Natural fit

Jamie Hall took control of his career by becoming a TaxAssist Accountants franchisee

After a corporate career spanning over 30 years, Jamie Hall decided it was time to explore other business opportunities and take control of his own destiny.

With his background in accounting and international financial services, owning and managing a TaxAssist Accountants practice appeared a natural fit.

Jamie started his career with KPMG in Sydney, where he qualified as a chartered accountant, before working with the firm in London for six years. A career in international banking with American Express followed, where he served in various audit and COO roles in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Egypt, India and London.

Discovery day

Jamie explains: “My introduction to the network came through a former American Express colleague, Mike Melling, and a discovery day provided the necessary clarity on the operating model and confirmed the opportunity.

“I was extremely fortunate a citybased practice was available for sale and my due diligence was promptly completed, with terms agreed shortly after.”

In June 2018, Jamie and his wife, Jennifer, completed the purchase of the TaxAssist Holborn practice.

“As much as I enjoyed my corporate career, experiencing different cultures and business environments, this is without doubt the most exciting period of my business career.

“I am continually amazed by the diversity of the clients who walk through the door, the variety of businesses we support and the pipeline of opportunity that arises through the various TaxAssist acquisition channels.

“The world certainly seems to be in central London to do business and TaxAssist has the resource and capabilities to support these small business owners.”

While the timing of the Holborn opportunity was fortuitous, Jamie is also mindful of his fortune in inheriting the team of professionals that work in the practice.

“With the quality and experience of the professional staff in the office, I learn something new every day, especially in their interactions with clients and the relationships they have built as trusted advisers,” he says.

Jamie says he is looking forward to developing the practice further: “The team we have in place in Holborn, combined with the technology and operational support from the network, will provide a robust platform for growth in central London.”

Game changer

TaxAssist Accountants has been operating successfully for 23 years and has been a game changer for both the accounting industry and small businesses in the way it ‘retails’ tax and advisory services through open and welcoming shops.

This concept has proven to be an effective way to build a practice, with many franchisees opening multiple shops in their territory, and is popular with the buoyant small business target market, which enjoys the friendly, convenient local service.

With ‘Making Tax Digital’ coming into force imminently, the network is already seeing an increased demand from small businesses starting to prepare for the new tax regime and bringing everything online.

With a network of more than 300 highly visible high street shops and offices across the UK, TaxAssist Accountants is ideally placed to take advantage of the opportunities that change is bringing.

There are a range of opportunities available for new franchisees, including over 200 territories to choose from and resales across the UK.