Bicknell Business Advisers

What Bicknell Business Advisers does

Bicknell Business Advisers Limited is a privately held, Bournemouth-based Chartered Management Accountant Practice that has delivered accounting, tax, payroll and VAT services to approximately 500 UK clients since 2006. The firm is narrowly specialised in the property-investor and construction sub-sectors — buy-to-let landlords, serviced accommodation and holiday-let operators, property developers, main contractors and CIS subcontractors — and extends into related niches such as family investment companies, property groups, trusts, probate, and charity/CIC independent examination. It holds FCA authorisation (FRN798547), CIMA practice credentials, and an exclusive approved-accountant seat in the Progressive Property Network (one of only seven nationally).

Operationally the firm is a single-site practice of seven staff led by founder Steve Bicknell, who also serves as Data Protection Officer and Compliance Manager. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery relies on certified-partner integrations with the dominant UK cloud accounting stack — Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Dext — combined with a multi-rail payment collection layer (GoCardless, SumUp, PayPal, Square, IWOCA) and a content-marketing engine comprising more than 1,000 blog posts and a monthly property newsletter.

Revenue is generated on a professional-services fee basis across five streams: accounting services, tax services, payroll, VAT, and specialist advisory (business valuation, probate, family investment companies, charity examination, trust tax). GTM is sales-led via a free first-meeting funnel with referral reinforcement from PPN and a long-tail of SEO-driven inbound leads. Revenue, headcount growth rate and pricing are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Bicknell Business Advisers

Legal name

Bicknell Business Advisers Limited

Website

https://bicknells.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bicknell Business Advisers Limited is a Bournemouth-based Chartered Management Accountant Practice, founded in 2006, providing accounting, tax, payroll and VAT services to roughly 500 UK clients, specialising in property investors, landlords and construction businesses, with FCA authorisation and exclusive Progressive Property Network approved-accountant status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting and Tax Advisory Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Estate, Gift & Trust Valuation (BPAHANAL), Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Tax advisory
• Property accounting
• Construction accounting
• Payroll services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bournemouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Accounting Services: Professional accounting services including bookkeeping, management accounts, periodic accounts reviews, preparation and filing of annual accounts, company secretarial services
2. Tax Services: Preparation and filing of annual tax returns, personal and business tax planning, business start-up advice, business disposals, business retirement strategies
3. Payroll Services: Payroll processing, company pension processing
4. VAT Services: VAT filing and compliance services for property and construction businesses
5. Specialist Services: Business valuation, probate services, family investment companies, independent charity examination, trust tax returns

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bicknell Business Advisers Limited is a Chartered Management Accountant Practice providing accounting, tax, payroll, VAT, self-assessment, year-end, and Making Tax Digital services. The firm specializes in property investors, landlords, construction sector businesses, and charities, and also offers special services such as business valuation, probate, family investment companies, group structuring, independent charity examination, and trust tax returns.

Product overview

Bicknell Business Advisers is a Chartered Management Accountant Practice offering a comprehensive suite of accounting, tax, and advisory services primarily focused on the property and construction sectors. The core offering includes Tax, Payroll, VAT, Accounting, Self Assessment, Year End, and Making Tax Digital services. The firm also provides specialized services including Business Valuation, Probate, Family Investment Companies, Groups, Charity Examination, and Trust Tax Returns. The firm serves approximately 500 clients including landlords, property investors, and construction businesses. They are certified partners for Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, and Dext accounting software platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Services Comprehensive tax planning and compliance services including tax return preparation, tax planning strategies, and advisory for property investors, landlords, construction firms, and other businesses.
• Payroll Services Payroll processing, PAYE management, Real Time Information (RTI) submissions, and company pension processing for employer clients.
• VAT Services VAT registration, filing, compliance, and advisory services for businesses operating in the UK, including property and construction sector specialisms.
• Accounting Services Bookkeeping, management accounts, periodic accounts reviews, preparation and filing of annual accounts, and company secretarial services for businesses.
• Self Assessment Self-assessment tax return preparation and filing for individuals, landlords, and sole traders.
• Year End Services Year-end accounts preparation and tax finalization services for businesses and individuals.
• Making Tax Digital MTD-compliant digital record-keeping and quarterly reporting services to meet HMRC's Making Tax Digital requirements.
• Business Valuation Business valuation services for companies looking to sell, merge, or for shareholder and tax planning purposes.
• Probate Services Probate assistance and estate administration services including tax returns for deceased persons.
• Family Investment Companies Structuring and administration services for family investment companies as part of wealth and tax planning strategies.
• Groups Services Group company structuring, consolidation accounting, and intercompany transaction advisory services.
• Independent Charity Examination Independent examination of charity accounts and preparation of charity accounts for regulatory compliance, including CIC accounts and charity advice.
• Trust Tax Returns Trust tax return preparation and compliance services for various types of trusts, alongside IHT and probate tax and business planning advice.

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Progressive Property Network (PPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership - one of only 7 nationally approved Progressive Property Network Accountants and Tax Advisers. PPN is the UK's leading organisation for property investors, providing referral pipeline and credibility.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner for cloud accounting software
• SagecoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner for accounting software
• QuickBookscoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner for accounting software
• FreeagentcoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner for accounting software
• DextcoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner for receipt management and expense software
• FeefominorGTM or Marketing PartnerReview platform partner - collects customer reviews on behalf of the firm
• GoCardlesscoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect Debit payment processing for client fee collection

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• DNS Accountants: Cloud-first UK accountancy targeting small businesses and property investors with technology-led compliance and tax services. Comparable SMB and landlord customer base with a digitally enabled delivery model that competes on price.

Broad incumbents

• Mazars UK: Top-10 international accountancy with UK presence serving owner-managed businesses, property groups, and construction clients. Comparable on full-suite service offering but operates as a broad incumbent across multiple verticals.
• Crowe UK: Mid-tier UK chartered accountancy with significant real-estate and construction practices. Comparable service lines (tax, audit, advisory) but operating as a broad incumbent rather than a property-specialist.
• MHA: Top-20 UK accountancy network with regional member firms serving owner-managed businesses including property investors and construction. Overlaps with Bicknell's client profile but at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Azets: Large UK and Nordic accountancy group serving SMEs and mid-market clients including property and construction businesses. Comparable core compliance and advisory offering at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Bishop Fleming: South-West and South Wales chartered accountancy with a property and construction sector focus. Comparable regional positioning to Bicknell in Dorset with a broader advisory practice and larger headcount.
• PKF Francis Clark: Large regional UK chartered accountancy with strong South-West England presence, including Dorset. Serves property investors, construction firms, and SMEs with full-service compliance and advisory offerings, overlapping Bicknell's geography and segments at greater scale.

Direct peers

• Quantem (formerly Baird & Co): UK property-sector specialist accountancy serving landlords, property investors, and developers with tax, accounting, and structuring services. Comparable niche focus on property tax planning and complex structuring work.
• Brightstar (formerly SJD Accountancy): One of the largest UK accountancies specialising in property investors, landlords, and construction-sector clients. Directly comparable to Bicknell in customer segment, service mix, and vertical specialisation, but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Hentons: UK chartered accountancy practice with a strong property and construction client base across Yorkshire and surrounding regions. Comparable in property-sector specialisation and mix of compliance plus advisory services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bicknelladviser
• Facebookfacebook.com/stevejbicknell
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/stevebicknell1

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bicknell Business Advisers