Twelve years ago, Gareth Burton made a bold move from the corporate world of the Big Four to launching his own successful pension audit business, Assure UK. This is his growth story.

In 2012, Gareth decided to shake up his professional life by starting Assure UK, a specialist pension audit firm. Despite initial scepticism from peers, he built a thriving business, close to hitting a million pounds in turnover. Not stopping there, in 2018, he identified a market gap and founded Progress Accounting, aiming to offer top-notch cloud-based accounting and advisory services.

In this Growth Story, you’ll discover:

• How Gareth transitioned from a secure corporate job to running his businesses.
• The challenges he faced and how he overcame them.
• His strategies for building a strong, cohesive team.
• The role of strategic planning and marketing in his business growth.

If you’d like to listen to or watch the conversation, click below for the YouTube video of Gareth’s chat with Heather.

About Gareth

Gareth Burton is a driven entrepreneur who swapped the security of the Big Four for the challenge of starting his own pension audit business, Assure UK. Despite friends and colleagues thinking he was a bit mad, Gareth has built a well-regarded business that’s now close to hitting a million pounds in turnover. Gareth’s expertise and commitment have made Assure UK a trusted name in the pension audit sector, known for its high standards and innovative approaches.

 

Setting up the business

Before joining the club, Gareth was already on an interesting journey. He started Assure UK back in 2012, growing it organically through word-of-mouth and referrals. Despite scepticism, he built a solid reputation, with the business nearing a million pounds in turnover. However, growth was slow and unpredictable due to the lack of a structured sales and marketing plan. Relying heavily on referrals and networking had its limitations.

The launch of Progress Accounting

Not one to rest on his laurels, Gareth noticed a gap in the market for a service that combined brilliant cloud-based accounting with top-notch advisory support. While traditional services offered great service, they lacked innovation, and while there were great cloud-based accountants, they fell short of service standards. This led him to start Progress Accounting in 2018, but it didn’t go smoothly. Progress Accounting soon became a “problem child,” where he struggled with team issues, growth, and service consistency.

Though it’s been a bumpy ride juggling the two businesses, Gareth’s journey with both businesses has been marked by resilience and a willingness to learn from every challenge. He’s committed to creating a positive company culture, investing in his team’s growth, and consistently seeking ways to add value for his clients.

 

Committing to growth

After joining the Accountants’ Growth Club and working with Heather as his Growth Specialist, Gareth committed to a structured growth plan and made significant changes to both of his businesses.

Assure UK

Sales and marketing

Gareth implemented a comprehensive sales and marketing strategy, along with a resource and capacity plan, ensuring that his team could handle the increased workload that came with their growing reputation. This structured approach helped boost their referral business and ensured they could maintain high service standards.

Team building and culture

Next, he focused on building a strong, cohesive team by creating a great work culture where openness and honesty were key. This involved:

• Implementing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor performance and detect early warning signs of issues.
• Regularly tracking conversion rates for proposals and using LinkedIn effectively.

Gareth emphasised the importance of having the right people in the right roles, ensuring that everyone was aligned with the company’s goals. This mindset and the two strategies above played a big role in their success.

Progress Accounting

Growth through acquisition

Gareth decided to accelerate Progress Accounting’s growth by acquiring a small practice. This move helped them understand the acquisition process and integrate new clients. However, it also highlighted the need for patience and the importance of getting the right team in place.

Team overhaul

Over 24 months, Gareth replaced most of the team to ensure they had the right people. This involved streamlining processes to make the business scalable and ensuring consistent, high-quality service. Gareth emphasised finding team members who were not only skilled but also a good fit for the company’s culture – and regular communication and alignment on goals were crucial here.

Client management and service levels

They focused on providing excellent client service, regularly reviewing client fees to ensure profitability, and making sure every client paid their way. They also continuously reviewed and improved communication with clients to meet and exceed expectations.

Marketing and networking

Gareth ramped up their marketing efforts, particularly on LinkedIn. He moved from being a passive observer to an active participant, regularly posting and commenting, and connecting with potential referrers. Consistency was key here, and it took about six to nine months to see significant results from these efforts. Hiring a content writer was also a vital tool, as it helped improve their posts’ engagement by 50%.

General improvements

Coaching and accountability

Gareth invested in coaching for himself and his team, ensuring they had external accountability and support. Regular leadership team meetings with external coaches helped maintain focus and drive.

Internal systems and HR

The company upgraded its internal systems, including moving its HR processes to the cloud. Regular temperature checks and independent HR consultations helped maintain a healthy work environment.

Team building activities

The business really prioritised team bonding during the Covid lockdown – where they invested in activities like Zorb football, pizza nights, and awards dinners –  to ensure everyone was coping well with remote work. Not only did it make a substantial difference then, but it’s also continued in the years since, and the team is stronger than ever.

Through these efforts, Gareth has seen significant improvement in both businesses. Assure UK continued to grow steadily, while Progress Accounting finally started to gain traction, showing promising signs of growth.

 

Getting through the hard times

Looking back, Gareth said, “It’s easy to say “These are the things I did to grow,” but at the time it was hard.” Juggling both businesses and the market gap was frustrating, not to mention dealing with team inefficiencies, diverse client expectations, and scaling struggles. It wasn’t long before he realised he needed a solid plan and the right people in the right places. But what really helped him make it through was:

• Realising that all business owners are going through the same struggles (some are just better at masking it than others).
• Understanding that setbacks are a part of the process.
• Grit and determination to do what is needed (not what is easy).
• Addressing root problems, creating a structured plan, building a strong team, and maintaining a positive, adaptable mindset.

 

Lessons learned: key takeaways from the journey so far

Looking ahead, Gareth is focused on sustaining and accelerating the growth of his businesses by applying the lessons he has learned and refining his strategies.

Patience and strategic growth

Gareth acknowledges that he might have been too impatient in trying to shortcut success by buying a practice. In hindsight, he realises the importance of patience and organic growth. He would have focused more on targeting the right clients from the start, ensuring they were a good fit for the services he could provide exceptionally well.

Team management

One of the key lessons Gareth learned was the importance of having the right team. He would have been less trusting and quicker to let go of team members who weren’t a good fit – to the point where he now firmly believes in the adage “hire slowly, fire fast.”

Consistency and focus

Gareth now understands the value of consistency in marketing and business processes. Giving strategies enough time to work is crucial, and he would ensure a more measured and persistent approach to new initiatives.

Key takeaways:

• Building a cohesive team is critical. The right people and a positive work culture are the foundation of success.
• Having a structured sales, marketing, and resource plan is essential. These plans help manage growth and meet increased demand.
• Using LinkedIn strategically boosts business leads. Regular engagement and quality content are key.
• Maintaining excellent client relationships is crucial. Regular fee reviews and clear communication add value continuously.

 

What’s next?

As you can see from his journey, Gareth’s determination to build the right team and streamline processes is paying dividends. Therefore, he will keep investing in his team through coaching and development to create accountability and support. Upgrading internal systems for efficiency, especially with cloud-based solutions for remote work, also remains a priority.

Committed to continuous improvement, Gareth will use his network to stay adaptable and seize future opportunities. But most importantly, he will focus on providing value to his clients and those who will benefit most from his services.

**  Assure UK provides award-winning pension audit and assurance services. If you want to get in touch with Gareth to learn more about his journey and/or to pick his brain, you can contact him here. **