Theatre 4 – Bookkeepers

This session will empower you to confidently show up as your authentic self, helping you attract your dream clients while repelling those who don’t align with your values. By exploring personal branding, tone of voice, confidence, and the power of photography, you’ll learn how to enhance your business presence, stand out from competitors, and command higher prices. Tailored for founders, CEOs, and freelancers, this talk equips you with the tools to build a brand that reflects your worth and resonates with your ideal audience.

Adapting to Change: Navigating the Impact of Global Finance Trends on UK Bookkeepers

Outsourcing = Client Loss vs Client Gain?

Digitisation = Reduced margins vs Increased margins?

AI = Integrate or Separate?

Although you may not think it major global influences are affecting your business every day. Taking a proactive approach with a strategic mindset is key to seeing them as a threat or an opportunity.

Sarah Palmer CEO of the IAB and UK business owner combines her vision of running a global organisation with the experience of operating her own practice in the UK today.

This session aims to identify the high-level topics, break them down into practical scenarios and give advice on how to tackle them regardless of business size.

Join Lara Manton, founder of LJM Bookkeeping, for an inspiring session on scaling a six-figure bookkeeping practice as a sole practitioner. Despite living with chronic illness, Lara has built a thriving, award-winning business through resilience, innovation, and smart strategies. Learn how to streamline your operations with the latest tech, build a supportive network, and align your business with your personal goals. Gain practical tips on overcoming challenges, working smarter, and celebrating success. Walk away with actionable insights to grow a sustainable, profitable practice on your own terms.

Selling is a vital yet often overlooked skill for accountants and bookkeepers. This 45-minute session simplifies sales into practical, actionable steps tailored to professionals who prefer solving numbers over pitching. Learn how to confidently communicate value, uncover client needs through active listening, handle objections with ease, and close deals authentically. The session includes a 10-minute Q&A, ensuring real-world challenges are addressed. Attendees will leave empowered with proven strategies to attract clients, grow revenue, and build lasting relationships.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations can feel overwhelming, but staying on top of them is essential for every bookkeeper. The ICB Compliance Team is here to make things simple! In this session, we’ll break down the latest updates in AML, clear up any confusion about what’s required, and help you understand the key difference between the ‘musts’ (the legal essentials) and the ‘shoulds’ (best practices).

This is your chance to ask questions, feel more confident about compliance, and leave with a clear idea of what you need to do to protect yourself, your clients, and your business.

Do you feel being an introvert holds you back? Yes? This session is for you!
Stephanie Marshall, 2024's ICB LUCA Bookkeeper Influencer of the Year winner shares how she built a thriving practice and created her popular weekly podcast, supporting bookkeepers and business owners to achieve success. Known for her honest, relatable style, she’ll unpack the good, the bad, and the ugly of her journey, showing how embracing her anxieties and stepping out of her comfort zone earned her meaningful recognition. Expect actionable tips, real talk, and inspiration to help you break through your barriers and achieve your goals.

Did you know that the term Money Laundering Reporting officer is not mentioned in the Money Laundering regulations? So what does it actually mean to be a firm’s MLRO? What are the practical requirements and what are the responsibilities? In this presentation I will discuss the roles of Money Laundering Compliance Officer, Nominated Officer and Money Laundering Reporting officer. This will cover who is eligible to take on the role, how to make the nomination official, what tasks must and should be undertaken as well as some practical advice as to effectively fulfilling each role.

In this session you will learn the essential steps to turn your dreams into reality while building a thriving practice. The journey to success doesn’t happen overnight, but with the right plan, execution, and mindset, you can create a practice that not only meets your professional goals but also aligns with your personal vision. Along the way we have faced challenges that many bookkeepers and accountants in practice will or have faced. Its how you climb the mountain again after the fall - hear about how we planned, hired and collaborated and continue to whilst we live a life that some would say can only be a dream.

This session will highlight how authenticity can boost confidence & strengthen professional relationships. Everyone has a story, & showing vulnerability helps foster deep connections with clients & your network. Staying true to your values reduces imposter syndrome, builds trust, & reinforces your credibility. It’s okay to not know everything - reaching out to your network for help creates collaboration & support. Giving back to clients nurtures trust, encourages openness, & builds strong foundations. This helps them, while enhancing your own confidence, validating your business ethics, & fostering a sense of purpose.

The role of the bookkeeper is threatened by technology, AI and robots, so it seems counterintuitive to charge more for tasks that can now be done in seconds. That's why Pricing for Impact matters so much. This talk explores how shifting from hourly and task-based billing to pricing for impact gives opportunities for bookkeepers to deliver services differently. Learn how pricing for impact builds client relationships, creates more trust, and positions bookkeepers as strategic partners rather than service providers.

MTD for Bookkeepers: with Chris Downing & Ami Copeland. Discussing the importance of getting ahead of the curve for bookkeepers with MTD and how it is such a special opportunity for the bookkeeping community.

Bookkeepers hold the future of our planet in their hands.

As bookkeepers, we have contact with our clients almost daily and become their trusted advisors. We have a huge opportunity and obligation to save the world.

Penny and Kathryn are joined by James Lizars and Scott Johnson to discuss how our daily contact with clients puts bookkeepers at the forefront of the battle to save our planet.

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