Peterborough accountant becomes one of the youngest in the country to start his own practice during lockdown

Will Blower (23) started Realise Finance last July, at the age of 22, before leaving his job to go full time in September. In that time, he has already amassed a large client base of small businesses, mostly in Peterborough but also in areas further afield such as Colchester and Wales.

By the time he started Realise Finance Will already had four years experience in the business. After leaving Spalding High School in 2016, he began working for Rawlinsons (now Baldwins) on Lincoln Road as a Trainee Accountant, alongside enrolling at a specialist college that is part of Peterborough Regional College. Here Will achieved his level 3 and 4 AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) qualifications.

He then moving on to MHA MacIntyre Hudson, based at The Forum Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood. It was while working at MacIntyre Hudson that Will honed his skills in the profession and realised that he could make a real difference.

He said: “Working at MacIntyre Hudson broadened my knowledge so much and the more I did, the more I realised that there was a place in the market for me to make a difference.

“A lot of members of my family run their own businesses, nothing to do with accounting but there’s just something about owning a business and having the mentality of working for yourself that appealed to me so I decided to go for it.

“I started off with a few family friends and referrals and it’s just been growing since then really well and I’ve built up a good client base since.”

One of the unique challenges of working with small businesses during the ongoing pandmeic is helping them balance the books to allow them to stay afloat, a challenge Will relishes.

He added: “The plan with a number of my clients is helping them to make sure they have a future and helping them to claim grants. That’s the part that is really worthwhile. It’s also nice to work to work with so many clients in Peterborough where I can give them the personal touch.

“All of my clients are older than me but I’ve never had anyone say anything to me about my age. I think a lot of them like my enthusiasm.

“I think the biggest challenge instead is working alone, it’s so different without co-workers and especially at the moment when I’m doing it from home in Peterborough.

“I’ve got my girlfriend here with me though and she’s a great support and there are definitely plans in the future to take on more staff and continue to grow the business.”

To find out more about Will’s business, visit www.realisefinance.com.