She had never owned a business before. The finances were the bit that worried her.

The short version

Sanha bought an independent opticians practice, the first business Sanha had owned. The work itself was familiar, but taking on the finances was not, and the worry was getting all of it done properly. Three years on, the accounting is handled from end to end, the monthly numbers are something to plan around, and Sanha will happily tell anyone who asks to go and work with Leigh.

Where they were before

This was Sanha's first venture into running a business. There was a general grounding in how accounts worked, from years spent in the trade, but owning the place was a different thing entirely. Going into the finance side felt, in Sanha's own word, blindsided. It was less about not understanding the numbers and more about wanting the confidence that everything was being done properly and every box was being ticked.

How they found Leigh

Leigh came by recommendation from the person Sanha bought the business from, who had used Leigh for another business and rated him highly. That trust carried straight across. Sanha met Leigh and did not feel any need to shop around, and is honest that if the first meeting had not gone well the search would have carried on. What stood out was how relatable he was, similar in age and clearly someone who could grow alongside the business rather than just file its accounts once a year.

The first meeting

Sanha came to that first meeting with a list of questions, and Leigh answered them simply and clearly knew his stuff. More than the technical answers, it was a chance to work out whether this was someone to trust for the long haul, because that is what an accounting relationship really is. Three and a bit years later, that first read has held up.

The proposal

When the proposal came through, Sanha had braced to pay a good deal more. Set against the time it would have taken to do the work in house, it looked very reasonable. And over three years it has stretched well beyond the accounting, into business advice and the odd nudge whenever Leigh spots something that could be done better, whether he needs to offer it or not.

What Leigh does now

Leigh handles effectively all of it. Payroll, the reconciliation of invoices, salaries and the tax return. At the start Sanha was still collecting and passing over invoices, and Leigh took even that off the list, so there is very little accounting paperwork left to do. Communication is quick and easy, a message whenever a query comes up and a reply that comes straight back.

The part that has grown on Sanha most is the monthly management reports. They are detailed, and the honest first reaction was that it might be more than the business needed.

The difference it has made

The clearest sign of how it has gone is what Sanha does with it. Sanha has already sent clients Leigh's way, including a friend running an opticians practice who was paying a high price for very little and could barely get her old accountant on the phone. One introduction later, she is a happy client too. And when Sanha took on involvement in a second business, Leigh came along to look after that as well, simply because the first experience had gone so well.

Ask Sanha what the arrangement has actually been worth, and the answer is not really about the fees.

Three years and a second business in, the recommendation comes without qualification.