Driving client growth through collaboration with QuickBooks

Financial tools helping clients build better businesses from day one

Chloe Britnell’s journey into accountancy wasn’t typical, but it was intentional. With a background in film and an early ambition to become a critic, she quickly realised that the creative industry lacked stability and opportunity. Looking for a profession with impact and structure, she retrained as an accountant.

Now, seven-and-a-half years on, Chloe is a Partner at PJCO Accounting Services, a fast-growing accountancy firm with a strong focus on developing future talent. Founded in 1995, the firm has grown to serve individuals and small businesses across the South of England and beyond, offering services ranging from bookkeeping and payroll to tax advice and business development support.

She joined the firm in 2017 and progressed through the PJCO Graduate Training Scheme to become a fully qualified Chartered Certified accountant. Her role goes far beyond compliance. “I love what I do, and that's because I feel like I am the GP for wealth rather than health. I'm helping businesses grow and succeed. Business owners and entrepreneurs are really good at what they do but they've never been trained on how to run a business - that's where I come in. I help them make their dreams a reality.”

Intuit QuickBooks plays a key role in that process, giving Chloe the tools to collaborate with clients, spot trends, and act fast. “My relationship with clients has been transformed by QuickBooks. Because we can both see real-time data and have discussions about data that’s happening now rather than nine months ago with completing the financial accounts.”

Chloe’s number one tip for business growth is clear: “Delegate so that you can spend more time on your business than in your business.”

Scaling up with structure and technology

Chloe has seen her firm grow from a nine-person team to a 30-person operation. One factor? A commitment to embracing technology that makes growth possible. “We’ve embraced our relationship with QuickBooks to help our clients succeed, which has therefore helped us grow and succeed.”

For her many apprentices, QuickBooks training is the starting point, building the knowledge required for client-facing work from day one.

“Of our 30-strong team, at least 25 are apprentices,” she explains. “We offer really good apprenticeships to people starting out in the industry. It provides real-life experience with real-world clients, helping businesses from day one.”

To ensure apprentices gain confidence and skills early, QuickBooks is introduced immediately. “I find the QuickBooks training really fundamental. When they start with us, they know absolutely nothing about accounting. The first thing that they do is the QuickBooks training. It really gives them that foundation of knowledge that they need to go forward and have meaningful conversations with clients on day one of their career.”

With Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT already in place and MTD for Income Tax approaching, Chloe sees QuickBooks as fundamental to their strategy. “We need to manage MTD and make sure that clients are up to speed. QuickBooks is going to be instrumental in helping us put that plan in place and make sure all our clients are compliant.”

She adds that QuickBooks is reducing the pressure: “They’re bringing out new solutions tailored to different clients. With Quickbooks having a relationship with HMRC, we know what’s going to happen and when.”

Chloe relies on QuickBooks not only for the software’s features, but also for the quality of its support and training: “I've reached out to QuickBooks support team multiple times, and each time my question is answered efficiently, quickly, and correctly.”

And when it comes to day-to-day use, one feature stands out. “I think the features in QuickBooks are all useful, but the one that I always use is the reporting tool. It's so easy to navigate and drill down into the exact data that I need. I think QuickBooks’ greatest strength is that they listen to the accountants, and they listen to the business owners and action changes as a result of those conversations.”

A real-time partnership powering smarter decision-making

James Brooke is Managing Director of James & James Estate Agents in Worthing. Since launching the firm just after lockdown, it’s grown rapidly from a two-person team to a multi-division operation covering sales, lettings, commercial property and mortgages.

Chloe supported James in structuring the business correctly from the start. “She set up a group of companies with a holding structure. It’s really well structured so we don’t pay any more tax than we need to because no one wants to do that.”

That structure, combined with QuickBooks, has given James oversight and control. “QuickBooks has helped me in the journey tenfold. Once clients are loaded, raising invoices takes seconds. I can run reports, see how things look in the bank, and check what our liabilities are.”

What makes it work is the live view. “It’s instant. I can look at graphs and charts, and liaise with Chloe at the same time. She’s looking at what I’m looking at. And that model is so powerful because our business is fast. Twenty-four hours is a completely different picture from the day before.”

For James, having Chloe and QuickBooks on side means peace of mind and space to focus on what matters most. “I’m not an accountant, I’m not a bookkeeper, I’m not a tax specialist. I want to let houses, do commercial properties. I can offload everything to Chloe and QuickBooks, and focus on growing my business. ”

Chloe sees the value in the relationship too. “With the help of QuickBooks, I can help businesses like James make sure that they’re spending more time on the business rather than on the numbers.”

Building for the future

Chloe is clear: her journey is still unfolding. “I’ve never been someone who’s seen a glass ceiling and doesn’t want to break through it.”

Technology, training, and strong client relationships remain core to that vision. “My career is certainly nowhere near my peak yet. I just want to reach more clients, help more small businesses, and support their growth plans so that more people can succeed.” 

James shares a similar mindset when it comes to growing with structure and support. As someone who runs a faster-paced, mulit-division property firm, he’s found real value in having Chloe as a financial partner: “Working with an accountant for me has been massive. To be able to set goals and then check in on those goals throughout the year. I am accountable and have someone to share ideas with. It’s like having another business partner.“

Why QuickBooks?

Chloe’s verdict on QuickBooks is grounded in experience. “QuickBooks is designed with the business owner in mind, rather than just the accountant.”

“If QuickBooks were a tool in my kit, it would be the foundation. The thing that makes everything else work efficiently, reliably, and in real time. It’s not just software. It’s how we help our clients grow,” she enthused.

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