Twenty Years, One Firm: People, Purpose and Brighton

By Vicky King, Plus Accounting

When I joined Plus Accounting in 2005 I was in my early twenties, answering the phone at reception and learning the rhythms of a small, busy practice. Back then we were a tight-knit team of 14. Two decades later we’re around 50 people strong, B Corp certified, and still rooted in Brighton, but the constant through every change has been people: clients, colleagues and the community.

It’s a privilege to be part of the firm’s story. Over the years I’ve moved through roles, administration, client support, and finally marketing and leadership and every job taught me something different about how to build a business that truly serves people. That’s been the theme of my 20-year reflection: success happens when you put relationships, curiosity and values at the centre of what you do.

People first: clients and team

Working closely with clients across industries, such as Tech & Creative, Hospitality and Property, has shaped who we are. We don’t just file accounts; we help founders build long-lasting businesses. Whether it’s advising on tax reliefs, supporting early-stage raises, or guiding studio owners through cashflow and forecasting, our team loves the detail work that gives clients confidence to take risks.

That client focus has driven cultural decisions inside Plus too. We’ve invested in training programmes (from apprentices and postgrads in accounting to CIPD and CIM for our people team and marketing), management coaching, and better HR systems. We want everyone here to learn, progress and feel supported, because motivated people do better work for clients.

Community and purpose – becoming a B Corp

A big achievement for the team was achieving B Corp certification. That didn’t happen in a boardroom; it happened through conversations with clients, through feedback from the team and a shared desire to do business in a way that contributes to Brighton and beyond. Our work supporting local initiatives, from financial literacy in schools to arts projects like Dreamy Place and Oska Film Festival, is part of that commitment.

Being a B Corp forces you to ask better questions about supply chains, procurement, and the real impact of your decisions. For a small firm, it’s a stretch. But it’s also an opportunity: we now look at every project through a broader lens – not just profit, but positive outcomes for people and place.

Technology, learning and adaptability

If there’s another theme across 20 years, it’s how fast things change. Cloud accounting, Xero, Dext and daily task automations have transformed how we work. I remember when cloud software was cutting-edge; now it’s essential. Our Plus Advisory team exists because clients want real-time insight, not quarterly surprises. We’ve matched that demand with a tech stack that supports forecasting, payments, approvals and document flows, freeing our people to give higher-value advice.

Alongside tech, we’ve prioritised learning. Everyone at Plus has access to training and development, because the more skilled the team, the better the outcomes for clients. Management coaching, external leadership training and mentoring have been game-changers for how we manage, support and retain talent.

Personal lessons: balance, confidence and purpose

On a personal note – twenty years in any job changes you. I arrived ambitious, a little uncertain, and very “on” all the time. I worked long hours and treated networking as a way to learn everything I could. That energy helped me grow, but it also taught me the hard lesson that being effective long-term needs boundaries. Becoming a mum five years ago shifted everything. I’m more purposeful now, selective about commitments, and clear that presence at home matters as much as presence at work.

I’ve also learned to ask for help. Investing in coaching and mental wellbeing has been transformative. It made me a better leader, colleague and parent. I’m proud of the person I’ve become, not in spite of the challenges, but because of them.

Looking forward

As I look to the next twenty years, I’m excited, not for growth alone but for what we can do with what we’ve built: better advisory, deeper community impact, and using technology to make expert support more accessible. My thread through it all is simple: keep putting people first. If we do that, everything else follows.