Congratulations to Natalie on her 10th work anniversary as part of the S Smith & Co team. This is another big milestone in Natalie’s career and we would like to congratulate Natalie on this achievement. Natalie’s commitment and ambition for the business and clients is shown throughout her work. Natalie is an inspiration to all team members, especially for our young apprentices!🌟

We asked Natalie…

What is your favourite part about your role?

My favourite aspect of the role is the people – our clients and our team. We are a dynamic, young and professional team, offering the absolute best service to all our clients. The whole team are always willing to go above and beyond for our clients, ensuring they are receiving the quality of service they deserve.

I love helping new startup businesses, it is fantastic to be a part of their journey, to see the progression from their day one idea. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to offer the support to businesses with an idea looking to succeed.

What do you consider your biggest professional achievement?

Since joining the S Smith & Co Accountants team back in 2014 – I’m very proud of my professional development and achievements within the business. I joined the business as an apprentice to start my Accountancy studies, then going on to qualify in 2017.

Within the last 10 years I’m thrilled with the progression I have made within the business. I was appointed as the practice manager in 2019, since then I have assisted with huge business developments. My biggest achievement to date was more recently, when I have progressed to the Managing Director and partner of the business.

In May I was honoured to have been recognised and nominated for the North Lincolnshire Young Business Person of the Year award. Anybody who knows me will say, I’m not one for shouting about any of my achievements!! But it was brilliant to attend the event with all the team to celebrate my own and the company achievements.

How has the company evolved over time since you have been here?

Accounting itself has evolved in the last 10 years, with bookkeeping and accounts becoming more digitalised. Making Tax Digital for VAT became mandatory in 2019, which left some businesses with no choice other than to change the way their records had previously been kept. With Making Tax Digital for income tax on the horizon, the developments with technology will only advance.

As a business we’re always looking at ways to develop our systems. We implemented a new CRM system in 2021 to assist with our efficiencies within the practice. In line with the Making Tax Digital changes, we have also become a Xero Accounting Software gold partner – through transitioning all of our desktop accounting packages to a fully cloud solution.

Looking back to 10 years ago, how did you get started in the industry?

Surprisingly I had the intentions of becoming a primary school teacher whilst I was studying my A Levels! After looking at different career options, I changed my mind and decided I would like to proceed with an Accounting Apprenticeship. Maths was always one of my strongest subjects, as well as any problem-solving tasks – which is one of my favourite aspects of the job! Looking back, I’m very pleased I made the decision to choose an Apprenticeship.

What is your favourite biscuit to eat the office?

My favourite biscuit in the office is always the Foxes Chocolate Rounds!