TLC is officially one year old and in typical fashion we’ve been reflecting on how far we’ve come. In our first 365 days we have reached many milestones and we’re proud of them all.

– We have more than 250 clients – we smashed our initial target and are very proud that we’ve achieved this without actually doing any marketing

– You have found us in three different offices (all in the same building) – well, we needed to make room for the…

– …two new members of staff. We’re delighted to have Billy and Zara on the team and are currently looking for another accountant. If you know anyone who you think fits the TLC values, do send them our way

– We got a puppy! Okay, Claire got a puppy, but TLC Ted now has a Twitter account. Follow him here

When James and I set up TLC we didn’t have a name for the business and we didn’t have any clients, but we did have a vision of the kind of accountancy practice we wanted to run.

We wanted to be cheerleaders for our clients, offering as much or as little support as they need. All of our clients get unlimited phone support and we play cheerleader (pompoms optional) by introducing them to others in our network – whether we think they can do business together, need one another’s services, or would just get along famously.

We’re also really proud to have supported a start-up business, Cakes D’Licious. We’re delighted they’ve recently been shortlisted for a Visit York award and have even been featured in The Guardian.

We wanted to create a great place to work; one where people truly felt part of a team, had fun and could develop. We’re over the moon to have persuaded our trainee accountant Billy Foulkes that if he wasn’t enjoying university he could still fulfil his dream of becoming an accountant and get paid at the same time.

And we were also lucky to tempt Zara Batty to join us and she now keeps us organised and on track three days a week. Don’t worry if she asks you about your favourite kind of biscuits, it’s just a little something we’re working on.

One-size-fits-all wasn’t an approach we wanted to take, so all of our clients can choose the level of service they need. For our biggest client, quirky design and display business Kokoon, we provide the full works so they have management information at their fingertips. Our smallest clients just need an annual tax return, and we’re just as happy to do that for them.

Finally, we love the fact that people describe us and TLC as “not your typical accountants”. You won’t find any grey suits or leather inlaid desks in our office, but you will find a warm welcome and the occasional ice cream if the weather warrants it.

So, here’s to our second year. If you’re a client, a supporter, a friend or just someone who has taken the time to read this blog, thanks for having faith in us. We can’t wait for what the next year will bring!