Refer a client, and know exactly what happens next
We are the finance function for owner-managed UK businesses. If you work with company owners who cannot see their numbers clearly, we are the people to send them to, and we will tell you what we find.
Your client stays yours
You have spent years building that relationship. Here is exactly what we do with it.
We stay in our lane
We do finance. Bookkeeping, management accounts, VAT, payroll, year end, forecasting and CFO-level support. We do not do your work and we will not offer to. If your client asks us about something that is yours, we tell them to speak to you.
We tell you we are being paid
If we pay you a referral fee, your client is told. We think a fee you can talk about openly is the only kind worth having, and it is the same principle as our pricing: no surprises, in either direction.
We tell you what we find
If we open the books and see something you should know about, you hear it from us. That works both ways, and it is usually the most valuable part of the arrangement.
We say no when we should
We work with limited companies turning over roughly £1m to £15m. If your client is not a fit, we will say so on the first call and point them somewhere better. A referral we turn down properly is worth more to you than one we take badly.
10% of fees for the first 12 months
Paid on what we actually receive, not on what we invoice. Monthly, quarterly or annually, your choice. Pick a tier below and move the slider to see what happens if the client leaves early.
| Firm | What they pay | On a typical client |
|---|---|---|
| AI Accounts | 10% of fees, 12 months, on receipt | £1,800 |
| The Accountancy Partnership | Flat fee, after the client stays 3 months | £150 |
| Clear House Accountants | Flat fee per limited company | £80 |
Send us the ones who cannot see their numbers
We work with owner-managed UK limited companies, roughly £1m to £15m turnover. Usually recruitment, professional services, agencies, ecommerce, established software and healthcare. You will recognise them.
They are hiring for finance
An advert for a financial controller, a finance manager or a bookkeeper is the strongest signal there is.
They have outgrown their accountant
Compliance is done, but nothing arrives in time to be useful.
Something big is coming
They are about to hire, borrow or buy, and nobody can say what the cash supports.
The year end told them nothing
Filed on time, and no wiser than before.
Not right for us: sole traders and the self-employed, construction businesses under CIS, and anyone who wants the cheapest possible year end. We will tell you quickly rather than waste your client’s time.
Four steps, and none of them are work for you
Tell us who they are
An email, a message, or an introduction on a call. Whatever suits you. We ask for the name in writing first so the referral is recorded and there is never a question about who sent whom.
We speak to them
A 15-minute call to work out whether we are a fit. If we are not, we say so and tell you why.
We tell you what happened
Either way. You are not left wondering.
You get paid
From the first payment they make, for twelve months, at the frequency you choose. We send you a statement so you are not chasing anything.
Who you are referring to
AI Accounts has been going since April 2020. Anna Stafford is Founder and Managing Director, and she takes the first call herself on every referral.
The team handling year end accounts and tax are fully qualified chartered accountants. Day to day we run finance operations: month end, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, debtor control, management accounts, forecasting. Xero-based.
Fixed monthly fees, scoped to the business. No long contracts, monthly rolling.
The things partners ask
Do I need to sign anything?
A short referral agreement, one page, setting out the fee and how we handle your client’s data. Nothing exclusive and nothing you cannot walk away from.
What if my client already has an accountant?
Most do. We handle the professional clearance and the switch, and it is free from Xero.
Do you pay on one-off work as well as retainers?
Yes on the Cash Visibility Sprint. R&D claims, SEIS and EIS and EMI are priced as projects and we agree the fee on those case by case, because the numbers vary a lot.
How long does my referral stay mine?
Six months from the introduction. If they come back to us a year later on their own, that is a different conversation and we will be honest with you about it.
What if it does not work out with the client?
The payments stop. Nothing is reclaimed.
Do you refer work back?
Where we can and where it is right for the client, yes. We will not promise a volume we cannot deliver.
Have a conversation first
Most partnerships that work start with a call, not a form. Thirty minutes with Anna to talk about the clients you work with and where the overlap is.