External Services

What External Services does

External Services Limited is a Norwich-based, founder-owned professional services firm established in 2010 by Billy French. The company delivers an integrated offering across three core service pillars — accounting, legal, and governance/company secretarial — provided by a single in-house team of chartered accountants (ICAEW, ACCA, AAT, CIMA-qualified), lawyers, and chartered company secretaries. The "under one roof" model is positioned as the firm's central differentiator, minimizing client interfaces across multi-disciplinary engagements that would traditionally require separate accountancy, law firm, and corporate secretarial providers.

The firm serves clients ranging from startups to international groups, with a deliberate vertical specialization in renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, anaerobic digestion, CHP, hydrogen, storage, and SPV administration), green economy, third sector/not-for-profit, and broader business support sectors (logistics, transport, leisure, health). It is ISO 9001 registered, holds a registered trademark, and operates from a registered office in Spixworth, Norwich with main client contact in Norwich city centre.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees via retainer arrangements and project-based engagements; no public pricing or revenue figures are disclosed. The firm is bootstrapped, privately held by the founder, and has no external funding rounds, subsidiaries, or parent company. Distribution is direct: dedicated account leads and team members deliver services on a domestic UK basis, supported by a company website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter presence. The technology stack is limited to widely adopted accounting platforms — Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, and Clear Books — with no proprietary technology or AI/ML capability disclosed.

Name

External Services

Legal name

External Services Limited

Website

https://externalservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

External Services is a Norwich-based, founder-owned professional services firm delivering integrated accounting, legal, and governance/company secretarial services under one roof, with particular specialization in UK renewable energy SPV clients alongside green economy, third sector, and business support engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Services (Accounting, Legal & Governance)

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Outsourced Finance & CFO Services (BPAHABAE)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Legal advisory
• Company secretarial
• Governance services
• Renewable energy accounting

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Fees: Integrated professional services firm offering accounting, legal, and governance services. Revenue generated through retainer arrangements and project-based engagements for bookkeeping, management reporting, company secretarial, legal advisory, and compliance services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

External Services is a professional services firm providing integrated accounting, legal, and company secretarial/governance services to businesses across the UK. The firm delivers a complete accounts department function (bookkeeping, management reporting, VAT, payroll, credit control), commercial legal services (contract drafting, corporate and construction legal advice, dispute resolution), and governance/company secretarial services (company formations, board support, Companies House compliance, statutory filings). Services are delivered under one roof with specialist sector expertise in renewable energy, green economy, third sector, and general business support.

Product overview

External Services is a professional services firm offering a unified service model combining Accountants, Lawyers, Company Secretaries and Administrators under one roof. The core service offering consists of three main pillars: Accounting Services (bookkeeping, management reporting, VAT, payroll, credit control), Legal Services (contract drafting/negotiation, corporate support, commercial support, dispute resolution), and Governance Services (company formations, board support, shareholder meetings, ongoing compliance). These services are delivered across four specialized sector verticals: Renewables, Green Economy, Third Sector, and Business Support, enabling clients to minimize interfaces and receive integrated multi-disciplinary support from a single provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounting Services Complete accounts department function including bookkeeping, management reporting, accounts payable/receivable, budgeting and forecasting, VAT, credit control, payroll, and construction industry scheme requirements. Delivered to businesses of all sizes from startups to international groups.
• Legal Services Commercial legal services including corporate, construction, and general legal advice, contract drafting, negotiation and reviews, and dispute resolution, delivered as a virtual in-house lawyer service for businesses.
• Governance Services Broad range of governance and company secretarial services including company formations, board support, shareholder meetings, ongoing Companies House compliance, statutory registers, and filings, including holding office as company secretary on behalf of clients.
• Renewables Sector Services Integrated accounting, legal, and governance support services for clients in the renewable energy sector covering solar, wind, hydro, anaerobic digestion, CHP, and storage projects and SPV companies. Includes corporate support, fiscal administration, Ofgem administration, loan administration, and data room services.
• Green Economy Services Integrated services for green economy clients including bookkeeping, accounting, management reporting, cash flow forecasting, payroll, loan administration, company secretarial, and contract management.
• Third Sector Services Services for charities and not-for-profit organisations including finance management, bookkeeping, accounting, management reporting, and governance support so they can focus on their mission and stakeholder decisions.
• Business Support Services Cross-sector support services for businesses across logistics, transport, leisure, and health sectors, including bookkeeping, accounting, management reporting, payroll, company secretarial, and contract management.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mazars UK: International audit, tax and advisory firm with strong UK mid-market and renewables practice. Overlaps with External Services on integrated service delivery and renewables client focus.
• Crowe UK: Top-10 UK accounting, audit, tax and advisory network serving mid-market and listed clients. Broader incumbent that also advises renewables and owner-managed businesses but at significantly larger scale and international footprint.
• BDO UK: Top-tier UK accountancy and advisory firm with established renewables and natural resources practice. Comparable on renewables expertise and multi-disciplinary service but serves much larger and listed clients.
• MHA MacIntyre Hudson: UK top-20 accountancy and advisory network with strong renewables and third-sector specialisms. Overlaps directly with External Services on renewables advisory and not-for-profit client work.
• RSM UK: Mid-tier UK audit, tax and advisory firm serving owner-managed businesses and corporates. Comparable mid-market positioning and multi-disciplinary offering but with national footprint and broader sector mix.

Direct peers

• Azets: Large UK accountancy and business services group providing accounting, payroll, tax, legal and advisory services to SMEs. Comparable operating model and sector breadth to External Services, though at much larger scale.
• Evelyn Partners: UK integrated professional services firm combining accountancy, tax, advisory and wealth management under one roof. Comparable to External Services' 'three pillars under one roof' positioning for mid-market and owner-managed businesses.
• Bishop Fleming: UK regional accountancy, tax, audit and advisory firm serving SMEs, owner-managed businesses and not-for-profits across multiple regions. Directly comparable in target segment (SMEs and third sector) and multi-disciplinary offering.
• Streats (Streets) Chartered Accountants: UK specialist accountancy firm focused on renewable energy and cleantech clients, offering audit, tax and advisory services. Closest direct peer to External Services given overlapping renewables SPV client base and integrated finance/governance style of engagement.

Others

• Equiniti (governance services): Provider of company secretarial, share registration and governance services to UK and international corporates. Comparable to External Services' Governance Services pillar but at enterprise scale and as an outsourced specialist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/externaltweets
• Facebookfacebook.com/externalservicesgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/external-services/mycompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

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 External Services