Meet Dan, where Cobalts began

Dan’s career in accounting started when he left school at 16. He’s worked for some big, high-profile companies, but now, at 35, he’s the Director of his own Accountancy firm – Cobalts.

We’ve been chatting about how he got here…

Hi Dan! So tell us, when did you first know you wanted to be an Accountant?

Helping people and businesses understand numbers is all I’ve ever wanted to do. Since I was 12, it’s what I set out to do. I left school at 16 and haven’t looked back!

One thing our customers love is being able to talk to you personally. Is this something that the industry’s often missing?

With everything in accounting becoming digital, it’s easy for some firms to shut themselves away behind a computer. While this might work for some, I want our clients to know that we really care about the ins-and-outs of how their business works, what’s drives those entrepreneurs, the highs and lows – it’s so important for helping get the most out of your money and that simply can’t be achieved without some personal interaction.

That’s also where our strapline comes from - “where every business counts”. I want existing and potential clients to know they can trust us to look after their business – but to do that we need to know the whole picture – the good, the bad and the ugly! If people know they can pop in for a chat or pick up the phone, that makes the process a lot more comfortable for everyone.

Fantastic! What makes Cobalts special?

I think this comes back to really wanting to help our customers and see them succeed.

Accountants can get a bad rep for over-charging and under-caring. We don’t just churn-out one-size-fits-all quotes because we know that no two businesses are the same.

From the moment they enquire with us, we take the time to give clients an approachable, bespoke service.

I’ve made some great friends over the years because I’ve worked with people when their businesses are just an idea, right through to turning over millions with a 100+ people on their team.

We work with a lot of new businesses. For anyone out starting out, what should they be looking for in an accountant?

Starting a new business isn’t always easy or straightforward. The last thing you need is huge accountancy bills on top of that, so you want to look for someone who’s going to support you in your development. I truly believe that if we look after grassroots start-ups when they’re small, they’ll stay with us for years to come.

On that note, what made YOU want to start your own business?

I’ve worked for a great selection of accountancy firms during my career, but I’ve always felt they were lacking some of the compassion and personality that’s so important to us at Cobalts.

There’s also a lack of willingness to move with the times with a lot of Accountants – they’re happy with more traditional ways of doing business – and that’s just not what clients need now.

Finally, let’s end with something a little different. When you’re not crunching numbers, where can we find you?

My wife, Sarah and I have five children, so we spend a lot of our time parenting! I’m a people-person – it comes with the territory I think! – so when I’m not working, you’ll usually find me socialising with friends.

I also do my bit for charity. I’m a member of Melton Rotary Enterprise and a few other business networking groups, all of which focus on supporting businesses and charities in the local area.

If you’d like to speak to Dan about getting your business set up with Cobalts, you can call us on 01664 503 700, email info@cobalts.co.uk or use our simple Contact Form to book a free consultation.