Practice News
On 14th March 2011 I changed our name from AccountancyShop Limited to Median Accountancy and Taxation Services Limited. Ten years earlier I was working my last month of notice with only a vague notion of what self-employment might mean or bring. I had a limited company, a computer, a part-finished website (I needed something to do during my notice period!) and a plan to bring accountancy to the high street shop-front. 'AccountancyShop'... get it?
Well, accountancy did indeed come to the shop front but I wasn't the person to make it happen. After a very short time I realised that what I enjoyed was being an accountant rather than a manager. I did end up owning two shops along the way but that was an accident and the less said...! Without a doubt the franchises that did spring up have a place in market but their reputation is patchy and dependant entirely on the quality of the often unqualified and inexperienced franchise purchaser.
Why Median? Well, if you cast your mind back to GCSE maths you might remember that the median is the middle of a range numbers and it is certainly the middle of the accountancy market where I find myself. There are the established high street Smith Jones & Co practices at one (expensive) end and a myriad of kitchen table producers at the other. The middle comprises sole-practitioners like me, insured, regulated, regularly trained and able to justify the investment in great software. Median was a better choice than the alternatives 'average' or 'mean' as well; although Mean Accountants does have a ring to it!
Steve Holloway – 24.03.11
Steve Holloway is licensed and regulated by AAT under licence number 2047. AAT is recognised by HM Treasury to supervise compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations and Median Accountancy & Taxation Services Limited is supervised by AAT in this respect.