New Business

Entrepreneur Insight – Sean Toomer – Founder and MD of Diverso Accountants

Diverso accountants are a subscription-based accountancy service supplying advice and support to assist small and microbusinesses save tax and make money

Read the article on NewBusiness.co.uk here.

What was your Eureka Moment

I set up my business at the age of 21 but after a couple of years trying to ‘act like an accountant’ a client commented ‘what I like about you Sean is you’re different from other accountants.’ The penny just dropped; the reason I was winning business wasn’t that I was ‘as good as’ the others – it was that I was different.

In 2015 I rebranded, going from SR Toomer & Co to Diverso. Out went the suits, the formal emails, the ‘accountant speak’, in came casual clothes, my infamous mohawk hairdo, and down-to-earth approachability. I’ve never looked back – five years on I have more than 300 clients with more joining every month.

How did you finance the business?

I’m self-financed. With a fixed-price subscription model, I was able to start very small and expand my business organically.

Any regrets along the way?

Starting so young I’ve made mistakes – but that’s all part of the learning so I can’t regret them.

What would you have changed?

There’s not much I would change about my journey – what I’m interested in is changing things for other small businesses. They get a poor deal from so many service providers, not just accountants. I want the business world to work for them, not only the big fish who pay big bills. That’s why we do more than clients’ accounts; we offer support to help them succeed.