.”

“Having worked with him for a number of years it’s great to see Paul’s book bring together superbly many insights into how an accountancy firm can address the core challenges now facing the profession.

In a constantly and now rapidly changing environment Paul shows how you can lay sound foundations on which to build a great accountancy practice.

This book is a must read for any practice that wants to grow, adapt and achieve its goals and will inspire you to do so”

“If you want off the hamster wheel of endless tax returns for unappreciative clients, and if you want to make a real difference in the lives and businesses of your clients, read this book.

While there’s plenty of buzz out there that accountants need to add advisory services to their firms, there aren’t too many sources that actually demonstrate how to do that.

Based on real world examples of accountants and advisors from around the world who are doing this work and on Paul’s years of experience guiding firms, this book lays out the steps you’ll need to take to transform your firm into Business Growth Accountants.”

“I worked with Paul for a number of years. He was coach, consultant, adviser, friend and trusted aide all at the same time. Paul’s knowledge, experience and expertise of the accountancy profession is simply brilliant.

He helped transform our firm and I’m forever indebted to him for all his support. I’m thrilled that Paul has written this book where he openly and transparently shares key insights into how to create an exceptional accountancy firm.

I think the book is a must-read for all accountants who are serious about running a remarkable practice.”

“This book tells you everything good about Paul Shrimpling’s approach and contribution to the accountancy profession. Anyone who has seen him present would vouch that Paul can never be accused of being half-hearted, and this book oozes passion and wholehearted advice from the first page. The book is filled with straightforward and common-sense advice, and Paul’s credibility comes not only from his thousands of hours one-to-one with accountants looking to improve their businesses but also his ability to get others to open up about the secrets of their success. This is a must-read for any accountant looking forward to the digital age with a little trepidation.”

“This is a truly brilliant Inspiring, Challenging and Supporting book from Paul that is a must read for every accountant in practice.

Even if you are not looking to become a “Growth Accountant” there are masses of ideas, tools, and tips you can implement in your practice to make your life easier and deliver a better experience to your clients.

Paul’s story around “Canary-like” KPIs will stick with me forever and the section on “Blind, deaf and dumb pricing” has helped me challenge the team on their communication skills. If you are in practice and want to make more of an impact in the lives of those around you this is a must-read book.

In this book Paul brilliantly articulates the key issues facing our industry and the most effective solutions to them from people who have done it already.

“The effort, energy and passion that Paul has put into creating this go-to book for any serious accountant has been clear to see over the last year or so.

We meet with Paul every quarter and feel his inspiration! His enthusiasm transports itself across our team and fills us all with joy, anticipation and most importantly of all…drive. This is what the book does too. Paul’s book is full of inspiring, yes, literally awe-inspiring thought and insight into how you can make your accountancy business a better business by helping your clients, by caring.

Top tip, once you have read the book, pick one thing, just one thing and do it…this will make you feel good and will encourage you to pick another one thing to do, before you know where you are you will have done lots! Small steps!”

"Paul has an enviable reputation as a thought leader in the accounting world, and this book just goes to show why that is the case. He makes a compelling case for all accountants, large and small, demonstrating why they need to be looking at being advisors, not bean counters or tax return filers. What's more, he gives some simple nuggets of advice that are priceless."

“In my opinion this book is essential reading for any owner of an accountancy practice in these times where the pace of change is the fastest it has ever been. I have read a few books on the current issues facing the accountancy profession by different authors. The way this book has been put together, pooling a vast range of resources, ideas and research, provides a very good framework for re-modelling a traditional accountancy practice into a relevant advisory service business.

Paul’s undoubted knowledge, experience and passion to help improve the accountant’s role comes across in every chapter of this book.”

Having read Paul’s book this has opened my eyes to the clear challenges that the profession faces. New technology and new competition mean firms need to seriously review what they do and how they do it.

The book clearly identifies these issues and provides guidance on how you can turn these into opportunities for the practice. This has inspired me to make the necessary changes in my practice to ensure its future and the exciting growth that can be achieved.

If you want to safeguard what you have and build on it, this book is a must read.”

“In his book Paul does not set out to be popular. He challenges you to be so much more than just another beige accountant. And let me tell you, the world doesn’t need any more of them!

In your hands is the book that every dull, boring accountant should read so they get a sense of what the wise ones are doing. Then why wouldn’t you leave mediocre and run-of-the-mill accounting behind you and take the actions and insights suggested by all the contributors to Paul’s book?

If I were an accountant I’d buy every available copy of this book so that the competition can’t get hold of a copy.

Paul, and the firms he’s interviewed for the book, re-invigorate my belief that the accountancy profession can deliver on its potential to change the way that businesses perform.”