Vertax Accountants
Background
Vertax Accountants are based in the North East, and for years they'd built a solid reputation doing what accountants do best — keeping clients compliant. But they had bigger plans. They wanted to pivot into advisory services, the kind of work that turns an accountant into a trusted partner rather than the person who just files the paperwork.
They knew marketing had a role to play. They'd dabbled in it on and off, when time allowed. But ad hoc activity wasn't going to get them where they needed to go. They needed a proper strategy — one that would do real work for the business, generate the right kind of conversations, and bring in the advisory clients they were ready to serve.
So they came to KLW. They didn't want us to run their marketing for them. They wanted a strategy they could take away, own, and put into action themselves.
What we did
The work was delivered over two phases, with a mix of facilitated online workshops and online review meetings as the strategy started to take shape.
Phase one was about focus. Vertax had three target sectors in mind, but they only had the capacity to focus on two. They needed clarity on where to place their focus. We worked through a market opportunity review, looked at growth signals and buying patterns in each, sized up the competition, and came back with a recommendation — two priority sectors with positioning statements that would actually resonate.
Phase two turned that focus into a plan. Ideal customer journeys for each sector. Touchpoint mapping. Lead magnets built around real pain points, not generic "download our guide" filler. Content themes that would build their authority as advisors. CRM and pipeline recommendations. A conversion plan to turn interest into actual clients.
One thing we kept front of mind throughout: Vertax are accountants, not marketers. They get the value of marketing — that wasn't the issue. The issue was confidence. So we made a point of leaving the marketing jargon at the door, grounding every recommendation in their world, and using examples drawn from the clients they were actually trying to win.
Impact
The impact is still unfolding. Vertax walked away with a clear, sequenced strategy — short-term wins to get momentum going, medium-term work to build the foundations, and longer-term plays to turn marketing into a proper commercial growth driver rather than a nice-to-have.
What they have now isn't a document gathering dust on a shared drive. It's a working strategy they're implementing themselves, with a clear line of sight from activity to outcome.
And the door's stayed open. The Vertax team know they can come back for informal coaching, a sense check, or a second opinion when something new lands on their plate.
That ongoing relationship is part of how KLW works — strategy isn't a one-and-done transaction, we're here for when you start delivering.