Greenscombe Accounting

A numbers man from Plymouth began his career delivering post to his fellow Plymothian neighbours until discovering his calling in life after helping his wife with her accounts. A helping hand and a friendly face are the key attributes to Jon Lambert’s service as the owner and founder of Greenscombe Accounting, as well as a love for burying his head in paperwork! We met up with Jon and his wife Sarah to learn a little bit more about accounting and bookkeeping, his background and how Greenscombe Accounting came to be.

It all began back in secondary school when Jon completed a work experience placement with an accountancy. Maths was his primary focus during this time of his life and he was fascinated with solving problems and learning new sums. He landed a degree in statistics at Plymouth University however, it wasn’t what he had hoped it would be but he continued to study it until he graduated with a 2:1.

Following on from the uncertainty of his degree, Jon was left clueless as to what he wanted to do. In a hunt for a job, he was offered a part-time Christmas casual job for Royal Mail. Gradually moving up the ranks to a managerial position, Jon experienced a lot of change during the 17 years he worked for Royal Mail which was where he met his wife, Sarah.

Jonathan Lambert

In a search for something a bit different, Millbrook Healthcare offered him a job which included delivering patient medical supplies. The level of importance of this job was something Jon was proud to be a part of as he was helping the community whether it was with their mobility or their comfort in their last few days. He knew he was helping in some way which fulfilled him.

Sarah became self-employed in 2017 as her homemade lampshade business started to take off. Jon took on the bookkeeping to help Sarah get started on her new business venture. This sparked an interest and Jon found himself pondering the idea to join Sarah into the world of self-employment and repossess his love of numbers.

In December 2020, he gained his practice licence after 8 exams which took 12 months to complete and a lot of hard work. He started off gradually, continuing to work full time at Millbrook Healthcare whilst growing his client list on the side. By mid-2021, he had enough clients to leave Millbrook and take the business on full time. The name ‘Greenscombe’ was taken from a local wooded nature reserve near their home in Cornwall which they love to walk around.

Jon is now a certified bookkeeper and payroll specialist, fully licenced by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, and is qualified to take on the majority of work that an accountant would do except prior to a full company audit. Audit requirements are subject to the size of the business, not the knowledge and experience of the individual. Jon can also do payroll, VAT, self-assessment, corporation tax and year end accounts.

Greenscombe Accounting is a local, independent business that offers a personal service with Jon independently running everything.

‘It’s me and me only. My clients have my complete trust in me to ensure their accounts and books are efficiently taken care of.’ – Jon

This also means that he knows exactly what needs to be done for each business and he can offer a more affordable rate compared to high-street accountants as there are no large overheads.

Jon uses a programme that essentially builds a bespoke package for the client that they can amend to make it more affordable for them. The price that he charges will vary depending on what they need and the size of the business. He will always be transparent with the cost and there are no hidden fees. His previous managerial experience with multi-national companies allows Jon to see things from the business owner’s perspective and he is always able to make suggestions for areas of cost-cutting or saving money.

Jon loves helping people in any way that he can. Often the clients who come to him either don’t understand how to keep their accounts, have more important areas of their business to concentrate on or need Jon to just double check it. Jon will either meet up and run through the business position with the client as often as they want or, if the client prefers, he will take care of everything behind the scenes.

With the recent increase and improvements to remote working, Jon can take clients from anywhere in the UK although the majority are from Devon and Cornwall. He will set up an initial meeting to find out more about your business, discuss your personal requirements and offer a quote and after the first meeting, he doesn’t need to see the client again if they don’t feel the need. He is happy to meet anywhere the client requires including by zoom or teams if necessary.

Jon has a wide variety of clients in industries ranging from trades to hospitality. He will take on any business no matter the size or the mess of the paperwork. Jon is more than happy to bury himself in paperwork and lift the weight off the clients’ shoulders.

Jon and Sarah both work from home on their individual businesses in the countryside with their three rescue dogs. The freedom that being self-employed and working from home has on their mental health and their quality of life is incomparable. A change of office space is a future thought for when their client list grows to a considerable extent and more space is required. At the moment, they are enjoying spending time at home with their dogs and living the countryside lifestyle.

As well as helping his clients, he also does the accounts for a charity which raises money for supplies to Gambia. In return, he receives promotional content and a whole lot of job satisfaction.

Jon is very flexible with how you can contact him. Give him a ring, send him an email or drop him a Facebook message. He will answer any questions you have.

Greenscombe Accounting is a small business and aren’t looking to take over the world. Jon simply wants to offer affordable accounting and bookkeeping services to those who need a little help. Being a naturally gifted numbers man, Jon is confident in the work that he does and it is well received by his loyal, recurring clients. But don’t take it from us, take it from his clients!

Greenscombe Accounting have been doing our books and returns for just over a year now and I am extremely happy with their service. Jon is very responsive, offering great advice and keeps on top of everything very well, allowing me to focus on the bits I am good at whilst knowing the financial elements and records are in hand.

Thorough and very knowledgeable with up to date practices. Gift aid claimed quickly. Nothing for me to worry about, all completed for me. Very good accountant, would highly recommend.

“Superb service and advice. Jon inspires confidence and is always on hand to help out with any issues. 100% recommend for all accountancy/ book keeping requirements.”

jon@greenscombeaccounting.co.uk
www.greenscombeaccounting.co.uk

07552 131391