A business mentor can offer guidance and support, helping you make good decisions and stay focused on your goals as a business owner. They can also help you develop by giving advice and feedback on the steps to take next.
But have you ever thought of your accountant as a mentor?
Key points
- Your accountant sees your business’s numbers all year, which gives them a useful view of how it’s really doing.
- A good accountant can be a sounding board, not just someone who files your returns.
- Mentoring can cover your strategy, planning, decision-making and your own tax position.
- Regular catch-ups help you step back from the day to day and think about what’s next.
On this page
Why your accountant can make a good mentor
Having someone who understands your business journey matters. You might see your accountant as the person who files your tax returns. But because we work with your numbers throughout the year, we see how your business is really doing: what’s working, where the pressure points are and how things are changing.
A mentor doesn’t need to have all the answers. Often the value lies in asking good questions, challenging assumptions and helping you see the bigger picture when you’re close to the day-to-day.
That puts your accountant in a good position to offer advice, guide your business journey and help you develop your skills and confidence as a business owner.
What an accountant can do as a mentor
- Expand your knowledge as a business owner. We can share what we’ve learned from working with businesses at different stages, and help you develop your leadership skills, business thinking and ideas.
- Be someone to talk to. Regular one-to-one conversations give you space to talk through your worries and concerns as a business owner. Having someone who listens and understands can make a real difference, both for the business and for your own wellbeing.
- Guide the important elements of your business. We can help you review your strategy, planning and decision-making, and set up the management information you need to guide your finances and planning.
- Keep your finances on track. We’ll help you look at profitability, keep costs under control and make well-informed financial decisions. We can also help you with your own tax position, so it supports your goals and the lifestyle you’re working towards.
- Help you think about who else to talk to. Sometimes the most useful thing is a conversation with someone who has faced the same challenge. Through our work with other business owners, we can sometimes suggest the kind of people or organisations worth speaking to.
Making mentoring work for you
Having someone to guide your business journey can be invaluable. A business owner needs to grow and evolve along with their business, and regular catch-ups are a good way to step back, share your concerns and look for new ideas.
To get the most from it, set a regular time, share your numbers and your worries openly, and agree one or two actions to follow up after each conversation.
Talk to us about mentoring and business support
If you’d like to grow as a business owner, come and talk to us about how we can support you and help guide your business’s future. Call us on 020 7164 0225, send us a WhatsApp message or email us at info@ibandco.co.uk.
You can also read about our strategic and business planning and personal tax planning services.
First published 8 September 2026. Tax content checked on 9 October 2026. This article reflects the rules at the date it was first published. Where something has changed since, we’ve added an update note. Rules and rates change, so please check with us before acting.
Please note: this article is general information based on our understanding of UK tax rules at the date shown above. It is not advice for your circumstances, and tax rules and rates can change. Please speak to us before acting on it.
Ishmael Bangura FFA
Ishmael Bangura FFA is a qualified tax adviser and Fellow Financial Accountant with a finance degree and about 15 years’ experience, including earlier corporate roles. He has helped more than 950 clients. IB&Co Accountants is regulated by the IFA and IPA. IB&Co is based at Level 37, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf.
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