About Practical Accounts

At Practical Accounts, my goal is simple: to take the stress out of your finances. I'm Sylvie Botquelen and I founded Practical Accounts to provide straightforward bookkeeping and accounting for tradespeople and small businesses.

After more than 20 years in finance — including senior accountant and Financial Controller roles where I built accounting departments, trained staff and supported business owners through periods of growth and change — I’ve gained a deep understanding of how small businesses really work. And because I ran my own business for several years, I understand the realities of running a business in the real world: cash flow pressures, rising costs, tight margins and long hours are challenges many owners face every day. Then, in a complete change of pace, I spent a few years driving HGVs, which gives me a practical, down‑to‑earth perspective that many clients appreciate

My aim is simple: to provide clear, practical support without jargon or unnecessary complexity.

Whether you need help keeping your records up to date, managing VAT, maintaining your accounts or simply understanding your numbers, I offer a friendly and reliable service tailored to the needs of small businesses.

At Practical Accounts, you'll deal directly with me. No call centres, no passing you between departments, and no complicated financial language, just practical help for your business.

Also on the team are my two dogs Raffi and Ripley, who take their job of keeping me company very seriously.