Tolnet City Solutions

Making the right choice - an IT consultancy's experience of working with Numerion Associates

In 2006 Bulent Bagci launched Tolnet City Solutions, a London-based IT consultancy

Today, as a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner, his business enjoys a well-earned reputation for delivering high quality software and hardware solutions, with a personal touch.

Like any entrepreneur Bulent was determined to get things off to a strong start. And naturally, he was keen to select the best possible accountant for his new venture.

"There are many accountants in London," he says, "so it was important to make the right choice. You need to work with somebody with whom you can have complete confidence, because an accountant can help you make or lose money."

Meticulous
Bulent gave the task to Ibrahim Aziz, a partner at Numerion Associates. "I'd known him in the past," he explains, "and was aware of how meticulous he is. He makes sure you do everything in a certain manner, which is exactly what I need because it stops me making errors."

For Bulent, having Numerion handle his accounts from day one has proved a major plus. "Ibrahim has ensured that we are compliant from every accounting point of view. The way he has set up the system means we don't need to make any changes."

Bulent has also benefited from Ibrahim's wide-ranging business expertise, turning to him not only for tax advice, but also on occasion for guidance about the direction his company is taking.

Good advice
"Before I make certain decisions, I need to know how they will affect us from an accounting point of view or what impact they will have on cash flow. Ibrahim always gives me good advice."

Besides handling Tolnet's accounts and overseeing its bookkeeping, Numerion are responsible for managing the company's payroll. "It's worked out more efficiently than I expected," says Bulent. "It means I have to be proactive by doing a plan at the start of every month, but then Ibrahim does the rest."

Bulent admits he could do the payroll on his own, but the advantages of outsourcing it to Numerion are too attractive to ignore. "If we were to handle it in-house we would have to spend more time doing things like keeping track of tax tables," he says. "Getting Numerion to do it is much easier."

Technical knowledge
Another benefit that Ibrahim brings to Tolnet is his knowledge of technology. "My subject is IT," says Bulent, "and for some of the deals I get involved in I need an accountant who understands IT and has a high level of technical knowledge. Ibrahim meets that requirement."

A common complaint made about business suppliers is that they don't communicate well with their clients. They may offer good services, but it's not always easy to speak to them, and when you do, they can be unresponsive.

So how does Ibrahim fare on this score?

Personal service
"One of the reasons I like to work with Ibrahim is because I can talk to him," says Bulent. "I can ask him questions and he always gets back to me with the answers. If he isn't sure, he will go and find out. It would be hard to get this kind of personal service from another company."

After three years of working with Ibrahim, Bulent is clear about why he continues to use his services.

"With Ibrahim," he says, "I get more value than what I pay. But obviously don't tell him that."