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It figures… Accountancy firm takes advantage of lockdown

WHILE the outbreak of Covid proved to be problematic for many local businesses, accountancy duo Ruairi Dundas and Ronan Gallagher have gone from strength to strength with their “efficient, effective and reliable” service, since moving premises back in March to keep-up with demand.
Now based at Thistlebank House on the Sligo Road, Enniskillen, the ‘Dundas Gallagher’ firm of Chartered Accountants took advantage of lockdown to focus on the digitalisation of its practice, with a successful response from clients across Ireland, the UK and further afield.
“With Covid we all worked throughout the pandemic,” explained Derrygonnelly native and co-director, Ruairi Dundas.
“Our staff were all fantastic and really took on the challenge of working from home.
“At the start it was logistically very difficult but we’ve been back to some capacity since the end of August, as it was very important for us to maintain a presence in the office.”
Speaking on the positive impact that Covid made, Ruairi explained, “We had been looking at the digitisation of the practice for a long time.
“We made a few moves in that direction but lockdown and restrictions definitely sped up the process and we moved everything much more online for clients through digital software.
“It has allowed us to work more closely with clients on an ongoing basis in terms of business and tax planning and to move away from the old model where someone would drop you in their books and records maybe six months after the year ends.
“With online it allows us to be more pro-active when working with clients in relation to the business management side of things as well as the statutory compliance.
“It means that we’re doing everything as we go along. Whenever clients have things like a bank application to do, need to borrow money or are wondering how they’re getting on halfway through the year, we can have all the important information there to quickly prepare a set of management accounts and projections that we can look at.
“It also means that when we have queries, rather than asking clients about something that happened 12 months ago, we can be asking clients for information that is still fresh in their heads and that can be very useful.”
As well as continued growth within the business, Dundas Gallagher Accountants and Registered Auditors have paved the way in striking the perfect balance between home and work life for its employees.
Speaking to the Herald on what prompted such a stance, Ruairi explained, “It’s been a difficult time for everyone trying to manage working from home.
“We’ve had to do a lot of work in terms of getting information to clients about Covid grants and the support that’s available, furlough claims, VAT, payroll, among many other things.
“There’s been a lot of ongoing things that we’ve had to keep going and then the difficulty of trying to manage logistically to try and get things finished off in terms of pulling together end of year accounts.
“Our staff have had to find new ways of working, and many are now using more flexible working hours and working from home.
“The digitalisation of the practice helps, as it allows staff to become more flexible in terms of their own lifestyle.
“They don’t have to be in the office everyday and they can be more flexible around the hours that they work.
“We’ve had a great response from staff and they’ve liked the flexibility of working from home when it suits, especially working hours around childcare is a lot easier.
“It’s a great help for staff who travel into Fermanagh to have that opportunity. However, people also appreciate being in the office for a few days in the week to interact with other staff members.
“There was a lot of talk at the start that working from home would be the new normal and I think it’s a great element to have but I still think from a business point of view that being in the office is very beneficial.”

To get in contact call the team on +44 (0) 28 6632 3266 or email: info@dundasgallagher.com

 

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The Fermanagh Herald is published by North West of Ireland Printing & Publishing Company Limited, trading as North-West News Group.
Registered in Northern Ireland, No. R0000576. 28 Belmore Street, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, BT74 6AA