"our fee from that particular client increased from £260 a month to just under £800. And they were really, really happy with it. And obviously, so are we!" 

Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Beverley Flanagan, and I'm an accountant, and my company is Mind Your Assets Accounts.

What was life like before joining the Mastermind group?

Before I joined the Mastermind, everything was ticking over, but I was just plodding on, really. I didn't really have any accountability and things like that. So, it was a little bit overwhelming sometimes. Like I said, I was just plodding on and I don't like just to plod on. I need a bit more of structure to everything. The biggest problems was not having that accountability. So, even though I've got staff and I've got a team around me, it's still a little bit lonely sometimes when you run your own business and the accountability is a big thing for me. And not having that I think was holding me back a little bit.

Where did you first hear about Reza?

First heard about Reza on Facebook, I believe. I think it was either Facebook or LinkedIn. Definitely social media anyway. And I started stalking him and then, yeah, I saw another couple of people that was in the groups, like Buhir, and I contacted him and he contacted me. We had a chat about it saying, "What did you like about the group?" E.t.c And, yeah, that's all history now. Before I joined the mastermind the feelings were, if I'm being honest or it's just gonna be another cost. I think everybody thinks that don't they. But, once I spoke to other people that was already in the group and the benefits that they were receiving, and how they're just literally reap the benefits and the rewards like, tenfold over what they were spending, it was just a no brainer!

What are some of the benefits you have seen after joining the programme?

The life now, I've joined the mastermind is great. So, I've only been in the mastermind group few months, but it's been absolutely brilliant. I'm definitely carrying on there for the long term foreseeable future. It's great. I've literally gained so much knowledge and being around other accountants as well is also great. So, it's not just Reza but it's the other people in the group as well. And I've said this before, and I'll say it again. That a couple of years ago, I would never ever have dreamt of being in a Facebook group or a room or LinkedIn group with other other accountants because I'd have been a bit scared like, oh, they're gonna pinch my clients, or they're not gonna be able to teach me anything that I don't already know. Well, that's me being so naive. It's absolutely brilliant being with other accountants. It really is. You pick up so much stuff. And you also realize that we're all in the same boat. And that we're here to help each other.

What are some of the benefits you have seen after joining the programme?

One of the biggest benefits that I've had so far being in the group is i've restructured all my pricing. So, my pricing, I had a sort of pricing structure previously. But it wasn't very good. It was the same price, fixed fee to each client no matter how big or small they were, no matter what their turnover were. So, I knew that I were leaving money on the table. So, one of the first things that I did, that Reza helped me with was getting my pricing and every single line item up to date. And now, I'm really, really confident every time I have a sales meeting with a potential client. That I'm not scared to press that 'get calculation' button. I know that I'm gonna be very happy with what figure comes out. And I've literally signed up every single client since then. So, it's really good and a lot more turnover (price) than I would have previously done on my old fixed fee.

So, one of the most valuable things as well is that we had one client that we were charging £260 a month for and we had a pricing restructuring meeting with that client. We've been working with them for a couple of years and we were able to confidently show them the value that we was given to them. And our fee from that particular client increased from £260 a month to just under £800. And they were really, really happy with it. And obviously, so are we!

How long did it take you to see the benefits of being part of the programme?

Immediately saw benefits since being in the Mastermind Group. Like literally immediately from having the first session with Reza - the one to one session. And then just being in the different groups with the other accountants immediately. There was no waiting - it was straight away!

How does it feel now after you have implemented the things you learnt into your practice

Now, I've added quite a few things in my practice and my team have implemented different things that were a bit more structured, a bit more organized. And we're soon gonna be on our second extra member of staff since being in the Mastermind Group which is great. It's just had a massive impact on my life. So, I used to work stupid hours. I feel I'm a little bit, but nowhere near as stupid as I used to before. But I can see a light at the end of the tunnel now because of all the systems and all the structuring that we've got in place, and the pricing and everything - it's just been great.

What would you say to someone thinking of joining?

I would say stop thinking and just get that email put in (to Reza!) That's what I did and I've literally not looked back. Honestly, you'd feel exactly the same. The value you get from it is amazing. It's worth, its weight in gold really. And like I've said before, the knowledge that you get from Reza and the knowledge that you get from the other people in the group as well, is just invaluable and you learn so much. And there's so much different software's out there that I didn't even know about before joining this group. Now, I'm using them every single day and they're adding so much value and impact on my everyday life.