Luke Farren's Linkedin Analytics

Yesterday was a bit of a marathon, but totally worth it ✅ As expected, Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping delivered, great event, super supportive community, and some top conversations with many good friends and partners. It would have been easy to call it a day after that, but I don’t do easy 😅 and I’m so glad I did make the effort to head down to London to see James for the AJ Chambers ® and Arbuthnot Latham M&A event. Some brilliant insights on the market and even better discussions in the room; excited to see where a few of those conversations lead. The UK rail network gets a lot of stick (often well deserved 👀), but credit where it’s due, whoever signed off on a fast train link to Birmingham, thank you 🙏🏼. Back to the NEC this morning to wrap up FAB, then a quick pit stop in Cheltenham before the next leg of project The Modern Firm™ Saturday’s commute: Sri Lanka 😎

We’re less than 1 week out from Digital Accountancy Show and my quiet day next Monday has been torpedoed by 3 pre conference events 😅 although I am looking forward to a full day of fun before the serious stuff 👀 starts on Tuesday… it’s not really that serious to be fair. I’ve been attending DAS since the good old days at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium and have enjoyed watching this event get bigger and bigger each year 📈. It’s going to be a different experience for me speaking this year, but I’m excited to have my turn sharing some nuggets of wisdom alongside Daniel Lawrence when we spend 30 minutes discussing all things AI agents 🤖 , acquisitions and advisory excellence 💡 Hoping to see some friendly faces at the Evolution Stage at 11.30 on Tuesday 📆

Where will you and your accounting firm be in 2035 🤖? Last year, the team at Bots For That stormed onto the Digital Accountancy Show stage, and from my very first conversation with Daniel Lawrence & Phil Daniels on their impressive stand, I knew instantly that the future of this industry would hold a special place for companies like Bots For That 📈 It's been amazing getting to know this dynamic team over the past 12 months, and they're still just getting warmed up, with some huge announcements lined up for DAS25. (I’m sworn to secrecy 🤫, so you’ll have to wait until next month to discover what's coming) It’s for these reasons and more that I'm thrilled to be joining Daniel on the Evolution Stage at this year's Digital Accountancy Show where we’ll be discussing the blueprint for accounting in 2035, covering AI Agents, Strategic Acquisitions, Advisory Excellence, and more. This is going to be a prime time Day 1 session, so I’m hoping we’re on for a full house, with some friendly faces in the crowd too 😁 📌 Evolution London, Queenstown, SW11 4NJ 📆 1st April 2025 ⏰ 11.30

Almost every accounting firm has an unbelievable opportunity over the next few years to transform their business 📈 Every firm owner I’ve spoken to recently is buzzing with enthusiasm for change, but most don’t know where to start 🤯 . Or, they simply just don’t have the capacity to go it alone ⌚ Why is that? I could point to overwhelm, lack of time, or the sheer volume of new tech out there, among many other reasons. I launched The Modern Firm™ to help accounting firm owners get real clarity on the state of their internal operations and to deliver a clear, practical roadmap to improvement. This afternoon, I’m delivering my first (of what I’m sure will be many) workshops, outlining my recommendations to one firm on how technology could significantly improve its business 🧬 I'll drop a teaser to one of the reports we'll be reviewing below 👀 My ultimate mission? To help as many accounting firms as possible over the next few years achieve results that genuinely revolutionise the way they run their businesses. Interested in what that could look like for you? Let’s chat 📥

10 Game-Changing Tech Hacks You Can Implement in Your Firm TODAY 🚀 Well, if you are a member of the Digital Accountants Club, you’ll be hearing me dive into this very topic in this afternoon's webinar. 🎙️ I am just putting the finishing touches to my deck before chatting with this engaged community about tech tips that can truly transform their practice, today. 📈 If I had to choose one thing from this deck that I’d encourage everyone to consider seriously, it's proper workflow automation ⚙️. I had a long drive yesterday afternoon 🚗 , but it was made worthwhile after spending an enjoyable few hours chatting with one forward-thinking firm about the real benefits of managing workflows like this, so it feels only right to continue preaching about this topic for the rest of the week (and beyond 😁)

🇬🇧 > 🇱🇰 The debate around the future of accounting and whetehr we’re all going to get eaten by robots will continue to rage in the weeks and months head (I’ll be talking to that exact topic in my talk at the Digital Accountancy Show next month), however (spolier alert) my personal beleif is that whislt technology is going to fundementaly change the way we all work, there will continue to be world in which we need great people driving and operating these new and exciting tools. I don’t think it matters whether you’re based in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 , America 🇺🇸 , Portugal 🇵🇹 , India 🇮🇳 or Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 . The world is full of amazing talent, and if anything, the advancements in technology are only going to accelerate the accessibility and reliability of global talent pools 📈 Yes, roles and responsibilities will change. Industries will evolve, and boring, repetitive and routine tasks will become automated. But there will remain a world in which global talent remains vital in accounting and beyond 👊🏽 I’ve debated long and hard about whether diving feet first into an overseas structure was the right way to go for The Modern Firm™ but for me the benefits are obvious, and there’s ultimately no one I’d entrust more than Nishantha on leading the charge on TMF’s Global Flex team out of Sri Lanka 🌍 Once I touch down in Colombo on Sunday, we’ve a week packed with meetings, strategy, site seeing, and maybe the odd elephant 🐘 or two, but I’m buzzing to see what falls out the back of this week. When combined with thoughtfully implemented and beautifully automated tech stacks, flexible resourcing models, like the one supported by our new Sri Lankan team, can genuinely transform how practices operate. And this is only the beginning 😉. By all accounts it’s been a pretty full on first month, and we’re moving. Fast. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. #themodernway

I nearly didn’t make it to Monday morning. That’s a bit dramatic to be fair, but I look forward to enlightening anyone I speak to this week about the dangers of using a plastic storage shed as a ladder 🚨 Currently London bound for arguably one of the finest weeks in the accounting calendar. 📅 But before we dive into #DAS25, today I'll be joining Will & the XBert team for a lunchtime focus group in the City, exploring the future of the accounting and bookkeeping industry, and where it all goes from here 🤖 It’s then down to Battersea to catch up with Owen, Brandi, Rob & the rest of the team at AppVentory for their ChannelBoost pre-DAS industry drinks. 🍻 And to wrap up this evening I'll be off to the 🔴 Vinyl launch party at some rather nifty venue inside Battersea Power Station, for what I’m sure is going to be one of THE product launches to watch this year 🔥 . I should probably check into a hotel at some point too 👀 Let's have you #DAS25! 🚀

Many accounting firms aren’t seriously considering what their business will look like in 10 years time 🤔. It’s easy to get so caught up in today’s ramblings around AI and automation, but most firms rarely pause to imagine what that future will genuinely look like for them. Saturday was all consumed with a long flight home from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 and it gave me plenty of time to mull this over. The industry needs to start asking more of the right questions. And for me, it boils down to these 4 key areas: ▪️ Will we have the right people and skills on our team? 👥 ▪️ What will our clients expect from us by then 🤝 ▪️ How will technology and market changes reshape the way we work? 🌍 ▪️ Is our current strategy set up to thrive a decade from now? 🎯 I’m looking forward to exploring these ideas in more detail next week on our talk at #DAS25. This is really the sort of stuff that firms should be talking more about 💡. Back on the road again today to go and speak to another firm about these exact points, and more 🚗 .

Where will you be in 10 years time? If you haven’t been eaten by one of these AI robots 🤖 that are supposedly taking over our world, then it’s likely you might still be working in an accountancy practice, but it will be unrecognisable to today’s standard. I’m more convinced than ever that good people will always have a vital role in a modern-day accounting firm, but their roles, responsibilities, and routines will be unrecognisable from those of the firm of 2025 🕵🏻‍♂️ On April 1st, I’ll be joined by the rather talented Daniel Lawrence at Digital Accountancy Show where we’ll discuss the blueprint for accounting in 2035, covering AI Agents, Strategic Acquisitions, Advisory Excellence, and more ✅ We will be joined by a curated line-up of 100+ thought-leaders, subject-matter experts, and accountants & bookkeepers who come together to share their secrets. Sound good? Join us and over 5,000 accountants at Evolution London in April: https://bit.ly/3MgNolZ 📌 Evolution London, Queenstown, SW11 4NJ 📆 1st April 2025 ⏰ 11.30

Month 1 of project The Modern Firm™ ✅ It was a bit deflating this morning not to wake up to a notification saying your salary has been paid into your bank 😅 (I’m not quite homeless yet, don’t worry) but I’ve spent Friday morning reflecting on what has moslty been a super positive month 1. ▪️ We planned, hosted, and (dare I say it) nailed our very own launch party. ▪️ I’ve formally delivered on phase 1 of my first Ops Unlocked client engagement. ▪️ We squeezed in a 2-day conference in Birmingham with a quick pit stop via London on the Wednesday evening to spend time networking with some awesome people. ▪️ I flew halfway around the world and back again to spend an entire week immersed in workshops and strategy sessions on how TMF can start leveraging truly global talent pools. ▪️ At the last count, I’ve conducted 10 prospect meetings, speaking to a variety of firms about what we do and how we do it. ▪️ I concluded a similar number of super interesting sessions with partners and vendors in this space, all intent on helping to move the industry forward in a more positive direction. ▪️ And we round off month 1 with 2 client engagements now live (with room for that to creep up still before the end of day Monday. I won’t lie. There have been moments of self-doubt, self-criticism, and general moments of real loneliness, but it’s been a hell of a ride so far, and if we can continue at even half of this pace moving forward, then I’m excited for the next few months and beyond… I am really looking forward to next week. DAS is going to be a complete blast this year. See many of you next week 😎

If travelling halfway around the world to spend a week immersed in workshops about the future of this industry has taught me anything, it’s that the UK has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to building airports, especially compared to the Qataris 🌴 There’s probably a nice analogy in here somewhere about how building strong foundations for your accounting practice will make life easier… but I’m not sure I want to be that guy first thing on a Monday morning 👀 Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 has lived up to all expectations so far, and frankly, any country where it’s socially acceptable to eat curry in bed for breakfast has already won my heart ❤️

This week has been all about perspective. I’ve been rattling through Sri Lanka at pace, but I know this trip will prove to be time very well spent over the coming months and years. ✅ Team interviews ✅ FY26 strategy planning ✅ A leopard sighting 🐆 ✅ Opportunities sparked from some seriously unusual conversations (never turn down the chance to speak to anyone 👊🏽) ✅ An open mic night I'd rather forget This country has so much going for it, and I can't wait for the return leg later in the year to see just how far we've come 📈 We're still less than a month into this journey, and I was told launch parties and overseas strategy sessions aren't exactly the usual way to launch a brand-new consultancy business. But, in the famous and wise words of my Mum (who still doesn’t really know what I actually do for a living) - fortune favours the brave 💡 On reflection, being away from home has been more challenging than expected. I’ve realised I quite like home. And not seeing Tilly this week has been especially difficult. She'll be disappointed I'm not bringing that leopard 🐆 home, but I've been reliably informed that stealing leopards is quite frowned upon and would make a return trip challenging. See you Saturday, Tills ✈️

That weekend was needed. Nothing like a good wedding to hit reset 🔋 I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit gutted about missing my first Cheltenham Festival in 15+ years this week, but I’ve got bigger races to win at the moment 🐎 It’s another busy start, before heading up to Birmingham on Wednesday for two jam packed days at Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping (see you there?). But it won’t be without a quick pit stop via London on the Wednesday night to join James and the wider AJ Chambers ® team for one of their exclusive events in the City. I have made a promise to my daughter that Friday afternoon is strictly being spent at a Farm Park before I fly out to Sri Lanka for the week in the early hours of Saturday morning, but more on that trip later in the week… 🤫. I couldn’t decide which selfie the algorithm would enjoy the most today so here’s a before and after from Saturday’s wedding (and yes, I’m still off the booze for those worried about the first picture 😎).

Cheltenham > Birmingham > London > Birmingham > Cheltenham 🚂 On route to the NEC to join a number of friends and partners for Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping before a quick trip into town tonight to chat all things M&A with Arbuthnot Latham & AJ Chambers ® - quite pleased to be the one enjoying events this week rather than hosting them 😅 I’ve promised to come and keep Owen Burley and Stephanie Kelly company for a few hours on their AppVentory stand so look forward to chatting with any accountants and bookkeepers that want to come and say hello Who else is in Birmingham over the next few days? I’ve already arranged to catch up with Steve and Oliver for coffee. Who else can I pin down 📥

Yesterday was a big milestone for The Modern Firm™ 📈 We had our first two client engagements since launch signed off, and whilst we’re hardly on the verge of a seven-figure exit, this felt huge to me 😎 The past few weeks (months 😅) have been intense. At times, it’s felt like Groundhog Day, so having two well-respected accounting firms confirm they’re excited to work with TMF was exactly the boost I needed before I stand up in front of a room of accountants tomorrow night to talk about my view on the future of our industry. There are no doubt plenty of uphill battles still ahead. There will be good days. There will be bad days. But I’m all for publicly celebrating the small wins 😁 Managed to get the dog out for his morning stomp this morning, and his reaction to the ground frost is a pretty accurate representation of what my brain feels like right now 😂 Off to The Nook Cheltenham this morning for some final prep before showtime tomorrow 🕺🏼 6pm. Cheltenham’s only rooftop bar. See you there 🍸

The future of accounting will look fundamentally different to today’s normal. Technology will continue to revolutionise how firms operate ⚙️ Good people, wherever they are based 🌍, will continue to play a vital role in the future of this industry. And HMRC will be as strong and stable as a Nokia 3310 📞 Too far 👀? Earlier this month, I brought together some of the brightest minds in our industry to share my own views on what the future might look like. Our launch party at The Nook Cheltenham for The Modern Firm™ was quite good fun. Couldn’t make it? Well we managed to capture some highlights below 👇🏽 📸 Shot by the ever-talented Andrew Kyle.

I had a hard time switching off this weekend 🤯 Packed in plenty of socialising, but my brain just wouldn’t let go of last week. And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t also in overdrive thinking about this launch party on Wednesday 🫨 Yesterday ended up being an afternoon in the office, but the main thing is I still managed to get out, soak up some sunshine, and enjoy the practically tropical weather the Cotswolds saw this weekend 😎 (no need to bring that sunshine up with you this week, James Gosling 😉) I’m still buzzing for Wednesday - it’s been months in the making and it’s going to be a really fun evening. And many months ago now when I first started preaching to Will Rush about my vision to help accountancy firm owners overcome challenges with technology and AI (so they too, could spend more time outside enjoying the sunshine 😏), he was on board from day one. That’s why I’m super excited that the team at XBert are proudly #sponsoring The Modern Firm™ launch event. I couldn’t be happier to showcase the power of tools like XBert and how they can truly unlock real impact across our industry 🙏🏼 We’re practically at capacity, but I reckon we can squeeze in a couple more if anyone in the Cheltenham area fancies joining us on Wednesday night to see what all the fuss is about. I’ll pop the sign up link in the comments. Canapés, cocktails, and AI. What’s not to love? ❤️

It’s Game Day 🚀 About 6 months ago now, I had this half brilliant half ridiculous idea whilst lying in bed one night that hiring out The Nook Cheltenham to host a launch party for a business that I hadn’t even established yet would somehow be a fantastic idea 💡 I booked the venue. I booked the music. I even (nearly) booked the stilt walkers (that didn’t quite work out in the end, long story…). I just needed a business to launch. But the tough part was done… 👀 Fortunately, the latter came through and The Modern Firm™ was born, and whilst the jury can remain out on how well this evening lands within the UK accounting sector, I know I can sleep well tonight knowing we dam well tried our best 👊🏽 Excited for another two prospect meetings today, a bit of strategy planning this afternoon with 🎙️ Ryan Pearcy before we kick things off from 6 pm watching the sun set from one of the coolest rooftops this town has to offer ☀️ 😎 Look forward to seeing many of you later tonight - as for the rest of you…. hope the FOMO isn’t too bad 😁

Week 2 of Project The Modern Firm™ is coming to a close ✅ 
 I don’t feel like I’ve had time to come up for breath this week 🤣, it’s been absolutely mental, and I’m not even sure where to start, but some obvious highlights are: ▪️ We hosted a launch party. ▪️ We met 2 pretty amazing prospective firms in Cheltenham who are keen to embark on their own digital transformation journey. ▪️ We had our first two client engagements signed off ▪️ We had some fantastic partnership conversations with really exciting vendors in this space. ▪️ We spoke to two really progressive firms in Ireland (one is now a client), exploring the accounting technology landscape in Dublin and beyond, for me validating that TMF truly has overseas reach. There’s been tons of rubbish and stress to deal with too 😅, it’s not all been plain sailing, but whilst I have them I’ll continue celebrating these small wins publicly 😎 I know a number of incredible women who have helped guide me personally and professionally over the years. I’ve worked with many, socialised and laughed with many more, and even married one (sorry, Louise) So, in light of International Women’s Day tomorrow, I want to close out Week 2 with a special shoutout to one of my biggest cheerleaders. She drives me crazy, but she’s one of my greatest supporters. And the fact that she even showed up to my launch event on Wednesday wearing a bright green neon top matching the TMF branding says it all really. Thanks, Mum. Off to Devon for a wedding this weekend before we do it all again next week 🤓 Lets go week 3 🚀

We came. We Launched. Let’s hope we conquer… If I’m being totally honest last night was a complete blur. Mostly a good way, I think 😂 It was always a bit of a gamble throwing a launch event. Especially mid week. Especially in Cheltenham. But I think it was a gamble that paid off, and I’m hoping that those who were able to make it took something away from the night. Couldn’t be more grateful for everyone who made the effort to pop down to little old Cheltenham to come and see what we had to talk about ❤️ I definitely have a new found admiration for people who plan and host events for a living. Popular to contrary belief, it’s draining, on many levels 😂 but despite my brain still whirling and trying to decompress from last night, there’s a little part of me that wants to do it all again… Thanks again to everyone who came last night, and especially to the amazing speakers who shared some really great insights - I started trying to tag everyone but I’ve ran out of room, but you all know who you are ❤️ If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m pretty passionate about the future of this industry, and I hope this is just the start of great things to come 👊🏽