I started writing these articles for In Practice in 2020, which seems a very long time ago now. If you’ve read even a few of them, you’ll know that I’m passionate about helping accountants to run a better business and live a better life.

But it still seems to be the norm that accountancy firm owners are overworked, underpaid and getting very little fulfilment from their business.

Every week I have at least one conversation with an accountant that goes like this:

• ‘I’m working evenings and weekends and don’t have enough time with family and friends.’
• ‘My clients don’t value my expertise – they just want the cheapest price.’
• ‘I’d like to move into advisory services but I don’t know where to start. I feel stuck in compliance.’
• ‘I do everything in my firm as I can’t trust my team to get it right.’

So much has changed in the profession since AVN started 26 years ago. Technology has exploded and – in theory at least – revolutionised the way we work.

And yet … those conversations are exactly the same ones we were having in 1999.

Time to make a stand

I’ve been doing some deep thinking about this over the last few months, crystallising how AVN can best help accountants to progress.

And the result of all this thinking is the AVN Manifesto for Change.

This sets out exactly what AVN stands for, encapsulated in our new strapline: Empowering Firms – Advancing Business – Enriching Lives.

In fact, we have a new name, too. We’re now AVN – The Accountants’ Network, a nod back to our origins as the Added Value Network. This more accurately reflects our community of AVN accountants, sharing knowledge and supporting each other.

The manifesto also clarifies the ideas and accepted norms that we reject, and that no longer serve a purpose for accountants in 2025.

Here’s a short extract:

What we believe

• that accountancy is more than numbers – it's about transforming lives and businesses
• that success should never demand the sacrifice of family, health or happiness
• that every accountant has the potential to become a transformative adviser
• that technology should liberate, not threaten, the accounting profession
• that profitable practices and fulfilling lives can – and should – coexist
• that making a difference and making a profit are not mutually exclusive.

What we reject

• the myth that working longer hours equals greater success
• the acceptance of constant stress as ‘just part of the job’
• the view of accountants as mere number-crunchers
• the isolation of practice ownership
• the fear that technology will make accountants obsolete
• the belief that accountants can't charge what they're truly worth.

You may not agree with all of this. Some firms run perfectly well on a traditional system and perhaps yours is one of them. But I worry that this kind of model won’t be sustainable in the future, as AI increasingly gives an advantage to the firms that are using it effectively.

And I believe it’s important to show that there is a better way for the thousands of other firms that are struggling every day. Firms that could be transformed into profitable, successful, future-proofed businesses where both owners and team members thrive.

If you’d like to read more, please download our manifesto now: I’d love to know what you think.

Shane Lukas: AVN – The Accountant’s Network