Beyond the Traditional
When Mike Osborne set up Focal Business Group, he had a simple aim: to put service and a human touch at the forefront of finance and accountancy to help businesses develop.
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The offices of Focal Business Group could not be more central to Market Harborough. Based on Church Street with views over St Dionysius and surrounded by the shops and cafés of Church Square.
‘We want to be your local accountancy practice and be a real part of the community,’ says Esther Theobald, Business Manager at the group. ‘To have a thriving community, local businesses need support – and that can come from us.’ Focal aim to do this by changing the way accountancy is done for business. Gone are the days when you might speak to your accountant once a year and be presented with a set of numbers. Instead, Focal want to become part of your business, by celebrating your successes, identifying opportunities, and above all else helping you plan and build for the future. ‘If you are a retailer, you are there to run your shop,’ says Mike Osborne, Managing Director. ‘Our job is to do all the things you don’t want to do, but that are pivotal for financial success.’ Following a 25-year-long career across various finance functions for large PLCs and independent companies, Mike decided he wanted to do something different in support of SME businesses. ‘For the last five years of my corporate life I was working with franchises of a large niche retail chain. It gave me the chance to observe small businesses at work. I knew that was the area I wanted to get involved in and decided to use my experience as a chartered management accountant, combined with my background in business, to do something a bit different.’ From visiting trade shows, Mike could see that the industry was evolving due to the advent of cloud technology. ‘I could see that accountancy was changing,’ said Mike. ‘Instead of just talking to businesses about their numbers for the previous year, we needed to be talking to them about what it’s going to be like in the year(s) to come.’ Bringing this human focus and connection into accountancy has meant creating a culture of service where clock watching is off the table. ‘We don’t want any of our clients to be bamboozled or leave us feeling confused about their accounts. We recruit people who are on board with that ethos,’ says Mike. ‘ ‘The strapline when Mike set up the business was: ‘Be in business for yourself, not by yourself,’ says Esther. ‘We often get clients who call us about other business conundrums. Nine times out of ten, if a client comes to us with problem, I’ve probably encountered it myself – I’ve either got the scar or the trophy,’ says Mike. ‘Our aim is to help them dodge the scar and win the trophy! If we can’t help, we’ll try and point clients in the direction of someone who can.’ Mike always has one eye on the future, and that future remains in Market Harborough. ‘We will stay in the town, for sure,’ he says. ‘Harborough has a very entrepreneurial spirit. Whilst cloud accounting has been the key development in accountancy in the last ten years, the advent of automation via AI is going to be key to the next ten. It’s all well and good having your numbers in order, but if you don’t understand what they mean or what they tell you about moving forward then what use are they? That’s what we mean by going beyond traditional accountancy.’ To discuss your financial and accountancy needs with Mike and the team contact: 0800 112 0880 or head to: focalbusiness.co.uk |
Issue 18
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