JustAccountancyJobs career advice blog

John is an accountant who lived on a farm for ten years and took a BSc in Biology and Psychology before joining Touche Ross. He has since worked in financial controller jobs in the south east. John is now in the process of buying a business.

The impetus for the career change lies in his keen interest in environmental issues. “I decided to get involved and lead by example, rather than stand on the sidelines and talk.”

He’s also hoping that the business won’t require day-to-day management on his part for the first two to three years, so that he can devote more of his time to his environmental interests and the family farm. “However, I shall be watching cash flow like a hawk – because that really is the number one business-killer.”

His accountancy training has given him an edge over most small business owners. “A lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t realise that you can use a factoring company. It’s relatively easy, for example, to borrow significantly against your order book, debtors and stock.” Doing that has meant that my business partner and I haven’t had to put quite so much capital into the business. What’s surprising is that the credit crunch doesn’t seem to have affected that side of things at all so far. The most important thing is to have a solid business plan.”

John is quite sanguine about the financial risks of buying into a business with a potential recession in the offing.

“But at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter if the business doesn’t work out. I’m an accountant, so I can simply go and do some temporary contracts for a few months each year and enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle.”

If he does need some interim accountancy jobs, then www.JustAccountancyJobs.com is right up his street. Not only will he have access to thousands of finance and accountancy jobs, if he posts his CV with us, we’ll plant a rainforest tree on his behalf – making sure he keeps on track with his commitment to improving the environment.