By William Archer
William Archer is the Marketing & Communications Manager for the Institute of Financial Accountants and the Federation of Tax Advisors.
As we approach the end of 2011, many of us are starting to look hopefully towards 2012 as a year of growth and renewed optimism within the UK economy. According to the Institute of Financial Accountants, ‘the big voice for small businesses’, skills, development and talent are moving up the agenda for small businesses as quickly as they are for large businesses. And as large businesses step up hiring activity, SMEs are set for a battle to attract and hold onto the best financial professionals and are becoming increasingly pre occupied with recruitment and retention.
- 83.5% of of SMEs and SMPs say they have sufficient skills to operate effectively
- 76.4% say they have sufficient skills to grow and be competitive
- 68.5% of SMEs and SMPs say their financial systems have the potential to grow and be competitive.
- More than a third (35%) of SMEs expect business conditions to improve over the coming year
So, with the increasing demand for finance professionals in SMEs and SMPs and their potential to provide opportunities for training and development, accountants needn’t confine their job search to large organisations. While SMEs and SMPs may have struggled, the good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel .
About the IFA
The IFA is an internationally recognised professional accountancy membership body, whose members work for or advise SMEs. Its core values embrace excellence, enterprise and ethics. The IFA supports over 8,000 members and students in more than 80 countries with a programme of professional qualifications and education, as well as resources, events training and seminars. The organisation is an associate member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the global accounting standard-setter and regulator. Visit www.ifa.org.uk for more information.
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