Built on plain English and good advice.
My Accountants NW Ltd is an independent Clitheroe practice founded by Francis Middleton. We work with owner-managed businesses, sole traders and landlords across Lancashire — and we use the software that suits you, not the other way around.
The story
A practice built around the Ribble Valley.
Francis spent years inside larger firms watching the same thing happen again and again — owner-managed businesses paying for a name on the door, getting an annual set of accounts, and never hearing from their accountant in between. He started My Accountants NW Ltd to do the opposite.
The idea is simple: be the accountant you can actually get hold of. Quote a fixed monthly fee so there are no surprise invoices. Translate HMRC into English. Use modern cloud software — but pick the one that works for your business, not the one the firm gets the best kickback on.
Today the practice looks after small businesses, sole traders and landlords from Clitheroe across Burnley, Blackburn, Preston, Accrington and the wider Ribble Valley. Same founder, same phone number, same person picking up.
How we work
Four things we promise every client.
One point of contact
Francis or your named account lead — direct mobile, email, WhatsApp. Same-working-day replies.
Software-agnostic
Xero, FreeAgent, QuickBooks or Sage — we work with what suits your business, not what suits us.
Fixed monthly fees
Agreed up front, paid by Direct Debit. No 15-minute billing, no surprise invoices in January.
1 working-day reply
Email by 5pm, reply by close of the next working day. Usually a lot sooner.
Software
Use what your bank gives you for free — or what you already love.
We're certified Xero partners and Xero is what we recommend most often — but it's not the only good answer. Plenty of high-street banks now bundle FreeAgent for free, and we've got clients running beautifully on QuickBooks and Sage. We'll meet you where you are.
- Xero
Our default for most owner-managed limited companies. Brilliant app ecosystem, partner pricing available.
- FreeAgent
Free with NatWest, RBS, Mettle and Ulster Bank business accounts. Excellent for sole traders and contractors.
- QuickBooks
Strong if you already use it — happy to take over and tidy it up rather than force a switch.
- Sage
Whether you're on Sage 50, Sage Business Cloud or older desktop versions, we'll work with what you've got.
Credentials
Regulated, registered, and properly trained.
ACC qualified. ICO registered (data protection). AML supervised. Certified Xero partner. MTD-ready for Income Tax, VAT and Corporation Tax.
Our network
Specialists, when you need them.
We're chartered-style accountants — not regulated tax advisors or independent financial advisors. For specialist work we make warm introductions to regulated firms we trust, and we stay in the room so your advice joins up.
See our partner network- Tax advisory (CTA-qualified)
- Financial planning & wealth (FCA-regulated IFAs)
- Wills, trusts, probate & estate planning
- Commercial & property legal services
Where we work
Lancashire, head to toe.
From our office in Clitheroe we look after businesses right across East Lancashire and the Ribble Valley.
Want to work with us?
Tell us a little about your business and Francis will personally come back to you within one working day.