Rob Brown of the Accountants Influencers Podcast interviews Simon Smallwood of WorldFirst on how accountants can help their clients with international growth - Accounting Influencers Podcast

Episode 45

full
Published on:

5th Nov 2021

Global Business Opportunities for Accountants with Simon Smallwood (Highlights)

Episode 45. On today's episode, Rob Brown of the Accountants Influencers Podcast interviews Simon Smallwood of WorldFirst on how accountants help their clients with international growth.

Simon Smallwood is Head of Partnerships for WorldFirst UK, working with accountants to assist their clients on international business. Previously he worked for a VC backed fintech start up in the AI and Open banking space so knows the regulated financial services market. Simon is also an entrepreneur, co-founding with his wife a financial services business delivering the dream for UK buyers of second homes in France, Spain and other European markets. That business has been a client on WorldFirst since 2008 and had referred in 1,000+ private clients.

Key takeaways from the whole interview include:

➜ A brief overview of the global business that is WorldFirst and how it helps businesses save money

➜ What is involved in making it easier for businesses to trade internationally

➜ How international trade has grown massively over the last couple of years

➜ The biggest challenges facing companies who do business internationally

➜ The importance of the accountant as trusted advisor to business clients who want to grow

➜ The thinking behind partnering directly with accountants to add value to their business clients

➜ How WorldFirst helps accountants to provide additional advice and support to business clients

➜ Questions an accountant might ask clients to uncover or expand international trade opportunities

➜ How technology has changed and helped the way businesses trade internationally

➜ Signs that a business might benefit from exploring opportunities to expand beyond domestic markets

➜ The common mistakes companies make when considering international markets for their products and services

➜ What a conversation with potential new accounting partnerships looks like for WorldFirst

➜ Advice for accountants who want to push a stronger international business agenda in their firm

➜ What's most exciting about global trading and international business in the next few years.

When not working, Simon's entrepreneurial exploits include gardening, breeding ducklings and working the pub/restaurant trade. He loves playing sport, being outdoors reading books about high performance in sport and the cross over in terms of high performance in business.

WorldFirst website: https://www.worldfirst.com

Simon Smallwood on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-smallwood

NOTE TO LISTENERS:

This is a condensed highlights version of the full interview (usually 20-30 mins long), which you can catch as a bonus episode at the weekend.

Martin and Rob love to hear from the show's 6000+ listeners in 140 countries around the world. If you like the show, leave a review wherever you listen, and please recommend the show to your friends and colleagues.

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Accounting Influencers Podcast

About the Podcast

Accounting Influencers Podcast
Host Rob Brown shows accounting professionals and leaders how to be more influential, grow their personal brand and be more authoritative, relevant and high profile in their roles..
The Accounting Influencers Podcast, hosted by Rob Brown, is a must-listen for accounting professionals looking to strengthen their leadership presence, stay informed on disruptive forces in accounting and build credibility within their firms. Geared toward firm leaders, managers, partners and influencers, the show covers key topics like career development, influence, personal branding and interpreting the evolving trends impacting the accounting world. Rob brings his expertise to each episode, offering insights and guidance on how to grow your personal brand and stay strategically important in a rapidly changing profession. Whether you're aiming to influence within your firm or expand your reputation outside of it, this international podcast offers practical advice and forward-thinking insights that will keep you informed and prepared for the future.
Accounting leadership
Executive presence for accountants
Building influence in accounting
Accounting industry trends
Personal branding for accountants
Accounting firm strategy
Accounting business models
Leadership in accounting firms
Talent management in accounting
Authority in accounting profession
Career development for accountants
Accounting firm growth strategies
Influencers in accounting
Accounting firm management
Disruptive forces in accounting
Accounting leadership strategies
Accounting career success
Accounting firm decision-makers
Accounting business trends
Building credibility in accounting

About your host

Profile picture for Rob Brown

Rob Brown

Rob Brown hosts the multiple accounting podcast and chair conferences, panels and events globally for the accounting and fintech profession. He is co-founder of Accounting Influencers Roundtable (AIR) which helps vendors, experts and influencers serve the accounting and finance world. He is a dynamic speaker and accomplished expert on trust, reputation, employer brand, talent, career development, succession, gen z/generations, employee advocacy and executive presence. Rob is author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TEDx talk ‘The Personal Brand of You’ has been viewed 400,000 times on YouTube. He is a stroke survivor, has epilepsy, is a committed Christian and has a black belt in kickboxing. He is based in Nottingham UK, home of Robin Hood, plays chess and backgammon, loves orange chocolate and is allergic to grapefruit.