Working Alone in a Client-Facing Practice
Ebenezer Alorbu, Principal Consultant at Alor & Co is a UK-based sole practitioner accountant and ACCA member who works primarily with small and medium-sized businesses. Running an independent practice, he personally delivers all client services, including bookkeeping, accounts preparation, tax compliance and management accounting.
Operating as a sole practitioner brings freedom and flexibility, but it also comes with pressure. There is no internal team to sense-check advice, no colleagues to fall back on, and no margin for uncertainty when clients ask technical or time-sensitive questions. Every interaction relies on Ebenezer’s own knowledge, judgement, and confidence.
As he puts it simply:
“Knowledge is power.”
The Challenge: Staying Confident, Current and Good Value
For Ebenezer, CPD has never been a tick-box exercise. It plays a central role in how he shows up for clients and how confident he feels running his practice day to day.
One of his biggest frustrations is not being able to answer a client's question immediately or confidently.
“What I don’t like is when a client asks a question and I can’t resolve it because of lack of knowledge. As a sole practitioner, that’s not a position you want to be in.”
Before COVID, Ebenezer completed most of his CPD through ACCA, primarily attending in-person courses. When learning moved online, he began to question whether the cost of traditional CPD still matched the value he was receiving.
He describes himself as very conscious of return on investment.
“I believe in value for money. What I’m paying for, I should get good value from it. If I’m investing in CPD, it needs to genuinely help me do my job better.”
This reassessment prompted him to explore alternative CPD providers that offered stronger relevance, accessibility, and engagement.
The Solution: Discovering and Switching to CPDStore
After being introduced to CPDStore by a colleague, Ebenezer took the time to compare providers before making the switch. What stood out was the live nature of the sessions and the practical focus of the content.
Today, CPDStore is his main CPD provider and an integral part of how he maintains his professional knowledge throughout the year. Live learning, in particular, has been a major factor.
“I enjoy the live presentations. Being able to attend live and ask questions makes a big difference. If I don’t catch something live, I know I won’t always go back and watch the recording.”
For a busy sole practitioner, that immediacy matters. CPDStore fits around the realities of running a practice, rather than adding extra pressure or admin.
The Innovation: Practical CPD Delivered by Trusted Experts
Another key differentiator for Ebenezer is the quality of CPD Store’s speakers. As someone who relies heavily on CPD to stay technically confident, he places a high value on learning from experienced, credible presenters who understand real-world practice.
“You’ve managed to bring very good speakers to do the presentations. That’s excellent. You can tell they really know what they’re talking about, and that gives me confidence in what I’m learning.”
The sessions help him stay up to date with changes while continuing to meet his annual CPD requirements, without disrupting client work.
“It helps me meet my CPD every year, but more importantly, it helps me stay current while still running my practice.”
The Outcome: Greater Confidence and Reassured Clients
The biggest impact of CPDStore isn’t just technical compliance — it’s confidence. Ebenezer feels better equipped to respond to client questions, explain complex issues clearly, and make informed decisions.
That confidence is noticed by clients too.
“Clients can relax because they know their work is in capable hands. When you’re confident in your knowledge, it shows, and clients trust that.”
For Ebenezer, CPDStore supports his professionalism, credibility and sense of control as a sole practitioner.
“I don’t do CPD just because it’s required. I do it because I need the knowledge to do my job properly. CPDStore helps me do that.”
The contents of this article are meant as a guide only and are not a substitute for professional advice. The author/s accept no responsibility for any action taken, or refrained from, as a result of the material contained in this document. Specific advice should be obtained before acting or refraining from acting, in connection with the matters dealt with in this article. The information at the time of publishing was accurate and could be subject to final changes.
