For the second year running, J Sweeney Accountants had reason to celebrate after Abi Almond was named Apprentice of the Year in the Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards, following up on Loren Barber’s success in the same category last year.
In what was one of the most hotly contested awards of the evening, it was Abi, who is doing a Level 3 Accountancy apprenticeship with the Pitsford firm, who most impressed the judges. They described her as ‘consistent, dedicated and is very knowledgeable in her industry’.
Director James Sweeney said:
“We are very proud that this is the second year running one of our apprentices has taken this award, it shows that we must be doing something right. We’ve seen Abi grow so much as a person since she joined us, and all her hard work has paid off.
“We tend to take on a new apprentice each year and always want them to learn as quickly as possible, to challenge them, but to also make sure that’s at a rate that is right for them and that they get the support and training they need.”
James paid tribute to the team from Starting Off, the training provider that not only provides candidates for apprenticeship posts but then sees them through their training.
“Sarah from Starting Off has been great with Abi and Loren. We have been lucky to have apprentices with a drive to learn. We are a firm that always wants to promote from within and coming in as an apprentice gives someone a chance to buy into our ethos right from the start. We’re not a traditional firm and we don’t do things in the traditional way, so understanding our approach certainly helps them learn and grow.”
In line with its ongoing commitment to apprentices, J Sweeney Accountants is also keen to support and encourage young people in education and this was reflected in the firm’s sponsorship of the Maths Team or Teacher of the Year at the Northamptonshire Education Awards, which took place on the evening after the business awards in November.
J Sweeney Accountants offers a full range of services for SMEs, including year-end accounts, tax planning, company formation and business plans, and also offers outsourced financial directorship for those who don’t have an in-house FD. Investment in technology and software that improves efficiency and streamlines services for clients is an approach the firm has been keen to follow in recent years.
Cloud technology is used to monitor, review and implement accounting procedures and to ensure clients have full support for any inputting or reporting requirements. A daily reconciliation of bank account, sales and purchases ledgers gives live information five days a week.
Clients also receive monthly reports including a management pack for review by the CEO with profit and loss and balance sheet, budget v actual visuals and commentary of above and below budget targets and cash flow forecasts. James said:
“We’ve tried to embrace technology as much as we can, because we believe that is the future of this sector and, of course, it appeals to the younger generation far more than it does to the older generation – they just run with it and they often understand better how to use it and what the possibilities are,”
“We sponsored the Northamptonshire Education Awards because we see how important it is that young people are leaving school with the skills and qualifications that they need to enter the world of work and that employers need, and we know how important it is for businesses to get involved at an early stage and support schools and teachers in what they do.
“We are very proud of our staff retention and that, along with the focus on technology, is why we believe we offer a service to clients that is second to none. The processes are simple and efficient, clients have access to what they need, but then when they do need to speak to us, they are dealing with a familiar face and someone who knows their business, and someone they have built a relationship with.”
Contact J Sweeney Accountants on 01604 950034 or visit www.jsweeneyaccountants.co.uk
