Welcome to our series, 'Meet the entrepreneur', where we sit down with founders, CEOs and the like and get to know the person behind the business.
Introducing Steph Gemson, Director and Founder of TAXGEM LTD, a unique accountancy practice, and this week's business owner in the spotlight.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the business?
Steph: We're an accountancy practice that does things differently. We prepare and submit accounts, and keep clients tax-compliant and efficient, but our approach and delivery sets us apart. We pride ourselves on great customer relations and amazing service. By getting to know our clients’ businesses, we deliver the best results every time.
I started this company to bring my passion for the industry and client service to the high street. We know the traditional view of accountants can instill dread and boredom. We're here to smash that stereotype. Our clients don’t dread visiting us – in fact, we can’t keep them away, and we love it.
Q: What's your favourite podcast to listen to or book to read for business advice?
Steph: This might be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but honestly, I don’t buy into business or self-help podcasts or books. After trying a few, I found that if you’re not careful, you can become so saturated with other people’s ideas and methodologies that it just creates confusion. I feel much more confident in my own original thoughts and sharing knowledge and leadership techniques with my peers and network.
Q: How do you navigate the digital world as an entrepreneur?
Steph: I’m of the generation that was lucky enough to live through the technological revolution, so keeping up with digital advancements was part of our education! Staying current is crucial to maintaining your competitive advantage in the current climate, so I make sure to research and stay up to date with new software. We’re also pretty active on social media, with a fairly decent following for tax advisers, which keeps us digitally fresh.
Q: What's your best IT infrastructure advice to other entrepreneurs when getting their business started?
Steph: For us, like most modern businesses, all of our work is carried out on various software. Therefore, any downtime means a loss of revenue.
Cyber security is an ever-evolving risk. Technology is the backbone of most businesses, especially those operating with cloud-based software and storing sensitive information. Ensuring client data is safe and secure is imperative. My advice regarding IT infrastructure is to have a reliable tech support team to rectify issues when things go wrong.
Adaptability is key to growth. We've invested significant time and money in ensuring we have a robust CRM to keep track of our clients and quickly get key information to them.
Download and share
If you want to read this post offline, save it for later or share with a colleague, click the button below to download a PDF version.
