As we reach the end of 2021, the team at CRM has been reflecting on the way we have managed the challenges we faced as a business and personally. The CRM business grew with new clients and we helped many people navigate the twists and turns of their pandemic finances.
We asked two of our experienced accountants, Katerina Kurgane and Rebecca Blake, to look back over their 2021 experiences and peer into their crystal ball to see what might lie ahead for 2022.
Kat
2021 certainly held many challenges for our clients financially and there were times when it was difficult to keep up with the changing rules for employees on furlough and self-employed grants and other support. Our clients looked to us for guidance on the best way to manage their business finances as we came out of the pandemic, but we often had very little time to assess the changes when they were announced.
Thankfully, at CRM we support each other so well and responded to the different needs of the team. We adapted to working from home during the lockdowns and have created a hybrid approach to working in the office and at home which is working out well. I enjoyed working on the different business types of our clients and working with more junior members of the team to develop their skills along with my own.
Outside of work, I managed to keep up with my love of outdoor pursuits and I was so pleased that my team won our John O’Groats to Land’s End (and back) Charity Challenge to raise money for our charity partner, Daybreak Oxford. We all walked, cycled, ran – and I paddle-boarded (SUP) – the 2865.9km distance virtually.
I also managed to take a summer trip to my native Latvia to see family and attend the SUP Festival where I originally got the paddle-boarding bug! I’ll keep up my paddle-boarding through the winter into 2022 and continue with my tennis and getting out and about in the countryside with my family.
My work aspirations for 2022 are to work closely with our newly qualified accountants and the CRM team. I’ll continue to keep up with my professional development and all the new budget changes to make sure we offer an exceptional service to our growing number of clients.
Beccy
I came back to work from maternity leave in March 2021 so I was off work for the worst of the pandemic, meaning I experienced different challenges with a new baby in 2020 than my work colleagues trying to maintain excellent support for our clients in a difficult economic climate. Unfortunately, my little boy has had some health problems this autumn so I’ve had to be off work again at times. I’ve been able to fit some work in whilst at home but it’s a constant juggle.
As well as working with clients, I have also taken on the role of office manager at CRM which I am looking forward to developing further in 2022. I am able to make contact with new clients and allocate their work to the most appropriate person in the CRM team; it’s so rewarding to see the wide range of support we can give to clients and help them grow their business.
During my 10 years at CRM, I’ve really enjoyed working with new team members and mentoring many of them through their ACCA qualifications to become fully-fledged accountants. Their new knowledge and fresh approach keep me on my toes and along with my continuous professional development, there’s not much spare time to be had!
I’m looking forward to being able to get back into the office more in 2022, I enjoy being in the office environment and working closely with colleagues. My overall aim is to continue to help our business to succeed, hopefully by serving lots more new clients and welcoming more new talent into the business.
