Business class philosophy

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Business partnerships, development viewed through the benefits for clients, Roosevelt's important words and the accounting and tax sector: an article, a short case study and an interview with Alicja Korbecka, winner of the Businesswoman of the Year and Tax Advisory Leader 2016 awards.

A business revolution happens when you change your perspective and discover that there is a previously unfamiliar way of looking at something. Business imagination, grounded in procedures and diligence, makes it possible to create trends and standards and turn needs into optimal solutions. These are the elements that modernise the world around us, determine a competitive advantage and enable an unconventional approach to everyday problems.

This is precisely the strategy chosen by Alicja Korbecka, a tax adviser, founder of ACCO ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING OFFICE and recipient of prestigious awards, including Businesswoman of the Year 2016 and Tax Advisory Leader. What makes this remarkable? Perhaps everything: Alicja has achieved more than she planned, demonstrated that innovation is 100% a woman and shown that charitable work means far more than CSR.

A LONG HISTORY IN BRIEF

The closing years of the twentieth century demonstrated that success is a dynamic process requiring the support of responsible, reliable specialists who provide considerably more than others. This conviction became the business foundation for Alicja Korbecka, who in 1995 decided to give real meaning to the phrase “comprehensive services tailored to individual needs”.

That was when ACCO ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING OFFICE was established, combining an accounting firm's services with full legal support, financial analysis and consulting to provide its clients with a package of tangible benefits. In the years that followed, Alicja brought a woman's touch to leading her company. It soon became synonymous with partnership, professionalism and a service built around providing comprehensive answers to important questions that had not yet been asked.

MISSION AND VISION: A VISION WITH A MISSION

Success begins in the imagination, but only some entrepreneurs can turn a vision into concrete action, and even fewer into international success. The word is used in many different ways because everyone defines it somewhat differently.

Alicja's perspective is a little like a literary ellipsis, leaving apparently central issues outside the frame of what matters most. Following your intuition, remaining true to yourself, taking responsibility, showing commitment, finding satisfaction in your work and being guided by your values regardless of the circumstances: these are the foundations on which a business should be built. Where, then, is the place for the specialist knowledge and high levels of expertise usually associated with a company's development? According to Alicja, without values, these business attributes allow only growth, and…

GROWTH IS (NOT) EVERYTHING

Growth without clients' success is possible, but it is a path that very often leads to a turning point. That point may be a slowdown, a standstill or even the company's collapse. This is why Alicja's company follows a path of development based on setting itself higher standards than its clients require. Is that easy? Certainly not. An uncompromising approach to high standards and offering optimal service as standard may at first seem rather risky, as it requires more resources, time and effort. Yet for ACCO ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING OFFICE, this strategy proved to be the key to success understood as trust, dynamic growth arising from benefits for clients and, of course, a position as one of the market leaders.

A PHILOSOPHY OF PARTNERSHIP

Companies can be divided into those that declare themselves partners and those that put partnership into practice. Whatever the industry, complete commitment is a quality clients greatly appreciate; most importantly, they are quick to see through empty promises. Accounting in its broadest sense, together with tax law, is a distinctive field because it has a major bearing on the existence of every business. For this reason, trust, responsibility and partnership are paramount values in this industry to a degree rarely found elsewhere.

A philosophy of partnership is, of course, linked to comprehensive service of the highest standard.

During our conversation, Alicja defined this fairly general concept as a full service combined with education and prevention: anticipating potential problems and preventing them from arising. The conclusion is simple: take over all the client's responsibilities and give them complete confidence that the accounting and tax side of their business runs like a Swiss watch. The conclusion may be simple, but the path to that goal is considerably harder.

A CASE STUDY IN PROMISES KEPT

In the accounting and tax sector, problems often carry the greatest weight, which makes ongoing support so important. It keeps businesses healthy and stable and gives them confidence that their activities comply with the applicable regulations. The law changes rapidly, and even the courts have difficulty interpreting it. In these circumstances, a partnership with a trustworthy accounting and advisory firm is invaluable, whether for a small business or a large corporation.

SUCCESS, POLISH STYLE

There are Polish businesses in Poland whose service standards successfully compete with those of international giants in particular areas. The portfolio and reputation of companies such as ACCO ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING OFFICE reflect the enormous potential of Polish business. They can also serve as a reference point for brands aspiring to become local, national or even international leaders in their industries.

KEEPING BUSINESSES HEALTHY

Many companies pride themselves on providing professional, comprehensive services. Only some, however, can fulfil that promise. It may not be a particularly original conclusion, but this very difference determines their market position. Above all, every action is directed towards a single goal: effective solutions to problems, peace of mind, confidence and measurable gains for clients. At every level, the offering also includes accessible education, so that clients can feel confident about the accounting and tax processes within their businesses.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN PRACTICE?

The service ACCO ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING OFFICE provides to its international clients is a good example. According to Alicja, a “hand-holding” model works very well: acting under a power of attorney and taking over absolutely all the responsibilities involved in full accounting, legal and tax support. In this case, a comprehensive service means complete commitment to clients' affairs and problems, representation before all authorities and institutions, and support in a convenient foreign language: English, French, German or Russian.

TURNING TOWARDS THE LAW

The point, of course, is to deliver the highest quality of service, because the accounting and tax sector has no room for even a small margin of error. Here too, Alicja's company backs up its statements about service standards with a specific document: its ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System certificate, which covers every process within the company. Viewed as a case study, the philosophy of ACCO ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING OFFICE makes it easy to see that credibility comes above all from recommendations and proven procedures that help form the company's know-how. Promotional messages and the service offering then acquire the strength of persuasive arguments.

A CONVERSATION THAT INSPIRES TO THE LAST FULL STOP

Alicja, some conversations allow us to look at business in a new way and change a perspective that had seemed… unchangeable.

Perhaps you will be the one to change my perspective (laughs). Let's try.

What matters more in life: family or professional success?

I am a happy grandmother of seven grandchildren, with another due very soon, and I have to admit that no professional success can compare with family happiness. Perhaps twenty years ago I would have said that fulfilment comes from combining a successful personal and professional life, but today I talk about my beloved grandchildren first. That is probably quite telling.

Does that mean the company takes second place?

Quite the opposite. Family happiness is what gives me the business energy to put ambitious professional plans into practice step by step. Together with my family, I am currently turning ACCO into a holding structure and separating out specialisms within it to make the best possible use of our specialists' very high levels of expertise. The new structure will allow us to guarantee an even higher standard of service and make our offering as flexible as possible, from advanced legal and tax advice to outsourced professional services covering accounting, controlling, HR and payroll.

Does this growth involve changing the company from a family business into a conventional corporation?

We are trying to take an unconventional approach here too, because we intend to create a family corporation. This will allow us to continue managing the business efficiently, while our clients benefit from the commitment of the entire company, including — and perhaps above all — the whole management board. We know this is very important to our clients, which makes us happy, because this business model suits my entire family very well.

Is running the company still work for you, or is it a lifestyle?

My company has been, is and will remain far more than work to me. It has allowed me to find professional fulfilment and successfully combine business activity with my personal life. If I had to choose my career path again, I would probably choose exactly the same one. It matters to me that, after many years of work, I can answer your question in this way.

Have the prestigious “Woman of the Year in Business” award and the title of Tax Advisory Leader changed anything in your life?

These honours made me very happy because they are tangible evidence that my work is effective and inspires others. But they are certainly not the culmination of my career, because my family and I plan to achieve a great deal more.

Why is Roosevelt an important figure in your company?

“The most important ingredient in the recipe for success is the ability to cooperate.”

These words of Roosevelt set the direction for our approach to management. I understand them as the ability to adapt perfectly to clients' preferences. Putting them into practice requires business responsibility, respect, many years of experience and carefully nurtured business relationships. We must also remember to equate the company's development with benefits and peace of mind for clients at every stage of working together.

In your view, do tax advisers offer the highest standard of tax law advice compared with legal counsel and attorneys?

That is quite a tricky question, but I will answer it honestly. In my view, the accounting and tax sector and the quality of legal services are just as varied as the standards found in other areas of business. Nevertheless, I believe that in every field it is worth choosing experts who specialise in a particular subject. For this reason, tax advisers have a certain advantage over legal counsel and attorneys. It is also worth mentioning that Polish tax advisers are a true European elite.

Which values do you believe determine business success?

Complete commitment, viewing your company's growth through the benefits for clients, the ability to cooperate mentioned earlier, a truly comprehensive offering and employees with very high levels of expertise. These are the elements that have brought my company success, although I cannot state authoritatively that this is a business roadmap that guarantees it. I do, however, believe that it is.

It is no secret that you have supported people with disabilities and children's villages through charitable work for twenty-five years. How, then, do you view CSR?

Twenty-five years ago, the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility had not yet entered public awareness, although many companies supported various charitable projects. For this reason, I regard this activity more as a need of the heart and a desire to share success than as an element of business policy. Nevertheless, when companies view CSR in that way, people who need support also benefit.

Thank you very much for the conversation.

Thank you too.

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