Accountant for Small Business

Hi, I'm Fiona Brownlee and I am the founder of Sterling Financial Management Ltd I am a qualified and experienced Chartered Management Accountant and my background is Financial and Business Management for across Corporate, Venture Capital (VC) funded start-ups and high growth SMEs.

I have over 20 years’ experience working with start-ups and high growth SMEs. I started life as a bookkeeper before training as a Chartered Management Accountant and I've also worked in General Management, so I understand the full picture for your small business!

I have worked across many industries including, Health care, Business Consultancy, IT, marketing, design and tech, construction, Insurance, Art, pet care, Health and Beauty and Coaching and have worked within all areas of the finance department and in general management.

I believe that small business holders should be able to focus on their core business and use their spare time to be with the people that matter and do the things they love afterall, you didn't go into your business to work on finance!

I grew up in the North of England and moved London to pursue my career in Finance. Fast forward a few years, I then moved to Johannesburg where I continued to build a successful career for 10 years around my three children.

I now live in the Surrey countryside in Dorking, with my husband, three children, two energetic big dogs and kitty cat. I love hanging out with family and friends, going for walks, runs and cycles and am a self confessed Peloton addict. I love to read, have travelled extensively and love to learn new skills.

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Providing a personal touch

We are a small team here at Sterling Financial Management and so you'll know exactly who you are dealing with, it will be me for any FD support, accounting and account management, the wonderful Gemma is our fabulous AAT bookkeeper, we have Katie and Alex looking after all of your payroll needs and Lisa managing our admin, marketing and keeping us on track.

We will take the time to build a relationship with you and to truly understand your business and feel like a member of your team.

We will never use accountant speak at you and no question is a silly question. We also won't leave you unopened and feel like you can't get a response, which is a story we hear over and over.

We want you to have the comfort that your finances are looked after. We don't want you spending your evenings and weekends worrying about the books or the forecasts or the monthly profit numbers! Whether we do this all for you or whether we show you how to do this without the overwhelm - we want to make your business finance easy!

In addition to our traditional accounting services and training programmes, I can provide interim, part time, outsourced and virtual Finance Director services, making having a Finance Director in your growing business an affordable option for the SME and also provide coaching / mentoring services. Many businesses require a Financial Director but don’t need someone full time. We can fit that gap perfectly. Key to this success is preparing management information in a way that is understood by you and your management team.

Meet the Rest of the Team

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Gemma

Gemma has been a qualified AAT Bookkeeper for over 10 years, specialising in payroll and accounts.

Her attention to detail and extensive knowledge make her an invaluable asset and she always goes the extra mile for our clients, to make sure that not only are your company's finances well managed, but she's also always looking for continuous improvements and making sure you are on the right side of the tax man. Saving you money, stress and giving you more time to focus on your core business - or have more fun!

Gemma lives with her husband and 2 young sons. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family, taking her dog for walks on the downs and socializing with friends.

Gemma brings immense value to our team and to that of our clients, and as your virtual bookkeeper, she would provide the same level of excellence to yours.

Katie

Katie, a qualified Accountant, is one of our payroll specialists.

Katie will be your main point of contact for all things payroll. She'll ensure you're all onboarded smoothly and your payroll processes are as painless as possible, not matter how large or small your payroll is.

When she's not working, you'll find Katie at the gym, walking her dog, Teddy, or socialising with friends and family.

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Alex

Alex, a qualified Payroll Manager is also one of our payroll specialists.

His main role is liaising directly with clients with their regular payroll queries and ensuring that payrolls run smoothly.

Alex is a keen Manchester United fan and loves watching them with his friends and family. He also enjoys hikng and has climbed to the summit of Mount Snowdon many times.

Working as part of your team

No nonsense fixed fees

We also work with like-minded associates in other areas of business which the SME business owner would benefit from, such as – marketing, HR and IT.

We offer a fixed fee for work so you know up front what you will be paying. Before we do any work we will agree on the scope of the work which will enable us to give you a fixed price.