Career coach | AAT Journeys
“AAT enabled me to forge my own path”
Will Blower MAAT was one of the youngest accounting practice founders in the country when he set up Realise Finance at the age of 22. Five years on, he tells us about his path to qualification, setting up the practice and managing its growth
Words Sophie Cross
Will Blower started his accountancy training straight after his A-Levels and obtained an apprenticeship at the largest independent accountancy firm in Peterborough.
“All I knew was that I wanted to be an accountant and that I had a passion for business,” he says. “I had no idea what an accountant did, what the role looked like, or what the qualification would entail.”
Blower enrolled in AAT with a local training provider to complete his Level 3 and 4, saying he “loved every minute of it”.
Taking the next step
When the independent practice sold out to a national firm, Blower decided to move to another firm for the next step in his career.
“I was only there for a year before I found I could make a difference in the world of business by starting my own practice,” he says. “I found, having been at two different accountancy firms, I could identify gaps between the two to develop my skills and build a service that I knew clients would love.”
In June 2020, aged just 22, Blower founded Realise Finance, having known since he was a junior accountant that one day he would like to have his own practice or be a partner.
“I have always been someone who likes to shape my own path, regardless of external factors,” he reveals. “Coming from a background where I didn’t have many opportunities, I found I had to take the ones I did. It was always my ambition and, once I saw AAT could support that as a Licensed Accountant, I thought, ‘Why wait?’”
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Blower’s five business fundamentals
1
Communication – getting back to clients quickly and building relationships
2
Professionalism with a personal touch
3
A high level of quality is maintained throughout the business, even down to the small things like the paper used
4
Continuous learning and process improvement
5
Building a great reputation for growth through word-of-mouth referrals
Calculated risks
Realise Finance started with no clients and Blower spent his spare time reaching out to local businesses, posting on Facebook groups and attending networking events. He knew that accountancy was all about building relationships and, having started from scratch with zero reputation, it was a steep learning curve.
To give himself the best shot, Blower had built up a savings pot and in six months he had enough clients to support himself financially.
He says: “I took risks, used all of my savings, sold my car and slowly built a sustainable client base that allowed me to run the business from the position I am in today.”
Scaling quantity and quality
Realise Finance has grown to a team of three – and taking on his first employee will always be Blower’s proudest moment, feeling he had really turned it into a business.
“When I made my first hire, I put them on exactly the same AAT learning path I went on myself, with the same college,” he adds. “That individual is still with us, completing their Level 4 AAT, which I have had the amazing opportunity to support.”
Realise Finance now has more than 250 clients across the country from a wide range of industries. Client growth has mainly come from word of mouth, LinkedIn and working hard on the firm’s reputation.
“Reputation and referrals really have been the core growth of the client base, with 48% of clients coming through referrals,” he says. “I spent a lot of my time ensuring our image is professional while also having a personal feel. I love LinkedIn and use it to showcase this as much as possible, with posts often leading to prospective clients.”
Client numbers continue to grow, but Blower says the main goal for 2025 is process improvement.
Will Blower MAAT and trainee Tori-Paige Chapman
Quick response guarantee
‘Communication’ is written on a board in the Realise Finance offices, so the team see it every day. The practice prides itself on a guaranteed 48-hour reply promise, with responses usually within the hour – if not quicker.
“Communication is our USP,” Blower says. “While it may sound simple, we have come across so many firms that take a week or longer to go back to clients.”
Only constant is change
Despite identifying gaps in the market, defining a strong USP and scaling at an impressive rate, Blower knows the importance of learning and adapting continuously.
“I have found the adaptation to client expectations to be the thing that changes the most rapidly through my time,” he says. “We work with a wide range of clients, from individuals aged 18-75, locations from our doorstep to Cornwall, and industries from other accountants to agriculture, with everything in between. Keeping up with how to support this wide range of clients is something I continue to learn every day.”
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