Director
Bristol,
Business advisory
Business advisory
Understand the client's vision and empower them to achieve it
General practice. Exceptional client service.
Whether it’s a business or personal accounting need, we’ve got it covered for our clients. We’re their trusted advisers.
We’re the general practice team and as such we offer an extensive range of client services such as non-audit accounts, cash flow projections, corporation tax returns, personal tax returns, P11ds, company secretarial work, credit control, VAT returns and management accounts.
There is a Business Advisory team in every one of our offices. Each is led by a partner and several managers, each responsible for client portfolios, supported by a team of seniors, assistants, and trainees. Our teams are friendly and inviting, with a can-do attitude and a willingness to help each other.
The breadth of our work dovetails with a range of clients – sole traders, family-owned businesses, partnerships, LLPs, private individuals – across all sectors. We enjoy the diversity of our work and take pride in delivering great service to all our clients.
We are the general practice team so you can stick to a broad path or some people choose to follow a more specialist one becoming experts in areas such as agriculture, inheritance tax or landed estates.
All starters have a buddy to assistance them in their first weeks. We also help new team members to settle in with on the job training, lunch and learns, video training and one-to-one training as required.
Our flexible hybrid work model enables our teams to split their work between home and our office locations. We encourage new starters to work in the office, for training purposes and to help them get to know people.
When you are ready we fully adopt hybrid working, always putting the clients’ needs first. Some team members work at home on set days and others choose where to be as it comes. The exact details depend on the needs of the role.
Meet the business advisory team
“You can go to anyone with questions, or ask our in-house experts about specific queries around tax and VAT. I’m now enjoying learning about the advisory side of accounts and how to build strong client relationships. I’m getting great experience across a very wide range of clients.”
Ashton, Assistant manager
“The people are friendly and make this more than just a place to work. There is a support structure, and having managers who care about your wellbeing is a huge bonus!”
Ben, SeniorBusiness advisory FAQs
From explaining the numbers to providing strategic advice, general accounting is varied and perfect for those with curious minds.
Yes. It’s popular with new trainees because of the breath of services we offer, it’s a great way to get a broad grounding in general practice which will serve you well for years to come! We offer AAT accountancy apprenticeships which are popular with school leavers. We also offer ACA, ACCA and ATT-CTA for graduates and those who pass the AAT qualification.
We encourage everyone in the team to be forward thinking about their careers. We hold regular career conversations about where people are going and how they are going to get there. Objectives are set each year to ensure that people are progressing, and there are interim catch ups with managers and possibly partners to see how things are progressing. We hold annual performance development reviews and agree performance grades so that you can understand how you are progressing.
Our size means that there are great opportunities for all here.
We expect the team member to drive their own career planning. This can’t be a one size fits all process as everyone is different, but we do promise full support in understanding your ambitions and helping you to achieve them, for example by funding further professional qualifications, on-the-job training, soft skills training, mentoring and so on. The possibilities are very open!
Yes! We introduce people as they join and quickly get them involved in the social side of the team, such as relaxed breakfast and lunch team meetings to which everyone is invited.
We also hold regular team days and evening socials, for example curry nights, crazy golf, barbeques, bowling and an annual team volunteering day where we go out add value to our local communities.
When you join as a trainee the firm pays for all your training and examinations. If you are a graduate, you’ll study towards the Chartered Accountant qualification (ACA). You’ll spend time at work and time training, in person, with an external training provider. The external training can be a mixture of day release or sometimes weeks at a time. You are also expected to do at least 10 hours of independent study per week in your own time – most trainees find they need to do more when revising for exams.
ACA is a level seven qualification and takes three years to complete. Your exams and training are fully funded by the firm. You’ll sit 15 exams with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and you can see their latest syllabus online. You’ll also have a student counsellor, an experienced Chartered Accountant, to support you.
If you join us on the AAT route you’ll spend 80% of your time at work and 20% of your time training with an external training provider, either in person or virtually. You’ll start with level three AAT, which takes 15-18 months to complete. See the AAT website for the latest syllabus.
Outside of the sessions you’ll have access to the tutor to get one-to-one support. You are expected to do independent study in your own time, typically around five hours per week but this may be more around exam time.
Life at PKF Francis Clark
