Nicolson Accountancy, which was formed 10 years ago, is led by business and life partners Angus and Sue Nicolson. The couple recently expanded to open an office in Glasgow from where they now also provide accounting and taxation services to small and medium businesses across the UK and internationally.

They have carved a niche for themselves by taking on operators and personnel in the North Sea as clients through the Nicolsons’ specialism in Norwegian taxation.

Prizewinners in other sections of the latest awards included big names like KPMG and tax specialists in Thailand and Singapore.

The latest honour undoubtedly reflects the firm’s innovative use of technology which allows both clients and the partners to operate across international boundaries.

Sue said: “We do not allow location to be an issue and we utilise IT to its fullest potential. This enables our clients who do not necessarily work 9-5 in the UK or abroad to constantly be able to access our services to suit their business requirements. We run the business from the USA for six weeks each year and few of our clients notice that we are not in the office.”

She said that by making technology work for them, they were able to provide services across borders and time zones with no additional cost to the company or the client.

“Our client’s needs are always our top priority and rather than providing a generic service to all, we recognise that each client has their own requirements and business goals.
“Following on from our success as Best Small Firm – Scotland at the 2012 Scottish Accountancy Awards, we are thrilled that our efforts have been recognised by Acquisition International in 2014. This will inspire us to grow and develop further.”

They are proud that their team is non-hierarchical with every member of staff reporting directly to a partner. They believe that involving staff in all aspects of the business gives them the exposure to the full range of services they provide and the ability to provide exceptional support to all clients.

“This gives our team the job satisfaction that comes with the responsibility of providing clients with solutions to whatever issues arise, and allows them to develop their skills in a controlled manner.”

Sue said that clients were more accepting of doing business across the internet including e-signing of documents and less reliant on face-to-face meetings, which was a trend they noticed years ago and have built their business model around.

She added: “International borders will continue to be less of an issue for employees and companies and accountants and business advisers will need to adapt their offerings to encompass this.”