The training numbers add up for Custom Enterprises : Single‐man accountancy practice transformed into a fast‐expanding firm

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe how training helped to transform a single‐man UK accountancy practice into a fast‐expanding six‐person firm providing all aspects of financial management, from book‐keeping to statutory accounts. Design/methodology/approach – Explains the reasons for the training, the form it took and the results it has achieved. Findings – Details the business and personal skills acquired by the newly recruited accounts assistant, assistant accountant, business developer and administrator, and explains how these helped the company to increase turnover by 50 percent a year. Practical implications – Reveals that the company now functions effectively, whether the director is there or not. Social implications – Explains that, as a consequence of its continued efforts in training and also providing support to the wider community through placements, apprenticeships and charity work, the business has become an integral part of its local community. Originality/value – The paper details how training helped to change the ethos of a business from a one‐man band to a thriving, six‐person practice.