Our Story

Most businesses outgrow their accountant long before they realise it.

At Total Accounting, we act as your complete finance team — handling everything from day-to-day processing to reporting, tax, and Finance Director-level support.

You get control, better decisions, and a finance function that actually supports your growth.

Built from experience — not theory.

I started Total Accounting in 2004 after spending 10 years working in a traditional Chartered Accountancy firm — a business my father founded in 1974.

That environment gave me strong foundations: high standards, doing things properly, and taking responsibility for the people who rely on you.

But it also showed me the limits of traditional accounting.

As software and cloud systems began to change the profession, I saw an opportunity to do more — to give business owners real visibility, better control, and ongoing support, not just year-end accounts.

So I built Total Accounting to deliver exactly that.

We Identified What Businesses Needed

We Delivered Total Accounting to fill the gaps and deliver
even more

We weren’t founded to be another Accountancy Firm.

We were founded to fill a gap we knew the industry ignored.

A Team that knows your business.

The people who helped build Total Accounting in 2004 are still with us today.

Terri Ann has been with the business for over 20 years, and Shelby for 18 — helping lead delivery and ensuring consistent, high-quality support.

That continuity means you work with people who know your business and get it right.

Euan Brown

Managing Director

Terri Ann Lawson

Director

Shelby Kane

Accounts Manager

And backing us?

A highly skilled finance operations team.

Built for the long term.

Over the years, I’ve worked on hundreds of finance systems, supported businesses at board level, and helped move companies to real-time financial control. At the same time, I’ve built Total Accounting into a stable, profitable firm with an experienced team and loyal client base.

I first worked in this building in 1995 for my father’s firm. Today, Total Accounting owns it — a small detail that reflects something bigger: we’re here for the long term.

Why Directors Choose Us

A Team That Knows You

Same people, every month — no handovers, no repeating yourself.

We Answer the Phone

Call, message, or email — you get a response when it matters.

Straight Talking Advice

No jargon. Just clear, practical guidance you can act on.

Detail Matters

Your numbers are checked, understood, and handled properly.

Experience That Shows

20+ years helping business owners make better decisions.

Consistent Support

Reliable support, month after month — no drop in quality.

Not Your Typical Accountant

Euan might be from the 70s — but the way we run finance isn’t.

We use modern cloud technology, automation, and real-time reporting to give you faster answers, better control, and sharper decisions.

Behind that is real experience. Euan is a member of the QuickBooks Accountants Council and has built hundreds of cloud accounting systems for growing businesses — so you’re not getting theory, you’re getting what actually works.

It’s a blend of experience and cutting-edge systems — giving you a finance function that’s built for how businesses run today.

Trusted By Ambitious Businesses

Our clients see measurable results—improved margins, streamlined systems, and complete financial clarity. See what ambitious businesses have achieved with Total Accounting by their side.

“I came in about a payroll problem. I left with a completely different view of what my business could be. Staff were working overtime I didn’t know about, my average debtor days were 56, and I had loans sitting on the balance sheet while cash earned nothing. Total Accounting fixed all of it — reduced debtor days to 36, cleared the loans, improved gross profit, and helped me convert my pension to a SIPP to buy the building. I’m now expanding into a second property. The business has never been in better shape.”

Engineering & Fabrication Business

Engineering & Industrial

“Twenty-five years in business and I was still speaking to an accountant once a year. Bad debts with tax already paid on them, fixed assets not claimed, and gross profit on some services far lower than it should have been. Total Accounting replaced my internal team, wrote off the bad debts, reclaimed the tax, rebuilt the payroll system, and gave me a mobile dashboard so I can see the business from anywhere. I went on holiday for two weeks and didn’t need to call in once. That had never happened before.”

Established Marine Services Business

Marine

“We had three advisors and none of them spoke to each other. The cloud accounts didn’t agree with the year-end, VAT had been filed late, and we had no idea which part of the business was actually making money. Total Accounting replaced all three, rebuilt the system, and delivered our year-end accounts within one month. We save £2,000 a month and for the first time our finances make complete sense. We realised very quickly the business coach had been a waste of money.”

Multi-Division Automotive Specialist

Specialist Automotive

I had four finance staff and a year-end accountant costing me £142,000 a year and I was still doing most of the analytical work myself. Total Accounting replaced the lot. They found inefficiencies in my driver costs I’d never spotted, renegotiated my fuel contract, corrected holiday pay across the whole team, and gave me a live dashboard I actually trust. Profits are up 18%. I wish I’d made the call ten years ago.”

Established Logistics & Fleet Business

Transport & Logistics

“I’d recently bought out my partners and I was lost. The internal accountant wasn’t commercial, £150,000 was sitting in a current account earning nothing, and I was seriously considering selling the business — not because it was failing, but because I didn’t understand it. Total Accounting restructured everything, got staff expenses and holiday pay right, and showed me what the business was actually worth. I’m not selling. I’m growing.”

Civil Engineering Consultancy Client

Professional Services

“We were growing fast but flying completely blind. Our bookkeeper couldn’t keep up with e-commerce, QuickBooks was unreliable, and our VAT on imports was wrong. Total Accounting rebuilt everything, connected all our sales channels automatically, and saved us £35,000 in corporation tax through pension planning alone. Our gross profit margin improved by 6% and I now save 15 hours a week. We can finally scale with confidence.”

Fast-Growth E-Commerce Retailer

E-Commerce & Retail

When my finance person left I had no idea how bad things really were. CIS was wrong, retentions hadn’t been tracked properly, and I was still pricing jobs on Excel. Total Accounting rebuilt everything from scratch. We recovered £15k in retentions I didn’t even know we were owed, profits improved by 10% in year one, and I went from barely paying merchants to putting £50,000 into a pension. I didn’t think that was possible.”

Joinery and Civil Contracting Client

Construction & Trades

Before Total Accounting, I had a bookkeeper and a year-end accountant who never spoke to each other. I had no idea what we were actually making per client. Within six months our profit had increased by 30%, I saved 10 hours a week in admin, and for the first time I genuinely understood our gross profit. The difference in how I run this business is night and day