David Poole

williams lester accountants is a Cardiff-based accountancy and business advisory firm, but I like to think we're rather more than just accountants. Our approach is built around three things: Accounting | Coaching | Growth. We look after all the essentials, including accounts, tax, VAT, payroll and compliance. But what really interests us is helping business owners improve profitability, manage cash flow, understand their numbers and build better businesses. We work with clients across South Wales and throughout the UK, from start-ups to established companies. Some simply want a reliable accountant, while others benefit from our business coaching, profit improvement programmes and fractional Finance Director services. We're a small team, and that's deliberate. I believe clients should know who they're dealing with, be able to pick up the phone and get straightforward advice without worrying that every conversation will generate another invoice. We embrace technology, automation and AI to reduce administration and free up more time to help clients make better decisions. Ultimately, our aim is simple: to help business owners move from feeling overwhelmed by their finances to feeling genuinely in control of their business.

I've spent over 40 years working in accountancy, both in practice and industry, and that combination has shaped the way I've developed williams lester accountants. Working in industry taught me that businesses need more than an accountant who tells them what happened six months ago. They need someone who understands the pressures of running a business and can help them make better decisions today. That's the philosophy behind our firm. Over the years, we've evolved from providing traditional accountancy services into offering a much broader range of business support, including coaching, financial forecasting, profit improvement and fractional Finance Director services. Technology has transformed the profession during my career, from the days before computers were commonplace to today's cloud accounting, automation and AI. We've embraced those changes because they give us more opportunities to help our clients. As a Fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants, I value professional development, but I certainly don't believe learning stops with qualifications. More recently, I've enjoyed sharing my experience with the wider profession, including appearing on the Pitstop Podcast at Accountex Manchester. After four decades, I still enjoy finding new ways to help businesses succeed.