In this episode of We Built This Business, we talk with David Adderson, co-founder of Youtopia, a groundbreaking accountancy practice reimagining financial services for small businesses. David joins Daniel Osullivan to share how he and his team at Youtopia are transforming traditional accounting by embedding themselves as true financial partners for their clients. From his unconventional path into accounting to building a business focused on proactive financial support, David explains how Youtopia helps small business owners make smarter, faster financial decisions. David unpacks the challenges he faced in launching Youtopia, the strategies that helped him win over clients, and his vision for how AI will reshape the future of the accounting industry. HIGHLIGHTS • Transition to Founding Youtopia: How David's disillusionment with traditional accountancy led him to co-found Youtopia, offering small businesses a complete finance department experience. • Building Client Trust: David shares the hurdles of earning trust in an industry where clients rarely switch accountants and the networking strategies that finally paid off. • Early Startup Challenges: From taking side bookkeeping jobs to almost giving up, David reflects on the grit it took to keep Youtopia afloat in its infancy. • The Role of Technology and AI: Insights into how Youtopia stays ahead with cloud-based solutions and AI, and David's predictions for how AI will reshape accounting in the next five years. • Lessons in Hiring: David discusses hiring challenges, what he’s learned from early mistakes, and how he now prioritizes candidates with strong communication skills over technical qualifications alone. • Breaking Accountancy Stereotypes: Youtopia's approach to providing proactive financial guidance, empowering clients beyond the standard year-end tax reports. PODCAST INTRODUCTION Daniel Osullivan invites business owners and industry experts onto the We Built This Business Podcast to discuss how they have built their business. We discuss how they started, their business challenges, successes, failures and everything in between. Running a business is hard work so why not learn from business owners who are currently building or who have built a business. PODCAST SPONSOR Team Building Experiences is a nationwide team-building company specializing in keeping things fun for companies. With a wide range of mobile events such as Game Shows, Sports Days, and the Crystal Challenge, there’s something for every company. Visit https://bit.ly/tbe-pod and quote PODCAST15 to receive 15% off your next team-building event. VALUABLE RESOURCES Guest Website - https://www.youtopia.co.uk/ Host Website – https://webuiltthisbusiness.co.uk EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT Episode 4 - How I Built a £6 Million Revenue Print and Promotional Business by The Age of 24 - Taylor Tassie Episode 5 - How I Built a Global Tech Events Business and Thrived in the Pandemic - Johnny Edser Episode 6 - How I Built a Digital Marketing Business and How I Exited - Alex Minchin ABOUT THE HOST Daniel Osullivan is the CEO of The Experience Specialists Group we have brands in the events, entertainment and media industries including Red Cactus Events, Team Building Experiences, Shizzoo.co, Football Zorbing UK, Nel Events and X Event Solutions. CONNECT & CONTACT Daniel Osullivan Daniel Osullivan Linkedin Page Email: daniel@webuiltthisbusiness.co.uk We Built This Business Podcast Website Podcast Linkedin Page Podcast Instagram Page Facebook Instagram Page
