Is Your Accountancy Practice Running You? How to Regain Control and Scale Smartly

San Chima
Jul 31
2 min read

You started your practice for freedom, flexibility, and balance. But now? It feels more like your business is running you. Late nights. Endless to-dos. Constant client fires. Sound familiar? If your firm feels like a job you can’t switch off from, you’re not alone — but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Is Your Practice in Control — or Controlling You?

Common signs:

· You’re stuck reacting, not planning

· Client emails mean problems

· You are the business — nothing runs without you

· Strategic growth feels impossible

You didn’t start your firm to burn out. It’s time to shift gears.

Step 1: Think Like a Business Owner, Not Just a Technician

You’re great at the technical work — but to grow, you need CEO-level clarity. Ask yourself:

· What drains my time?

· What can I delegate or automate?

· Who are my ideal clients — and who isn’t?

Growth starts with stepping back and seeing the big picture.

Step 2: Create Systems That Do the Heavy Lifting

Smart systems save time and sanity. With the right setup, you can:

· Onboard clients smoothly

· Automate repeat tasks

· Stay on top of communication and goals

· Free yourself from daily bottlenecks

Less chaos. More control.

Step 3: Build Support — It Doesn’t Need to Be Big

You don’t need a big team. Even a VA, junior accountant, or outsourced help can give you breathing space — so you can focus on advisory work, strategy, or simply take a proper break.

Step 4: Scale Smart, Not Just Big

Scaling doesn’t have to mean hiring 10 people. It can mean:

· Attracting better-fit, higher-value clients

· Offering advisory or fixed-fee services

· Structuring your firm to support the lifestyle you want

Growth on your terms is entirely possible.

Time to Regain Control?

I help UK accountants:

· Step out of the day-to-day

· Put simple systems in place

· Attract the right clients

· Build firms that serve their lives, not consume them