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What is life like as a Rosemary Bookkeeping franchisee?

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Nirmal Thakkar, owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping Garden City, shares her experience as a Rosemary Bookkeeping Franchisee.

Rosemary Bookkeeping is one of the UK’s only bookkeeping franchises.

Our business owners work for themselves but not by themselves to deliver personalised and expert bookkeeping services to commercial clients and small business owners nationwide.

Nirmal Thakkar opened her Rosemary Bookkeeping franchise, Rosemary Bookkeeping Garden City, in July 2022 after the brand was recommended by a friend who is a CIMA-qualified accountant.

Upon having a brand intro call with ServiceMaster Brands UK Franchise Sales Manager Emma Chappell, Nirmal was sure she and Rosemary were a perfect match.

“When I met people at Rosemary, I felt that I could be a part of the family, and I will never feel left out.”

“I feel proud to be a part of the Rosemary Franchise,” she says.

Who is Nirmal Thakkar?

With a Master’s in Business Administration and having worked in the financial industry for about 15 years, and as part of a family of accountants, Nirmal supports her clients with years of knowledge and experience.

“My husband is a Financial Director of his property-based company in the UK. He is an accountant. All the men in my family are accountants.”

“Bookkeeping runs in my blood,” she says.

As a mum in a family of four, Nirmal balances her responsibilities as a Rosemary Bookkeeping franchise owner, mother, and committee member of her local Indian Cultural Association, which includes planning events and cultural activities throughout the year like Holi, Diwali and Navratri.

Why Rosemary Bookkeeping?

As a busy, family-oriented businesswoman who is entrenched in her local community, Nirmal chose Rosemary Bookkeeping to “work for [herself] and have control of [her] work-life balance.”

Franchisees like Nirmal also benefit from being part of a trusted brand, a nationwide network of bookkeepers, and a centralised and dedicated franchisor support team that helps with queries, best practices, sales, marketing, and operations.

The tried and tested Rosemary Bookkeeping model ensures they are on track to succeed in all they do – with the unique opportunity to achieve a turnover of £135,000 in just five years, based on an average commercial job value of £2,100 pa.

The Rosemary Bookkeeping Experience

Nirmal says the fundamentals of running a successful Rosemary Bookkeeping franchise have been to take small steps and work to her strengths.

“My people skills have [seen] me achieve success,” she says. Having also received esteem for her interpersonal skills, Nirmal knows that she can use this to her advantage when faced with the things she finds harder – like aspects of marketing.

“Face-to-face marketing helps a lot, as it shows your confidence and commitment in what you do, and the business owners can feel the same,” she says.

Words of advice

She says this commitment is what will enable your success as a franchisee.

“No matter who you are and what you have done, your commitment will make you successful.”

“If you are ready to work for yourselves and are passionate about your business, you will always succeed.”

Need a bookkeeper? 

To contact Nirmal and receive her expert help with your bookkeeping, call 01462 41944.

For those elsewhere in the UK, find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business today to book a free quote from one of our experts.

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The New Owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping North Dorset and Salisbury tells all

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Tom Page from ServiceMaster Brands UK sits down with ‘paperwork queen’ Karen Mann, the accountancy professional bringing Rosemary Bookkeeping services to North Dorset and Salisbury.

Like many things in recent years, the shadow of the pandemic hangs over my chat with Karen Mann from Rosemary Bookkeeping North Dorset and Salisbury.

Some of these things are merely semiotic: our conversation is conducted virtually, with Karen in her home in Dorset and I, in mine, miles away in Leicester.

And yet, there is still a palpable sense of excitement in the air. Karen, who is backed by a shelving unit filled with family photo frames and dressed smartly in a blazer and orange blouse as a subtle compliment to the branding of her new business, is quietly content.

As we start our discussion of her life and her brand-new fresh start, it becomes abundantly clear as to why.

From a young age, Karen loved figures, paperwork and numbers. She says when she was at school she always thought about being an accountant. But life took her on a different path.

On her work background:

“I’ve been working for a waste management company for the last 17 years.

I started in their customer service department and, within nine months, I was promoted to running their accounts office.

I was what they used to call an Office Manager overseeing everything. Nearly eight years ago now, our financial director retired and I was offered the opportunity to become a company director.

So, for the last seven and a half years, I’ve been the Administrative Director for the company, running the accounts side of the business.”

What did that involve?

“All administration, liaising with the accountant, doing the management accounts and sending it all off to him for him to validate and everything like that.”

On her personal life:

“I like playing golf. But I’m not necessarily very good [laughs].

And I’ve got a boxer dog that I’m absolutely mad about.” Her face softens, “She’s my lil’ baby.”

You’ve got a lot of really valuable professional experience. How do you think that has prepared you to start your own business?

“I’ve got the technical knowledge, which is going to help with the actual day-to-day in the business. But what I’ve also gained over the years is managing my time properly.

I had a team just before COVID, there were 25 people in my team reporting to me, so I’m used to the trials and tribulations of organising other people’s work and making sure that they’re performing to expectations and spotting when people aren’t.

I was able to pick up with them whether they’ve lost confidence in something they’re doing, whether they need further training and all that kind of thing.

I also worked very closely with the chairman and managing director of the company and was involved in conversations about marketing and different avenues to go down to sales.

So, even though I might not have done it myself, I have been around it so by osmosis, it’s gone in.”

What made you decide to make the change and start your own business?

“I had been working for the same company for 17 years and it just felt that now it was my time to do something for myself.

Rather than go and get another job I thought, why not run my bookkeeping company?

I came across the Rosemary franchise and reading through the BFA member profile about yourselves and speaking to Emma [ServiceMaster Brands Franchise Sales Manager], it just instantly felt like it was going to be a really good fit.

It suited my personality and my experience, and having a support network behind you gives you that reassurance that if there is something you haven’t come across before, there’ll always be somebody you can ask what to do in a situation.”

So, you weren’t looking into franchising specifically at that time then?

“No, I had no idea that there was any such thing as a bookkeeping franchise!”

“I’d worked with customers who are owners of franchises: fast food and things like that. But it didn’t even enter my head that there could potentially be a bookkeeping franchise out there!

And when I was thinking about [starting my own business], that was the one thing that had held me back from actually setting up myself, the question of what do I do if I’ve got a client and I’ve never come across that situation before?

Upon finding the Rosemary Bookkeeping franchise I realised that the support of a network behind you covers that worry.

You’re never going to be on your own. There’s never going to be something that you can’t find the answer to, somebody will always be able to either let you know or direct you to where to find it.”

That’s lovely to hear. And now you’re here! How have you found the academy and the sale process?

“I really enjoyed the whole thing.

Hitting the academy and starting to see how everything will work in practice is really good because it is marrying up with everything that and every conversation I’ve had with Emma up to now and Nina [Rosemary Bookkeeping Brand Manager] and I can see everything now slotting into place and how it’s all going to work.”

Now you’ve gotten into the operations side of the business, is there a service in particular that you’re looking forward to providing?

“Just the whole thing. I am a bit of a paperwork queen.

I love paperwork, I love excel, and figures are what I’m about.

When I was at school, I was thinking about being an accountant and life took a step in a different direction. The whole of bookkeeping, I love it.

So, I’m looking forward to getting really stuck into things with customers, solving their issues and getting it all nice and straight for them.”

What do you think sets Rosemary Bookkeeping apart from other franchise opportunities? 

“I think Rosemary was great for me as someone with not much experience in many sectors.

Bookkeeping covers so many different businesses so there will always be a situation, I think, that you won’t have come across before.

If you’re on your own, it could take you hours of Googling so you could end up costing yourself more money in time.

Whereas having the franchisor behind you who can direct you to the right place will save you hours of that trudging.

You still might need to do a bit of research yourself. But you’ll have been guided to the right point or the right person to ask the question of.”

Need a bookkeeper?

Bookkeeping can be complex and time-consuming, but with the right support, it doesn’t have to be.

If you’d benefit from expert bookkeeping support from your local expert, find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business to see how we can help.

Or, if you’re in the North Dorset or Salisbury area, get in touch with Karen today on 01202 094387 / 07590 554797.

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Meet the new owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping North Dorset and Salisbury

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We sat down with ‘paperwork queen’ Karen Mann, the accountancy professional bringing Rosemary Bookkeeping services to North Dorset and Salisbury.

From a young age, Karen Mann has loved figures, paperwork, and numbers. She says when she was at school she always thought about being an accountant.

But, as she tells me, during our sit-down following her completed induction academy to Rosemary Bookkeeping, life took a different path.

Prior Career

Karen has worked for a waste management company for the last 17 years. She began in their customer service department, but within nine months, had been promoted to running their accounts office.

As an office manager, Karen oversaw the operation of accounts and managed a team of 25 other people. So, when the Financial Director retired, she was well-prepared to take up the position of Company Director.

This entailed running all the accounts side of the business, handling all administration, and doing the management accounts to be sent to the company accountant.

This work has given Karen expert technical knowledge and a wealth of experience in management, as well as the ability to work alongside others and help them with things they have found difficult. A skill which she knows stands her in great stead as a bookkeeper.

During her time in this role, Karen also worked very closely with the Chairman and Managing Director of the company and has observed in detail every aspect of running a successful business.

Finding Rosemary Bookkeeping

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Karen decided that after 17 years in the same place, she wanted to do something on her own and start her own business.

“I had been working for the same company for 17 years and it felt like it was time to go and do something for myself.”

With her experience and love of figures, the path was clear to Karen:

“I thought, why not run my own bookkeeping company?”

It was then she found Rosemary Bookkeeping. Karen says that she was drawn to the support we offer and how this impacts our clients.

Our Bookkeeping Support

“It’s not a case that we’re going to charge you by the hour because it could take someone a long time to do something,” Karen says.

“You can pick the elements of it that you like the sound of, or there are certain bits that you want to keep doing yourself and have control over, you can. There is a logical system for you to be able to follow without it costing any time out of your day, compared to sitting down and having to try and process everything.”

All this made Karen feel that Rosemary Bookkeeping was the right choice for her, as she felt our values and services aligned with the bookkeeper she wants to be.

“It just instantly felt like it was going to be a really good fit,” she says.

Karen’s new business

With the support of a renowned nationwide franchisor behind her, Karen has finally been able to realise her dream of working for herself as a bookkeeper as the owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping North Dorset and Salisbury. Now, she says that she is raring to get started helping customers and putting her love of bookkeeping to good use.

“I am a bit of a paperwork queen,” she says.

“I love paperwork, I love Excel, and figures are what I’m about. The whole of bookkeeping, I just love it.”

“I’m really looking forward to doing all of that and getting into the nitty gritty with customers and solving their issues and getting it all nice and straight for them.”

Need a bookkeeper?

Bookkeeping can be complex and time-consuming, but with the right support, it doesn’t have to be.

With a Rosemary Bookkeeper, you receive a transparent and expert service from your local expert, backed by a network of other experienced accountancy professionals.

If you think Rosemary Bookkeeping could be the right fit for you and your business, find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeper today to take the headaches out of your bookkeeping.

And if you are in the North Dorset and Salisbury area, get in touch with Karen by calling 01202 094387 / 07590 554797 to book your free no-obligation consultation now.

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Meet Waqas Chughtai, the new owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping Reading

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Say hello to experienced finance professional, Waqas Chughtai, who is taking the reins at Rosemary Bookkeeping Reading.

Waqas Chughtai has had an extensive career working in accountancy and finance and is now adding another string to his bow by taking over as the owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping Reading.

The business, which was previously run by Mike Wallace, has been placed in the capable hands of Waqas, following a sale earlier this year.

Prior Career

Waqas is no stranger to what it takes to run a small business. With many years of experience behind him in growing companies in the accountancy sector and undertaking multiple roles in his impressive career.

A senior and fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Waqas started his career at KPMG and has since grown his position and career in many companies including GO-ERP and Avanade, before starting his practice – WAC & Co. in 2012.

These saw him taking on many roles, as he grew to Finance Manager, Financial Controller, CFO, and ultimately a Finance Director position.

Waqas says he “Left [his] permanent role in 2012 because [he] always wanted to be in practice and managing [his] own business.”

During the initial phase of growing his business, Waqas worked part-time, simultaneously working with Evernote, a sister company of Microsoft.

“I contracted with them for a few years,” Waqas says. “[Working on] system implementation on the financial module side of things and consistently growing my practice in the background.”

What’s next?

As such, Waqas is well-prepared to cover all processes required in supporting new and existing clients of Rosemary Bookkeeping Reading and to grow the business even further. It is providing this service to even more clients, particularly in an ever-changing financial landscape that Waqas says will be of high value to him.

“A lot is changing,” he says.

“In regards to, let’s say, MTD. MTD was a very recent phenomenon. Larger companies are prepared for this because they have the forms and the talent to guide them.

But smaller businesses in particular are confused as to how it affects them. So, [we want] to make sure that we are there to help them.”

Why Rosemary?

As a reputable booking franchise of successful bookkeeping businesses across the UK, Rosemary Bookkeeping and our franchise owners like Waqas are trusted and well-established accountancy professionals.

All of whom are here to help guide you through the shifting landscape that is financing as a small business.

Need help with your bookkeeping?

Are you a small business in Reading that would benefit from help in managing your books? Waqas and the team at Rosemary Bookkeeping Reading are here for you.

Whether it’s support and guidance, or someone to take care of your bookkeeping for you, your local Rosemary bookkeeper can give you your time back, so you can focus on your business, not just your books.

To get in touch with Rosemary Bookkeeping Reading, call 0118 324 0322 or find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business today for a helping hand from your friendly, local bookkeeping service.

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Diwali celebrations in the Garden City

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We sat down with Rosemary Bookkeeping business owner Nirmal Thakkar to chat about how she will be celebrating Diwali in her local community this year.  

Today is Dhanteras, marking the beginning of the festive season ahead of Diwali for 2022. Diwali, the festival of light and the new year, takes place on Monday 24th, signalling the end of the 5-day festivities for many in communities across the UK.

We sat down with Nirmal Thakkar of Rosemary Bookkeeping Garden City to talk about how she’s celebrating with her family and community.

Celebrating at home

Due to Diwali being the festival of light, Nirmal and many others hold religious celebrations with their families and decorate their homes and temples with hanging lights and candles.

Then, “on the actual Diwali day, we get together as a family with all my cousins and family and friends, and then we kind of cook lovely dinners. We, make a variety of foods, a sweet dessert and a full-fledged meal with delicacies included in it,” Nirmal says.

Community Diwali Celebrations

Within her local community in Stevenage, Nirmal also participates in an Indian cultural association within her area called ICA (Indian Cultural Association).

This includes a day celebration where the entire community within the Hertfordshire area get together to celebrate together. These normally consist of dinners among the 500 attendees and shows from the children where they act, dance, and show off their artwork.

“And then for the past couple of years we’ve had a DJ,” Nirmal says, “So we’ve had a Bollywood dancing night with everybody. We all dress up in our traditional clothes like either a Sari or something like salwar kameez, which is a traditional outfit as well.”

As someone who did a lot of stage shows when she lived in India, Nirmal is an experienced Bollywood dancer and has recently been enjoying sharing her love of dancing with her daughter.

After a few years in which celebrations like Diwali have been off the cards or hindered by COVID-19 for communities like Nirmal’s, she says she’s looking forward to being able to be with everybody again and celebrate together.

She tells me that her favourite part of Diwali by far is the night setting off fireworks and firecrackers with her family. (Not too late and having warned her neighbours, of course).

“I love it,” she says. “Getting ready, cooking all the different delicacies and doing the fireworks of the day. [Because] everybody takes part in it, and because it’s a festival of light when we light up a rocket or sparkler or something, it just makes you feel that your life is brightened up as well.”

Nirmal also says that it’s been interesting to watch over time how the local and ICA community has developed since she moved to the UK.

“When I came to this country in 2002, of course, I didn’t know about the [ICA], but it has been running for the last 40 years.

Every year more and more students come from India and neighbouring countries come and join us. [And their] English partners come through as well to see the dance and be a part of Diwali, learn how to kind of be a part of our community and learn the culture.”

Nirmal says that this is important to her particularly as it has helped her feel accepted where she lives and in her local area.

She is also excited to bring this openness to her new clients and expand her community to include them and is planning on treating some of them to some traditional sweets for Diwali in the years to come.

Need help with your bookkeeping?

If you would like to receive Nirmal’s help with your bookkeeping, get in touch with Rosemary Bookkeeping Garden City on 01462 419444 for bookkeeping services in the Stevenage area.

Or, nationwide, find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business today to find out how we can help you take the stress out of your bookkeeping.

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New business owner brings Rosemary Bookkeeping services to Stevenage

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Meet Nirmal Thakkar, the new business owner bringing Rosemary Bookkeeping services to Stevenage and surrounding areas.

Back in June, we sat down with Nirmal Thakkar, the brand-new owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping Garden City, at the end of her training academy to talk about her life and new business.

Nirmal tells me she loved taking part in her bookkeeping training and that she feels prepared to carry out the processes required to help her clients with their bookkeeping needs, and is looking forward to building even more skills that will come with practice.

Background

Nirmal came to the UK from India in 2002 and received an MBA from Hertfordshire University before working in sales banking.

She then took a break from the industry whilst on maternity leave and helped a friend build his business from the ground up.

More recently, Nirmal has been working within the NHS as a 111-call handler, which has seen her lead a team with 25 people and work as a trainer and auditor.

Nirmal balances her work life with home life as a Mum to her 10-month-old son and 11-year-old daughter.

When not working, Nirmal loves to travel and is a big fan of Bollywood dancing.

She tells me she has a keen interest in reading self-assessment books to access skills to improve in all areas of her life.

Looking ahead

She says if she had to pick one favourite quote from her reading to apply to her business and personal ethos, she would say: “We rise by lifting others.” from Robert Ingersoll.

It is this that Nirmal says she is most looking forward to about her new work as a Rosemary Bookkeeper.

She will be able to use her experience and expertise to uplift and help her clients to become more confident with their bookkeeping with their help.

The Rosemary Way

At Rosemary, all of our bookkeepers can be more interactive with clients by working through their books with them on a regular monthly business.

Small business owners like Nirmal can be in business for themselves, but not by themselves, as a Rosemary Bookkeeper can eliminate worry about managing their books by becoming a part of their support network.

As Nirmal knows from her own experience:

“It’s the small things that make a lot of difference.”

As part of an established franchise of experienced bookkeepers, Rosemary clients can receive regular and bespoke support from a brand trusted by small business owners across the UK.

Rosemary Bookkeeping Brand Leader Nina Skoczόłek says she is: “Really pleased to welcome Nirmal to the Rosemary Bookkeeping Network.”

“Nirmal is focused on helping local micro and small enterprises to thrive. She brings a great amount of knowledge, experience and ideas on how to coach and help others achieve their business financial goals. I’m looking forward to following and supporting her on her journey,” she adds.

Excited to help her clients and their businesses grow, Nirmal opens her doors to clients in Stevenage and its surrounding areas today.

Need a bookkeeper?

To contact Nirmal and receive her expert help with your bookkeeping, call 01462 419444 or visit her website.

For those elsewhere in the UK, find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business today to book a free quote from one of our experts.

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New business owner Nitin Patel brings Rosemary Bookkeeping services to Harrow

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We sat down with the brand-new owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping Harrow – Nitin Patel – to talk about his career and training, being a scout volunteer, and his new bookkeeping business.

Allow us to introduce the newest member of the Rosemary Bookkeeping network, Nitin Patel, who is joining us as the owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping Harrow, bringing our signature friendly bookkeeping experience to the Harrow area. Having completed his training academy with us in June, allowing him to get acquainted with our brand and processes, Nitin is now poised and ready to begin helping clients in his local area. Joining the Rosemary Bookkeeping network as an ACCA graduate of almost 30 years, Nitin has an extensive career history working in finance for well-known companies like GSK (formerly GlaxoSmithKline), Sainsbury’s and the BBC.

When his previous role became redundant, Nitin knew that he wanted to use his financing experience to make a change. Still, it can be a daunting choice to make a drastic change or new start, but Nitin also knew that any fears that he had about starting afresh or about being on his own in business could be aided by franchising. Now fully trained in both our systems and online software like Xero and QuickBooks, Nitin can immediately go into business without apprehension of what’s to come and hit the ground running.

He says what he is most looking forward to about being a Rosemary Bookkeeper is being able to build more of a relationship with his clients through seeing them regularly. Nitin says the biggest benefit to a bookkeeper is that unlike partnering with an accountant, you’re able to receive regular aid from an expert to help you manage your accounts – even handling them for you completely. Nitin tells us that it is carrying out this “timely managing of accounts for clients,” by seeing clients as regularly as once a month, that he is most looking forward to about being a Rosemary Bookkeeping business owner. Through our extensive network of finance professionals and experts like Nitin, there is no problem that a Rosemary Bookkeeper cannot solve, assuring you guaranteed quality whenever you contact one of our teams. As Nitin says, a bookkeeper can become “a part of [your] business and [they] have the finance experience to talk about the numbers” both as an equal and as someone who knows first-hand the experience of running a small business. With a bookkeeper, as with a franchise, you can be in business for yourself, but not by yourself. There are real people like Nitin, with whom you can grow to count on through monthly meetings and developing a strong working relationship by having them look after your books for you as both an expert and a partner.

When he’s not working, Nitin is a keen car enthusiast and is keen to go back to volunteering at his local Scout group. Due to his strong interest in long-term investing, he also chairs a small yet profitable investment club.

Nitin’s keen interest in personal finance means he is passionate about helping people understand some of the finer details of personal finance and enjoys being able to use his expertise to help friends and family, who are looking for advice in this area.  He says this is “very rewarding as you are not just helping someone manage their personal finances but … also making a difference to their well-being.”

Rosemary Bookkeeping brand leader, Nina Skoczόłek says she is “Excited to welcome Nitin as a Rosemary Bookkeeper. He brings to the network years of financial experience and a passion to help micro and small business owners get a better understanding of their business finances allowing them to make more informed decisions and grow their companies. I’m looking forward to supporting Nitin on his journey.”

If you are in the Harrow area and would like some extra help with your books, get in touch with Nitin today by calling 0208 265 0791.

Written by Tom Page, Digital Content Writer

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