Ipswich accountant Kelly-Anne Byres is a finalist in a national awards scheme

A Suffolk accountant who has used the power of recommendation to grow her business has been shortlisted for a national award scheme.

Kelly-Anne Byres, director of KBL Accounts, is a finalist in the Accountancy Leader of the Year category of the Women in Finance awards, Europe’s largest diversity initiative in the banking and finance sector.

The 29-year-old is already a multi-award winner, scooping titles in the Young Businessperson of the Year category at the EADT Business awards, Young Entrepreneur at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in association with NatWest, Entrepreneur of the Year in the Women of the Future Awards run by Aviva and being named one of Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35.

Her latest nomination follows a 70% growth in her business in 2017 through recommendation alone.

She said: “This is one of the most prestigious award schemes in my sector.

“I am immensely proud of all I have achieved and the ongoing support of my clients which has helped the company grow rapidly and organically.

“These days huge importance is placed on product recommendations and I have applied this same principal to financial services, realising the true value of endorsement.”

Kelly started her Ipswich-based business five years ago after being made redundant while pregnant and carved out a niche for herself by offering scalable services.

The company provides a range of services including accountancy, bookkeeping, payroll and taxation for sole traders, partnerships, limited companies and their owners.

Kelly is also a director of award-winning Poppy Nursing Services, a nursing agency launched in 2014 which became the fastest growing start up in East Anglia.

The finals of the Women in Finance awards, organised by growthbusiness.co.uk will be held on June 27 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London.