“Our focus is to help our clients succeed by giving the best advice at the right time. We provide information on company compliance from early stage start up, right through each stage of business growth,” explains CEO, Chartered Accountant Larissa Feeney. With headquarters at Colab and an office in Dublin, Accountant Online has a team of dedicated accounting and company secretarial professionals, who use cloud technology, to help clients to access professional services such as, company set up, tax compliance, easily and securely.
Initially, Larissa never intended to set up a business or employ staff, “It just grew”. But when her first client from Cork called her, she knew she was on to something. In the last 4 years, Accountant Online has grown substantially, with clients all over the island of Ireland, employing over 32 highly qualified people. She believes being located on the LYIT campus is an advantage. “It means we have access to latest knowledge and have employed highly qualified graduates right up to Masters.”
Larissa is leading the way as a role model for female entrepreneurs in Ireland. “It’s a great time to be a woman in business. Technology has enabled new ways of working which allow for greater flexibility. In fact our business is a good example, most of our staff are women and work remotely from all over the country.” A mother of 3 young children Larissa understands the demands of running a business and family. Her take on it is, “100% family some days and some days 100% business. It’s important to make time for yourself as well. At Colab there are plenty of nooks to grab five minutes to recharge, plus there’s the gym at An Dánlann and sports pitches nearby.”
Talking about how Colab has been of benefit to Accountant Online, Larissa claims, “It’s been an excellent base for us. Colab offers immense support for entrepreneurs through knowledge, encouragement and superb facilities.” She adds, “Patsy and the team have facilitated our growth each time. The building, infrastructure, broadband and IT are fantastic and what you would expect in a major city. And there’s very good collaboration at Colab, a real community.”
“Often in business you can’t see the wood for the trees.” Going for Growth is a programme from Enterprise Ireland (also based at Colab) that was hugely beneficial to Larissa. “I realised that other people in different industries had similar issues.” She strongly advises new entrepreneurs, to seek support, to find a mentor they respect and listen to them. “I wish I’d done this earlier to avoid some mistakes.” She laughs, “But first talk to us about being tax compliant.”
So what’s next for Accountant Online? “We’re looking at the Nordic countries to expand our services. We’re in the right place to link with these markets at Colab. It’ll be an exciting year ahead.”
For more information, visit: accountantonline.ie
