Is Your Accountant Helping You Grow, Or Just Filing Your Tax Return?
If you're an ambitious business owner, this might sound familiar:
Your accounts are up to date. Your tax returns are filed. But you still feel in the dark about what your numbers actually mean for your business.
You’re not alone.
Most business owners didn’t start their companies to become accountants. They built something because they loved a craft, a skill, an idea. PR, coffee roasting, architecture, brewing, design. They chased a passion, not a spreadsheet.
And yet, the moment they become business owners, they’re expected to navigate financial statements, interpret performance, and make decisions with numbers they don’t fully understand.
At Ashton McGill, we believe accounting shouldn’t feel like that. It shouldn’t feel confusing, or intimidating, or last-minute, or transactional. It should feel human.
As our co-founder Alasdair puts it:
“Numbers are just numbers… until you remember they represent people, families, and communities.”
That’s what we mean by humanising the numbers: turning data into meaningful insights you can use to grow your business.
Traditional Accounting Doesn't Work for Modern Business Owners
Most accounting firms were built for compliance, not clarity. They focus on meeting deadlines, not helping you understand your numbers. They report on the past instead of preparing you for what’s ahead.
That’s why ambitious founders often feel:
confused by jargon
unsure what their numbers are telling them
unable to plan ahead
reactive instead of proactive
out of control
like they “don’t know what they don’t know”
The truth is simple:
Your accountant should help your business grow, not just record the past.
If you’re unsure whether you’re getting the support you need, here’s a helpful guide on getting more value from your accountant.
Design Thinking: The DNA of How We Work
Before AM existed, our co-founder Alasdair spent years in service design, helping banks, universities, car brands, and museums rethink how humans experience services.
That same methodology became the backbone of AM:
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Listen deeply. Understand the human behind the numbers.
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Identify the real problem or growth opportunity.
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Explore options and design financial insights around your goals.
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Build a service experience that gives clarity, confidence, and foresight.
This is accounting for people, not to people. It’s why we create:
visual roadmaps
simple, plain-language explanations
clear performance reporting
monthly and quarterly strategy sessions
proactive insights designed around growth
Design thinking is the difference between a transactional accountant, and a strategic accountant who helps your business grow.
When Numbers Finally Make Sense, Everything Changes
We see this story all the time, but one Aberdeen media business captures it perfectly. They were talented, driven, and growing, yet every financial decision felt like a shot in the dark. They were brilliant at what they did, but their accountant only ever delivered reports, never the understanding behind them.
They were told they “didn’t need” management accounts, when the truth was they desperately needed someone to translate their numbers into insight.
They knew they needed help, but didn’t have the vocabulary to ask for it.
Today:
they understand utilisation
they know their margins
they make confident decisions
they review their business quarterly
Once we brought design thinking into their financial world– uncovering what they truly needed, defining their goals, and building reporting around their reality– they went from feeling lost to leading with confidence.
That’s what a proactive accountant does. They help you grow by helping you understand.
Ambitious Business Owners Need More Than Just ‘Compliance’
Software and AI are rapidly automating compliance work. But they can’t replace:
curiosity
empathy
strategic insight
listening
context
partnership
A growth-focused accountant isn’t simply preparing accounts. They’re helping you build a more resilient, profitable, intentional business.
The pace of change today is the slowest it will be for the rest of our lives.
Ambitious business owners need advisors who can help them navigate that pace, not just balance the books behind them.
So… Is Your Accountant Helping You Grow?
Here are the questions we encourage every business owner to ask:
Do you only hear from your accountant at year-end?
Do you truly understand your numbers?
Do you have monthly or quarterly financial conversations?
Are you getting proactive insights or reactive reports?
Do your numbers show you where opportunities and risks are?
Are you making decisions with clarity or guesswork?
Does your accountant understand your goals, not just your taxes?
If you hesitated on any of these, it may be time to rethink what support you deserve.
Ready for an Accountant Who Helps You Grow?
If your accountant is only filing your tax return, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful growth tools in your business: clarity.
Start your enquiry below and take the first step toward an accounting experience designed around clarity, confidence, and growth. Our short Typeform helps us understand your business and what you need, so we can support you in the right way from day one.