The champagne letters: 21 to 30
The next 9, for Alex's approval, which takes the campaign to 29. 5 signed Matt, 4 signed Andy. Same campaign, same three repeating blocks as the twenty. Nothing is handwritten or posted until each one is approved.
Status: for approval, 21 September
- There is no letter 29. Knox Cropper was researched and dropped: six of its eight partners are audit partners, and audit partners are not our buyer.
- Four of the nine are weak hooks and say so. Where the person posts in their own words (Laura, Shaileen, Howard) the opening is strong. Where they do not, the sentence about why the problem is theirs carries the letter.
- Nunn Hayward is not the firm that was scored. Ian Nunn left in March 2023; it is now seven equal partners and has absorbed Summers Morgan. Simon Dodd is the working pick; Matt is still choosing the partner.
- Archangel is the one to think about as a client. Part-time finance directors for life sciences start-ups, all remote. Matt's call is to keep it: ApprovalMax put Howard on their stage. First question on the call is who holds the clients' subscriptions.
- Addresses: seven of the nine confirmed and on the record, one estimated with an email out to confirm (Sophie Daykin), one open (Howard Jones, no address published).
| Recipient | Firm | Signed | Hook | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aamir Qadri | Walden Way & Co | Andy | Organiser of his accounting body's student lectures; founder of a training company | Near weak |
| Alistair Wem | Wem & Co | Matt | The firm since 1982, a Wem still running it | Weak |
| Sophie Daykin | OnTheGo Accountants | Matt | Her firm's own site: Slack channel to the accountant, month closed by day five | Weak |
| Laura Kenyon | LKA | Matt | Her own post, five months old, on buying a Richmond practice | Strong |
| Shaileen Shah | Price Mann | Andy | His own posts on succession, quoted, and him running his own firm | Good |
| Howard Jones | Archangel Accounting | Matt | On ApprovalMax's breakfast panel at Xerocon; we were in talks with ApprovalMax about a joint breakfast | Strong |
| Mark Boulter | THP | Matt | Nine years as honorary treasurer of Chelmsford Rugby Club, met with Matt's own story | Good |
| Lynn Watson | Office Assistants | Andy | Her bio: "I've become a 'WhatsApp Ninja'" | Fair |
| Simon Dodd | Nunn Hayward | Andy | Partner since 1992; the firm has taken in Summers Morgan | Weak |
Aamir Qadri · Founder · Walden Way & Co
Dear Aamir,
Organising CLMN's student lectures, founding a training company, and running the practice as well. Plenty of accountants in London must owe you a pass mark.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. You guide start-ups through their first years, which is exactly when the subscriptions start multiplying and somebody has to bill them back.
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Andy
What it rests on: CLMN is the Central London Members' Network of his accounting body. His profile lists him as organiser, but nobody else confirms when or for how long, so the letter carries no dates.
Alistair Wem · Director and owner · Wem & Co
Dear Alistair,
Wem & Co since 1982, and still a Wem running it. That's a long time for one name to stay on the door.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. When a firm picks its clients' apps and trains them to use them, a fair few of those subscriptions end up on the firm's own card.
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Matt
What it rests on: Nothing in his own words exists anywhere we could open. The letter never says he founded the firm, because no source does. The third paragraph rests on the firm's own site, which sells app advice and app training to clients.
Sophie Daykin · Co-Founder and Tax Partner · OnTheGo Accountants
Dear Sophie,
A Slack channel straight to the accountant, and the month closed by business day five. I saw both on your website. You've built the firm the way your tech clients run theirs.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. You recommend and set up your clients' software, with Xero and Dext inside every package, and tech start-ups rarely stop at two apps.
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Matt
What it rests on: Every claim is on the firm's home page or pricing page as read on 21 September. One of the best client fits of the nine: they already sell Xero and Dext inside every package.
Laura Kenyon · Founder and Managing Director · LKA
Dear Laura,
I saw your post on LKA Richmond, excited and scared in equal measures. I hope the integration is going well. It sounds like a really interesting time in LKA's history.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. A second practice means a second set of client software, and who gets billed for what is a job we can take off your list.
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Matt
What it rests on: "Excited and scared in equal measures" are her words. She owns the firm outright and her pricing page puts software inside every package she sells. The best client fit of the nine.
Shaileen Shah · Managing Director · Price Mann
Dear Shaileen,
I've been reading your posts on succession. "Making yourself less essential is one of the most valuable things a founder can do" stuck with me. Running your own firm, I imagine that's easier to write than to do.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. Your bookkeeping clients all get Xero through you, and somebody has to bill each of those back.
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Andy
What it rests on: The quote is his, word for word, two months old. He owns the firm and signs.
Howard Jones · Operations Director · Archangel Accounting
Dear Howard,
I saw you on ApprovalMax's breakfast panel at Xerocon. We were in talks with them about hosting a joint breakfast. It didn't work out, but maybe next time.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. You've rolled ApprovalMax out across your client base, so you'll know the next question: who bills each client for it?
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference, where I hope to see you. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Matt
What it rests on: The panel is confirmed at ApprovalMax's own post, two months old. The line about our own talks with ApprovalMax is Matt's word: Alex to confirm it can go in ink and that ApprovalMax is comfortable being named to one of their own customers. The only letter with a changed last paragraph.
Mark Boulter · Managing Director · THP
Dear Mark,
Nine years as honorary treasurer at Chelmsford Rugby Club. I coach my daughter's football team. I didn't realise at kindergarten it was a job for life. She's mid-high school and I'm still coaching.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. Your whole team sits the Xero exam and recertifies each year, so clients keep arriving on it, each one another licence to bill back.
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Matt
What it rests on: He publishes the role himself, and the club's own register confirms it to the month. His profile headline is about practice technology and says he is happy to hear from software providers.
Lynn Watson · Managing Director · Office Assistants
Dear Lynn,
I'm going old school and handwriting notes to introduce our business. After reading your bio on the website, I wonder if I should have sent the "WhatsApp Ninja" a WhatsApp instead.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. You set up each client's software for them as standard, and every tool you set up is a subscription somebody has to keep billed.
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Andy
What it rests on: "WhatsApp Ninja" is her own phrase in her live bio. A bookkeeping firm she owns outright. Post and phone are the only way to reach her.
Simon Dodd · Partner · Nunn Hayward
Dear Simon,
A partner at Nunn Hayward since 1992, and the firm has now taken in Summers Morgan as well. That is a lot of the firm's history to have been in the room for.
For context, I look after strategic accounts at Rechargly. We help firms manage the software they buy for their clients, where more revenue leaks than anyone expects. Two practices coming together means two sets of client software, and rarely the same way of billing it back.
We launched in the UK this year, hence the bottle and a reason to celebrate.
We're in London for a few weeks from 6 October, over for the DAS conference. I'll call next week. It would be great to meet while we're over.
Andy
What it rests on: "Since 1992" is his own statement and has no second source. Of the partners on the firm's business-services roster he is the longest-serving and the one who describes his work as commercial and consultancy.