In this section of the website, we introduce you to one of our firms. Up next is Murray Associates Accountants, run by Director Gloria Murray and her team. Read her answers to get to know her and the firm.
What do you like about working for your firm?
“The clients and the team. Because we are a small team we look after each other and we focus on looking after the clients too. We all love what we do as the work is varied and our clients are lovely. We continually look at ways to raise our service levels and give our clients an even better service. When we look after our clients and help them grow, save tax and make more money, they reward us by being with us for a very, very long time showing us their loyalty, and we appreciate that.”
What are in your words the strengths of your firm?
“We know how important it is for clients to get answers to their questions when they ask and not have any delay in our response. That’s why we’ve built into all our service levels free access to our team by email or phone. We do have a caveat that if we do need to do research or extra work, then there is a charge for this. But we let the client know the cost before any work is undertaken.
We specialise in business development and business growth, which I’ve always been keen on ever since I started my practice over 24 years ago. I noticed fairly early that many clients didn’t make enough money to justify actually being in business a lot of the time. I made it my mission and my goal to help clients make much more profit and to develop their entrepreneurial skills and their business model so their business runs smoothly and they can have much more fun with it as well.”
“I made it my mission and my goal to help clients make much more profit and to develop their entrepreneurial skills and their business model.”
Gloria Murray, Director
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned at your firm?
“Don’t assume because it’s way too easy to make assumptions. You get to know what’s happening in someone’s business, but they’re not experts on the bookkeeping side of things or in the accounts. So it’s always better to get things qualified or clarified than to make an assumption. The same applies to tax as well. We do really need to support the clients as they develop as business people and look after all aspects of the numbers in their business.”
What is the most rewarding experience you have had at your firm so far?
“I think it was when we won two awards in the same year in 2017-18. We won Most Innovative Business Advisor in the UK and the Accountant Changing Lives Award, and I was very proud of this because changing lives has such an impact on our client’s personal lives and business. I help business owners evolve as business people by transforming their business practices, building their confidence, and creating a more sustainable business model.
We take them from being a business owner to thinking like an entrepreneur and help them understand their numbers in a focused way so they can more easily identify opportunities and continue to grow.”
What result you achieved for a client are you most proud of?
“Most proud of helping one business owner from being under the VAT threshold, working a 60 hour week and not being able to take any holidays to build her confidence over a two year period, make her business model more robust and then helping to increase her turnover in 7 months by £250000. That obviously had a knock-on effect not just on her business life but on her personal life as well, which was fantastic.”
“Turnover is Vanity, Profit is Sanity and Cash is Queen.”
Gloria Murray, Director
What is your favourite statement that you regularly use when advising your clients?
“Turnover is Vanity, Profit is Sanity and Cash is Queen.”
Which conditions do you think a ‘firm of the future’ should meet?
“To be technology-driven and aware of any new technology that’s coming on board that can help the clients as well as within the firm. I think we have to be very team spirited as well and look at how we can look after each other and be very strong on client service.”
How do you see the future of your firm from your perspective?
“It’s about continuous development – by looking at ways we can improve everything that we do within the practice. It’s a similar ethos to what many sports teams do by looking at those little bits of incremental improvements within the team that make a massive difference not only to us but also to our clients.”