Wendy Smith (Tall Horse Accounts Ltd)

Tall Horse is a small Accountancy Practice that offers a full range of book-keeping and accountancy services to small and medium sized businesses.

Our Ethos:

A number of accountants in practice concentrate on meeting statutory deadlines, filing returns and completing work retrospectively. Having worked in commerce for many years we understand that clients also need to keep track of their financial progress during the year and should know what their figures mean. We get involved with our clients offering advice and providing an all year round service as 'the remote accountant within the business.'

Our Directors:

Beverley and Wendy are both Chartered Certified Accountants who have worked in senior management at Blue Chip companies in London for several years.They decided it was time to have a more flexible working life and achieved this by setting up their own accounting practice.They use their corporate knowledge and experience to assist small and medium sized businesses who may not yet be large enough to employ full-time accounting professionals.

Our Clients:

Our clients include, among others, Property Managers, Charities, Doctors, Publishers, Recruitment Agents, Plumbers, Online Marketing Companies and Journalists.

Our services:

We offer the following accounting services to Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies:

• All aspects of accounting & bookkeeping
  
• Purchase & sales ledger maintenance
  
• Credit control
  
• Bank Reconciliations
  
• Preparation of VAT returns
  
• Preparation of management accounts either monthly or quarterly, including comparison of actual results to budget and forecasting
  
• Preparation of statutory and abbreviated unaudited accounts
  
• Cash flow management
  
• Review of accounting systems and recommendations for improvements
  
• Training staff on site
  
• Tax returns – Corporate and personal
  
• Company formation
  
• Filing annual return to companies house and other statutory returns
  

Our name:

Both directors have a connection with Africa and it seemed appropriate to choose a name that is lighthearted with a serious background.

'Tall Horse' is a nickname in Africa for a giraffe. The story goes that, unknown outside of Africa for centuries, the extraordinary height and proportions of the Giraffe fascinated foreigners and their sense of curiosity. In fact Giraffes were sometimes sent as a diplomatic gift to surprise and delight kings and leaders in faraway lands.

In 1824 the Sultan of Eqypt presented Charles X, King of France with a giraffe : the giraffe was sent up the Nile by boat and shipped across the Mediterranean where it landed at the Port of Marseilles. Its 7,000 mile journey continued as it was walked across the length of France until it eventually reached its destination in Paris. Tens of thousands thronged the streets of the city to witness the astonishing scene as the towering creature arrived. The giraffe, nicknamed the Tall Horse, sparked a frenzy of scientific and cultural interest. Some even say that it was the perfect elegance, grace and stature that inspired the construction of the Eiffel Tower.

I was born and grew up in Zimbabwe where I trained at Coopers & Lybrand, one of the 'Big 5' accounting firms of the day.  During the 17 years I was there I worked in various departments including audit, small business accounting and deceased estates.  At one stage I was also Practice Manager for the office where I learnt how to run a business effectively.

I arrived in the UK in October 2000 and worked at Blue Chip companies in various roles before deciding that this lifestyle did not suit me or my family.

I gave it all up to start Tall Horse Accounts with a good friend and ex-colleague and have never looked back!  We love being involved with our clients and being able to balance our work with family life. 

When I'm not working (or doing housework...)  I can usually be found cheering my son at the side of a rugby field or cricket pitch.  I also enjoy pottering in the garden (although I'm hopeless!), reading and baking.