Chartered certified accountants Tidy Bond began life with one man working from home and this year has expanded from its Dartford base to Manchester and London.

The firm’s client base is primarily businesses, individuals and charities. It also enjoys a specialist interest in the niche market of churches and temples working with over 200 churches nationally.

This is very different to accounting in the more usual fields, both in terms of regulation and requirements, but mainly in terms of the culture and environment. Not many accountants have to take their shoes off when they visit their clients, for example.

These churches range from the very small new ones serving a small congregation of fewer than 50 people, to national groups with an income of several million pounds per annum.

Opening two additional branches created its own headaches from linking up IT systems to staff training and integrating with the Dartford head office.

Company spokeswoman Fiona Bailey said: “We invest heavily in staff training and every week have a group training session that everyone is welcome to join, from the partners to the RSAs who have reception and administration-only functions. In this company we speak nine different languages fluently.

“We also have an open door policy for our clients and they are always welcome to drop by if they have any queries and are guaranteed to see a member of our team, even without an appointment.”

Tidy Bond works with local schools to provide work experience placements in administration, marketing, or accounting for 14- to 18-year-olds and unlike many work experience arrangements, the young people are able to do a lot more than just filing and light administration.

They are involved in real work, their own projects and are given some responsibility. They are adaptable, interested and rise to the challenge and can often surprise their peers with their abilities.

Tidy Bond is one of the entrants in the Dartford and Gravesham Business Awards. This year’s award sponsors are Dartford council, Gravesham council, Barnes Roffe, Kent Business School (University of Kent), the KM Group (Dartford Messenger and Gravesend Messenger), Lloyds Bank, Thomson Snell and Passmore, Edinburgh House and the University of Greenwich.

Entries have now closed. The winner will be announced soon.