I have had a particularly busy couple of years. The other four directors at our practice and I have acquired three practices in Staffordshire in the last 18 months to add to our existing offices in Staffordshire and Cheshire. We also moved to a new building in the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme early this year and rebranded our Staffordshire practice as Alextra Accountants (Staffordshire) Limited.
Taking over practices from retiring accountants always has its challenges. Everybody has their own way of working, and to onboard many clients into our way of working while giving them the same level of service or contact that they have received in the past has been challenging. But it is also rewarding.
Fortunately, we invested in a hosted system in the weeks before the initial lockdown. That helped us to continue to work with our clients throughout and also ensure that all of the team were able to safely work remotely.
What makes me unique? In work terms I would say my ability to establish long-standing relationships with all my clients to ensure that they feel valued by both myself and the team at Alextra. And my biggest professional achievement so far is becoming a shareholder in Alextra.
My wife would probably be my biggest influence on my life. When we met she was studying to be a nurse and her motivation towards that helped me focus on progressing my career as an accountant. If I wasn’t an accountant, I would have loved to be a professional footballer, but I would also have been happy running my own business.
Things are also busy outside of work. I’m spending a lot of time watching my eight-year-old son Dillon playing for our local football team, while most weekends driving my 14-year-old daughter Alannah to her dance lessons.
