nnovation and creativity might not be words commonly associated with accountants – but Swindon firm Morris Owen has proven it can break the mould.
It is in the running for a prestigious national award which could see it crowned as one of the most innovative practices in the UK.
The firm has been shortlisted in the 2020 Innovation Awards 2008, which celebrate success and achievements across the accounting profession, particularly recognising firms which are creative and innovative in their approach to business.
It has reached the final in the Most Innovative Large Firm category and will now go head-to-head with two other practices before the award presentation on October 16 when football legend Jack Charlton OBE will announce the winners.
Rob Harman, partner at Morris Owen, said: “We are obviously delighted to be shortlisted for this award. All of our hard work is being acknowledged and is bearing fruit.”
To reach the final stages of the awards, the firm, which is based in Devizes Road, had to show how it has won new clients, built on its work with existing clients and stayed one step ahead of the competition over the past year. The practice’s continued efforts to be “more than just accountants” have seen it develop its corporate finance service, improve its international reach as well as increase its consultancy work.
The secret of their success is simple, according to Rob, who said: “We have been finding out what our clients really want and working hard to develop and deliver that. We’ve really been talking to our clients and focusing increasingly on working with them strategically.
“It is not the sort of thing people come to expect from accountants, but we have found that becoming part of a client’s business rather than just being the traditional accountant at the end of a phone is what works well. This was borne out in the strong testimonials we have received.”
The firm’s nomination for the annual awards was backed by a number of leading industry suppliers, specialists and clients – all of whom were only too happy to lend their support to the firm, whose 60 staff offer a wide range of general and specialist financial services.
The awards are run by the 2020 Membership Group, an organisation for accountants and tax professionals which has more than 1,200 member firms in the UK as well as membership groups in the USA and Canada.
It is not the first time Morris Owen has hit the headlines for its accounting excellence. Last year it was shortlisted for the Accountancy Age awards alongside national and multi-national accountancy firms, proving it has what it takes to compete with firms many times its size.
