When Kevin Heaton founded Heaton Vences, his ambition was to create a modern accounting practice that could grow sustainably without compromising service quality.

"I wanted to build something structured for growth - a practice that could scale while maintaining the same high standards," he says.

At first, Kevin followed a traditional path, hiring and training apprentices in the UK. But the realities of recruitment soon hit home.

"We struggled to find good candidates locally, and salary expectations were unrealistic," he recalls. "That's when I started looking at outsourcing as a different way to build a team."

Understanding outsourcing vs offshoring

As he explored his options, Kevin discovered that two terms often used interchangeably - outsourcing and offshoring - have important differences.

Outsourcing, he explains, means hiring an agency to supply staff who work on your projects. You pay the agency, not the individual, and they handle HR, payroll, and employment obligations.

Offshoring, by contrast, can include outsourcing to an overseas provider, but it can also mean directly employing someone abroad and taking on full employer responsibilities.

"With outsourcing, you contract an agency to provide someone who fits your needs," says Kevin. "You stay in control of how the work is done, but the agency manages everything else."

Finding the right partner

Kevin's next challenge was choosing the right partner. After a detailed four-month selection process, which included only ACCA Approved Employers, Heaton Vences selected BeFree, an outsourcing provider specialising in accounting talent.

"We shortlisted four firms and tested them with a set of accounts containing deliberate errors," he explains. "Only BeFree came back with thoughtful questions. They spotted issues, asked how we wanted to deal with them, and communicated throughout. That told us they understood what good communication looks like."

That partnership is now central to the firm's operations. Heaton Vences has six UK staff & eight outsourced team members, all working directly with UK clients. When one person is unavailable, BeFree's team ensures continuity, so deadlines are never at risk.

"It's one of the biggest advantages," says Kevin. "We never have to worry about cover or admin - BeFree handles it all."

An integrated approach

Outsourcing, Kevin emphasises, doesn't mean losing control or culture.

"We treat our outsourced people as members of staff," he says. "They work the Heaton Vences way, use our software and working papers, and are fully integrated into our systems. They even access our Microsoft 365 files just like the UK team."

BeFree recruits and trains each new team member before introducing them to Heaton Vences, which makes onboarding seamless. But cultural fit is still essential.

"Every firm has its own way of working," Kevin says. "BeFree took the time to understand ours. Our latest hire trained with them for three months, and we met her virtually to check she'd fit our culture - she did."

This approach allows Heaton Vences to enjoy the benefits of expansion without taking on the complexities of international HR. 

"It's like having an employee, but with someone else managing the legal side - things we're not big enough to handle internally."

Communication and empowerment

If there's one theme that runs through HV's model, it's communication. The firm uses Slack as its central hub so everyone - UK and India alike - sees client messages in real time.

"Our outsourced payroll specialist can answer a client query immediately without waiting for approval," Kevin explains. "Empowering people like that means we don't have to micromanage."

That empowerment is backed by trust. All outsourced staff are ACCA-qualified or in training, ensuring technical competence and adherence to professional ethics.

"They're ambitious, bright people," he says. "They come out of university with strong business degrees and want to become ACCA members. They expect to be challenged - and that's exactly what we give them."

Lessons Learned

Kevin is clear that outsourcing isn't a shortcut — it's simply another way to build a team.

"All the adverts make it sound like outsourcing is easy and saves a fortune," he says. "It's not easy — it's just different. You still need structure, rules, and consistent communication."

For practices considering outsourcing, his advice is straightforward:

"Find a partner that fits your culture, communicate constantly, and treat outsourced staff as part of your own team. That's how you make it work."

The results

For Heaton Vences, outsourcing has become a core part of a scalable, resilient business model. The firm now operates as a single, blended team - one culture, multiple locations - with quality and service consistency at its heart.

"We've built a structure that's flexible, dependable, and capable of growth," Kevin reflects. "Outsourcing hasn’t replaced our team — it's strengthened it."