Helen Sanders

Every bad hire costs you £50-100K and 6 months you can't get back. I've spent 27 years making sure that doesn't happen.

My unusual journey started as the BBC's first female football commentator in 1997. While breaking barriers in the commentary box, I noticed something crucial: the teams that won weren't necessarily the ones with the most talented players. They were the ones where people just clicked.

That insight became the foundation of everything I do at HFBAC.

HFBAC = Hiring For and Building Awesome Companies (pronounced "Half-back")

WHY CLIENTS STAY:
Most recruiters disappear after the invoice clears. I don't.

13 companies I've worked with for 3+ years. 
11 more who've hired through me multiple times over 5+ years. 

Two partnerships spanning over a decade - including one where I've been their embedded Talent Partner for 10+ years.

My favourite success story? A US tech start-up company asked me to help build their UK team. I hired their second employee. Today they're 80+ people across both countries.

That's Chemistry First in action.

WHAT I DO NOW:
- Fractional Talent Partner: Your embedded Head of Talent - without the £80k salary. Hiring strategy, full-cycle recruiting, candidate experience. For growing teams of 15-100 who need serious talent capability without a full-time hire.

- Starter Retainer Monthly strategy: The bridge between DIY hiring and full talent support. For bootstrapped teams of 5-20 scaling fast.

- Project Hiring: Chemistry First methodology for critical hires - first hires, leadership, founding team roles.

I work with founders in the UK and US. British-American dual citizen who understands both markets from the inside.

WHY "CHEMISTRY FIRST"?

Chemistry matters more than credentials. Every time.

46% of hires fail within 18 months. 89% of those failures? Not skills - chemistry. 
That's why I test for values alignment and team dynamics BEFORE anything else.
Result: 90%+ success rate.

12-month replacement guarantee. Most recruiters give you 3 months. I give you a year.

WHAT DRIVES ME:

In 2008, my 3-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer.

Watching him fight - and win - taught me what really matters when pressure's on. 

People who show up for each other. People who refuse to give up on the team.

He's thriving today. 

Now I'm raising £1 million for Young Lives vs Cancer. A portion of every HFBAC engagement supports families facing the same fight.

When you work with me, you're not just building your team - you're part of something bigger.

LET'S CONNECT:
Growing a team? Let's talk → hfbac.com

Recruitment Strategic Partner | SME Recruitment Growth Specialist | CEO

There is an easier way to recruit and nurture new staff. Your People Partners can do it for you.

As a business owner responsible for every aspect of your company, knowing how to save time and money hiring your next member of staff is rather useful!

Would you love an easy, cost effective and efficient service to help you spend more time on the business and not just in it as you go about recruiting your next member of staff?

Good news.

You don't need to use a recruiter in the traditional sense.

I am Helen Sanders. And I head up a talented team of talent acquisition specialists who are Your People Partners.

You can use my 22 years (!) recruitment expertise in helping business owners like you to save time, save money, cut the risk of poor hires and remove the stress of the recruitment process.

Did I mention we are not an 'agency'?

If we work together, we're partners. We work together to make sure you hire well and your team can grow to meet your vision and better support your clients/customers.

Done-With-You:
We stand by you, jump in when you need, we guide and do the bits you cannot do, and you learn how to be really awesome at hiring. No, we're not trying to make you into a recruiter. Being a business owner who hires well can make or break your business. 

Done-As-You:
We are your in-house team. We ensure all people in touch with your company have an awesome experience of you, the business owner as well as your company. Given our partners (companies like yours) are between 3 and 50 staff, we know that you're competing for the talent you need.

All this for the same cost, or sometimes less, than a 'normal' recruitment agency.

Call me now on 0117 290 0208 for a chat about how we can take the stress out of your next hire, as well as support your growing team with all things 'people' and talent-related.

Jeri Williams FCA 🏝

A bit about me (aka how I accidentally built an empire in my pyjamas):

Back in 2016, I launched a UK accounting firm from the glamorous location of… my garage. With two babies on my hip and no idea what “free time” was, I dived in headfirst (and probably headlost). 

Honestly? I must’ve been craaaaazzzzzzy. But somehow, it worked.

Fast forward: awards were won, hundreds of clients joined the Smooth ride, and today Smooth Accounting has real offices (with walls and everything), and an incredible team that basically runs the show while I stir the pot from afar. 

Boom💥

In 2022, I packed my SPF and moved to sunnier shores ☀️ to launch Smooth Dubai, where we help people set up UAE companies and handle their accounting, tax, and VAT (the sexy stuff, obviously).

Oh - and I wrote a book coz why not - MOVING TO DUBAI - A Comprehensive Guide for UK Business Owners (available on Amazon to buy so off you pop to grab a copy thank you and please)

Now? I’ve got that elusive thing everyone bangs on about… balance. 

Work/life is working. And I spend my days helping other accountants grow their firms using AI, automation, and the kind of tech that makes Excel cry, all inside the Digital Accountants Club (DAC for the cool kids).

DAC is the place to be if you’re an accountant or bookkeeper who wants to ditch the spreadsheets and dinosaur vibes 🦖 for automation and innovation 🤖

We’ve even got a website 👉 www.digitalaccountantsclub.com (yes, that was a shameless plug).

I like to think I bring a bit of comedy to the usually grey and soulless world of accounting. I’m not afraid to ruffle feathers, shake up the status quo, or throw the odd sass grenade. You’ll find me on LinkedIn causing chaos, on YouTube being cheeky, or in the wild birdwatching (no, really) 🐦 #titwatch

Running businesses and running my mouth.

Join the fun........or brace yourself.

Founder

I love coaching other accountants and bookkeepers to make the most of their businesses. The accountancy industry is full of dedicated, hard-working people. The trouble is, these fantastic individuals don’t always value their own work highly enough and are uncertain of what they need to do to step out of the shadows and shine.

And that’s why I’ve made it my mission to give people like you the confidence and knowledge to go out there and build a highly successful business that doesn’t need you to work silly hours.

So, after some serious contemplation, I have set up the Accountants’ Wealth Academy. Click the link in my bio to join the BEST membership group for accountants that exists.

Jeri FCA

If you’re wondering how I managed to start an accounting firm in the UAE it went like this:

It’s October 2022 - we’d just moved to Dubai as a family.

I’m in a trampoline park with my kids and some friends we’d made with their kids.

We get chatting ‘what do you do etc?’ Me…I’m an accountant. 

The dad ‘I’ve got a Dubai company can you do the accounts for it?’

Me…. ‘Erm I’ve not done any before, but sure…..’

Goes home, sets up a Dubai GoProposal account, sends the proposal to him. He signs it. 

I quickly call the Smooth Accounting team and say just fyi we do Dubai accounts now 👍

 And Smooth Dubai was born 🤷🏻‍♀️

Turns out that first one was an 80 million turnover company, and they’re still a client now. 

Whizz forward 4 years and we have a team of staff in the UAE, do the whole relocation, company set up and accounts function. I’ve even written a book on it (moving to Dubai - available on Amazon) 😉 and we’ve helped hundreds of customers. 

My advice, if opportunity lands - grab it with both hands. 

Say yes and work out how to do it later.

Jeri Williams FCA

📕 Author of ‘Moving to Dubai’ | UK 🇬🇧 and UAE 🇦🇪 tax pro | I move UK business owners to Dubai | 🤖 Founder of the Digital Accountants Club - helping accountants scale their firms 👉 digitalaccountantsclub.com

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I do more than most people.

Bold statement but it’s true. 

I don’t just have an international accounting group with a 7 figure turnover and higher than average profit margins coz I’m sleeping on the job. 

When I was employed:

I was the person going to networking breakfasts at 6am in my own time (with a baby at home) every week for 4 years to build a portfolio and prove myself. 

I was the person who didn’t take maternity leave with my first baby and worked throughout. 

I was the person who did a tax return at 3am and gave birth that same morning at 6am.

Since owning my business:

I was the person who quit their well paid secure job as a director to go it alone with no income. 

I was the person who posted every day on social media for the last ten years, the first year of which I had 30 followers.

I was the person who up and moved to Dubai on a wing and a prayer and created a whole new business and income stream.

I was the person who started a coaching academy and had 100 accountants join on day 1 through sheer persistence.

I was the person who started an events business to market my accounting firms and sold out events across the globe.

I was the person who when I moved to dubai, spent every day with a walk to a local mall and sat in a coffee shop working to chat to locals and business owners so I could build my brand. 

This may sound braggy. But to the right people it will inspire. 

Please don’t see all the things I have and think any of it has come easy. It’s come easier than some people have had it for sure. 

But I’ve still grafted, and I still do every single day. 

I do more than most people. And if that makes you uncomfortable, this post isn’t for you.

But if it makes you think ‘maybe I could do a bit more too’, then my work here is done ✔️

Next week I’m heading to Dubai and for the first time ever I’m taking one of the accounts team with me 🤩 

I’ll be spending my time filming the next instalments of my podcast ‘Moving to Dubai’, training, meeting prospects who want our help to move out there, catching up with suppliers and creating content for socials. 

Very excited to be able to bring a team member out there ☀️ 

What started as just an idea has grown into an amazing, busy, profitable business. 

What a blessing it is to live this life. 

Smooth Dubai is my baby, and I’m so super proud of how far it’s come!

Feeling a bit poorly yesterday / today but this morning my 12 year old dived into my bed and said ‘mummy can I have a cuddle?’

I was up and fully dressed at this point so obviously I dived straight back in ❤️

Just a reminder this morning of what’s actually important in life. 

And in case there’s any confusion…..it’s not the person’s tax return who gave you the information this morning, is demanding you get it done immediately, despite the fact that you’ve been chasing them for ten months. 

Have a great day ✌️

Sending love and strength to every accountant out there today for the final week of January!

You can do this 💪💪💪

Ps - this is not the time for ‘all our tax returns were done by 5pm on 6th April’ comments.

🙄🙄

Thank you and please.

5am swim starts for my son mean smashing out the work early. Today’s agenda:

1. Prepare a contract for a VERY exciting new hire for Smooth Accounting (completely new thing for us and will step things up big time).

2. Write the web copy for Digital Accountants Club new website - doors open Monday for 2 weeks FREE access, link in comments for wait list so make sure you register to be notified.

3. Double check everything is ready for our brand new client manager who starts on Monday - wahoo. We’ll be over staffed and I cannot wait. 

4. Make final arrangements for my Dubai work trip next week, it’s a jam packed visit there but excited to continue to grow Smooth Dubai 

5. Pay my tax bills *sobs into my tea.

6. Researches whether you really NEED 2 kidneys (see point 5). 

Have the best day everyone, especially all the accountants. The end is in sight 💪💪💪

Happy two years working for Smooth Dubai Kathlene Blanco ❤️

For anyone that doesn’t know, Kath is our superstar on the ground in Dubai keeping everything ticking along beautifully and overseeing the team and clients.

From company set ups, to visas and customer care, Kath covers it all.

And she does it all with a smile always. 

Thanks for 2 years Kath!

Accountants!!! Are you using standardised working papers? 

You should be. It’s a game changer 🥳🥳

We gave template ones away to our DAC members this month as their free resource. 

At Digital Accountants Club we are not just saying we are helping firm owners, we are doing it! 

Every month delivering more and more value to the DAC crew so they can run their businesses better.

In February I’m holding the next of our quarterly coaching webinars for our members, all about how I’ve perfected my prospecting process at Smooth. 

I will show them step by step what I do to attract and convert leads.  

If you want to know what all the fuss is about you can….FOR FREE!! Yep…..

On Monday at 9am you’ll be able to get 2 weeks completely FREE access to the Digital Accountants Club - no strings. 

get on the waitlist here to be notified - https://lnkd.in/eHvyMmVf

Or don’t and forever wonder about our amazing club and why 75 practice owners are already in and winning!

🥳 Amazing to have XBert as our first official sponsor of the Digital Accountants Club - THE NEXT CHAPTER - an exclusive lunch event 🥗 

30th April
London
12-3pm

A curated list of accountants and professionals in the industry coming together to network, catch up in a relaxed setting, and hear our new announcements! 🔈 

Here’s a photo of me and Will Rush 

Sorry James Goulsbra FCCA I had to crop you out 😂😂

Ps - If you’d like to hear about our event and how you can attend, join our mailing list here - https://lnkd.in/eHvyMmVf

🚀 Thank you to XBert, HTFT Partnership and Bots For That for being our amazing sponsors for this event….

In April we are holding a special ‘invite only’ free lunch for accountants 🫶

Digital Accountants Club (DAC) 2.0 - THE NEXT CHAPTER

The lunch is an informal opportunity to hear from some amazing brands in the accounting community, network with peers and have fun. 

We’ll also be revealing some exciting news about DAC including revealing our new website, new membership tiers and exciting new features of being a member. 

This is not something we’ve ever offered before but Luke Farren, Hilary Lewis 💻♣️ and I have listened to our members and what they want and we are going to deliver! 

‼️ I’m also excited to be hosting a members only coaching webinar in 2 weeks time titled -  ‘The End of Messy Leads: Building a Clean, Scalable Prospecting Process’

If you want access you need to join DAC on Monday when our doors open FOR FREE to new members. 

Link in comments, see you inside 👀

The next episode of my ‘Moving to Dubai’ podcast drops next Wednesday - this time with the amazing Rebecca Griffiths, CEO of Primis.

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to be notified when the episodes drop…..  https://lnkd.in/eCqZxu7T

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Helen Sanders

Jeri FCA

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The Battle

Helen Sanders

Jeri FCA

Followers

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jeri FCA's LinkedIn Performance

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