Partner Article

Stamping out accountancy phobia

Despite postal delays and strikes – and the impending death of the post office – recent years have seen the resurgence of mail order businesses.

Alongside the global network of ebay traders, brands such as movie rental service Love Film and the ‘cash-for-gold’ phenomenon which was spat out by the recession, have proved there is profit in the post.

A North East entrepreneur is now hoping to put her own niche in a stamped, addressed envelope and sell it to the nation, while also helping SMEs avoid one of their greatest fears.

Newcastle’s Joanne Towart has spent the last 20 years working as an accountant and has witnessed at close hand, the terror etched across many an entrepreneur’s face as they open the books on their expenditure.

In a move which could bring an exodus of cash-strapped business leaders out from beneath their desks, she now aims to bring an end to accountancy phobia.

Abacus Accounting by Mail, which is expected to create 20 jobs in the region in the next two years, means that firms can simply pack an envelope with documents and post it to the Killingworth business every month.

In return their books will be handled, without having to face the heat of an accountants stare.

Mrs Towart said: “I’ve been waiting to launch this business for the last 20 years. You don’t have to talk to your accountant face-to-face, which is what people dread. You also don’t have to waste half a day meeting with your accountant.

“When I realized you could see everyone’s dread on their faces. It’s horrible having to sit there and be dissected and it’s much easier for people to put all their paperwork in the post.

“There are also a lot of small businesses which don’t know anything about accountants.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .