Helping our clients build better businesses through financial clarity

We’re proud of the fact that we do things differently

Our team shares a vision for what a digital accountancy firm can, and should, offer to entrepreneurs and business owners.

We’ve also created a work environment where we can do work we’re proud of, offer unparalleled service, and still be able to leave the office on-time, every day: getting our weekends back!

Unlike traditional firms, we have no legacy systems to wrestle with. Instead, we built Cypher to take advantage of the awesome technology available to us, so we can streamline processes and automate the financial tasks that take up the most time day-to-day.

We’ve also done away with time-based billing models. Instead, creating bespoke, value-based packages where everything your business needs is included in a single monthly fee with built-in advisory time: No surprise bill for a phone call, or fee for a meeting.

Working this way means you get far better value for your money, and we’re left with more time to do what we really love – spending time with you, and giving you insights and advice to take your business wherever you want to go.

Our Core Tech-Stack

We’re the first firm in Oxfordshire to truly offer Cloud Accounting 2.0. We always build customised stacks for our clients to best suit their business, but these three tools form the bedrock of our automation and real-time processes:

Xero is the backbone of our real-time data offering, which is why we only work with businesses who use it as their accounting software. Xero enables us to offer our clients valuable and accurate insights into their financial position and performance at any given time. Xero makes our jobs a whole lot easier and means you’re basing your business decisions on current, reliable data.

We think of Receipt Bank as Xero’s trusty sidekick: it does a lot of the grunt work, but doesn’t get a lot of the credit. Receipt Bank’s our not-so-secret weapon that automates bookkeeping by fetching and capturing invoices, receipts, expenses and statements, and then exporting the data to Xero. It’s how we’re able to offer better value for money, and move away from selling our time.

One of the biggest barriers to cashflow for service-based businesses is overdue invoices. GoCardless means you never have to chase a client again. Through direct integration with Xero, GoCardless allows you to collect payments on the due date, via direct debit. It means you don’t have to play debt collector, makes cashflow far more predictable, and it makes life easier for your clients too!

Meet the team behind Cypher

Our leadership team is a tight-knit trio of qualified accountants who have been providing unrivalled accounting services to Oxfordshire’s entrepreneurs for almost 20 years. Leaving the world of traditional accountancy practices behind, our core team have built Cypher from the ground up to bring accountancy into the digital age.

What are you hoping to achieve with Cypher?

“I want every client we work with to be 100% comfortable with the numbers in their business and how that impacts life at home. Too many business owners rely on gut feeling and blind luck to run their business finances and then have moments of mad panic when they need to refinance an asset or apply for a mortgage at home. We make it simple and affordable for owner-operated businesses to have access to their real-time financial data, and strategic support and advice” – Matt Williams, Founder

Founder

Matt Williams

Matt is our steadfast captain that drives Cypher forward. A leader by example, Matt’s infectious energy, genuine commitment to our team’s development & happiness, and his unwavering focus on achieving whatever goal is at hand make him a force to be reckoned with.

An entrepreneur himself, Matt gets his kicks out of deep-diving into our clients’ businesses and joining them on their journeys. He doesn’t just steer our ship; he also keeps our clients on-course and motivated, willing to ask the challenging questions that help them think differently – and more commercially — about their business. He also loves connecting clients with each other when there’s opportunities for support or collaboration. It’s this sincere dedication to supporting others that means Matt is always the one on speed dial, whenever you have a question or need a hand.

Digital Accountant

Nuala James

If Xero is our weapon of choice, then Nuala is our very own Jedi – outside of Xero HQ you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who knows Xero and its add-ons better than she does.

Nuala has been with us since day-dot, making the leap from established firms to Cypher to embrace the digital world of accounting and the direction she believes accountancy practices should be focusing on.

A self-confessed people person, Nuala works closely with our clients on our Regular Compliance packages, creating software bundles that help them manage their day-to-day finances more efficiently. She’s also one of the most genuine and friendly people you’ll ever meet and spends her time outside of work jet-setting around the world and meeting up with friends, old and new.

Digital Accountant

Lauren Johnson

Lauren is our technical accounting whizz and one of the most reliable and efficient people you’ll ever meet (and she’s downright lovely, too!)
With 13 years of accountancy experience, Lauren looks after the statutory elements of our clients’ finances and the compliance that goes alongside it. Lauren knows the rule book cover to cover – what is required by law, by our professional body, and what is deemed good practice – and she ensures everything we file for clients, and all advice we give, is by the book every time.

Part of the Cypher team from the get-go, Lauren plays a key role in client advisory services, as well as proving invaluable to the smooth operations of Cypher internally. We can always rely on Lauren to keep the rest of us in check, make sure everything’s working effectively and that work gets out the door on time so we can too!

What does working smarter at Cypher mean for you?

“The way we’ve built Cypher means I can serve my clients better and at the same time get my weekends and evenings back to enjoy family time with my two kids (and I suppose I better throw in the husband Craig too), time catching up with friends and walking my very naughty beagle, Baxter.”

Lauren Johnson, Digital Accountant

Our Values

We hold ourselves and each other accountable to the Cypher team values. No compromises. No excuses. We believe standing by these core values means we’ll serve you better, so it’s the only way we work:

Working Bravely

It takes bravery to be different. It’s because we’re brave that we can lead rather than follow. It took bravery to take the leap from a large, established practice to building Cypher, where we’re constantly challenging the status quo, and only work with clients who share our values.

Working Honestly

Our success depends on our clients seeing us as trusted advisors, and that kind of relationship can’t exist without honesty – both in how we operate, and in our relationships. As a Cypher client, you’ll always have full transparency of everything we do for you and we’ll always take ownership of our actions and advice.

Working Consistently

While we create tailored packages for our clients, we operate around a single set of processes that all of our team follow, all the time. This means we can streamline our workflow, and as a client you know that you’re going to get the same, great experience from us no matter what elements of your accounting we look after for you.

Working Compassionately

We see our clients, and our staff, as the people that you are. No business exists without the very human faces behind it, and we built Cypher to help our clients, and our team, succeed. We treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves and never let “business” get in the way of being decent human beings.

Working Digitally

We think tech-first in everything we do. We’re always open to innovation and adopting new technology if it offers a better alternative or solution to a problem. It’s easy for accountants to slip back to using Excel for everything – so we’ve build our internal systems and processes around key tools and software that mean we can do our jobs better, and more consistently.

We help business owners reduce stress, reclaim their time and make more profit.

We help business owners reduce stress, reclaim their time and make more profit.