Meet Dan: What A Bar-Owner-Turned-Accountant Can Teach You About Running a Smarter Business.
When you’ve been in the thick of it– running a business, navigating lockdowns, making tough calls– it changes the way you see the world.
And for Dan Caddell, that experience is exactly what drives the way he shows up today as an accountant.
Dan’s not your typical numbers guy. He’s lived the late nights, the cash flow stress, the “how the heck do I fix this?” moments. And now? He’s on a mission to make life easier for the people still in it. No jargon, no judgement– just real talk, honest support, and a deep understanding that the numbers you’re dealing with represent so much more than money in and out.
We’re thrilled to have Dan join the team at Ashton McGill as a fully qualified accountant, bringing his empathy-first approach, love of a good cash flow, and seriously sharp insight into what helps businesses not just survive, but thrive.
In this Q&A, Dan shares his story– from eleven-year-old paperboy, to venue owner, to purpose-driven accountant– and what he’s most excited about in this next chapter with us.
Scroll on to get to know Dan. You’re going to like him.
Dan, welcome to the team! Can you tell us a bit about your journey into the world of accounting, and how your experience as a business owner shaped the path you’re on today?
“I got real lost…
I actually wanted to be an accountant when I was wee, for no other reason than I was told it was a job you could make the big bucks and I wanted more than I grew up with (tiny violins please).
I started working when I was eleven and didn’t look back; paperboy, kitchen porter, working in a boarding kennels, labourer, bartender, bar manager, restaurant manager, and from there, I became a bar owner.
A few years running venues had me really clued in on the financials of the business, and really just left me wanting more control and a slice of the pie.
Opening a second venue and then being plunged into lockdowns a month later left me wanting less control… Really, it came down to preferring more of a role in the shadows, supporting and growing businesses rather than fronting it all, advising on but not having to ultimately make some of the cutthroat decisions that you need to.
So, after navigating the first lockdown and coming out strongly on the other side, the second lockdown really gave me an opportunity to reflect on what I wanted longer term. The pause let me get things in the business straight and leave with my head held high, knowing I’d left it in the best position possible to pursue my own goals.
So, after nearly 20 years in employment, I finally made my way back round to accountancy.”
“I started working when I was eleven and didn’t look back; paperboy, kitchen porter, working in a boarding kennels, labourer, bartender, bar manager, restaurant manager, and from there, I became a bar owner.”
You’ve said before that “Management Accounts, cash flows, and budgets are your jam”. What is it about this area of accounting that really lights you up?
“It’s a giant jigsaw puzzle, except the pieces are numbers, and you have no idea what the end result is going to look like. And, every so often, someone tries to set it all on fire.
So often, numbers are looked at in isolation; the old revenue is vanity, profit is sanity trope. But the reality is that they’re all interconnected; none exist without the other, and I love diving in and finding the links and relationships between them.
Because it’s the relationships that really inform business decisions to help you grow, and it’s the growth that I really love seeing and supporting.
Revenue isn’t vanity– there’ll be a minimum level needed to make sure that your business is viable; your gross profit doesn’t need to be through the roof and you want to be looking for consistent margins, and overheads shouldn’t be a catch all for everything– they should make sense. And that is what gives your bottom line profit, which ultimately is what falls into the pot for you to be growing your business.
None of this is achievable if the cash isn’t there, and looking beyond the next week or so, so many business owners struggle to picture what’s coming because they don’t have a solid line of work– it’s potential work or forecasts.
And that’s where cash flows and budgets really step forward and shine– it takes the possible and lets you play it forwards, meaning no more sleepless nights and catastrophising. Because in my time as a business owner, these were constant states.”
“It’s a giant jigsaw puzzle, except the pieces are numbers, and you have no idea what the end result is going to look like. And, every so often, someone tries to set it all on fire.”
What lessons did you take from running your own business that you now apply when supporting other business owners?
“You don’t have to do it all.
Rely on the people around you, and if you don’t have the right people around you that you can rely on, find new people.
There’s nobody who understands owning a business other than business owners. But it’s a lonely spot, because especially when you’re working in similar industries, nobody wants to let on that they’re struggling. Everyone’s always smashing it, but then you go home and stare at the ceiling, whilst running through a hundred different possible scenarios in your head that may or may not happen in the future.
Really, I just want to help with that. If I can help you rest easy, then I’m doing my job. And knowing your numbers inside out really helps that– there’s no need to pretend it’s better than it really is, because I see and know exactly how it is. And I understand that those numbers are so much more than numbers to a business owner, which means that the decision making process is so much different.”
“You don’t have to do it all. Rely on the people around you, and if you don’t have the right people around you that you can rely on, find new people.”
One of the things that stands out about you is your no-BS approach. Why do you think that honesty and straight-talking is so important in the accounting world?
“Never BS a BS-er. Business owners are where they are for being damn good at what they do, and that should never be underestimated. Using long words that have been picked up over the course of a career doesn’t help anyone.
Everyone can talk about the super technical parts of what they do to an outsider who doesn’t understand. But really, all that matters is what it means.
So whenever I have a conversation, I always frame it from the point of view of “what does this mean for you?”. Basically, take it from the end goal (and I will know your end goal, because otherwise what are we working towards?) and work backwards, rather than trying to proceed in a straight line and ending up a hundred miles off target.
It’s not for everyone, but if you surround yourself with yes-people then you’re not going to go anywhere. I’m not challenging for the sake of challenging– it’s coming from a place of genuine support, because we grow together.”
“Whenever I have a conversation, I always frame it from the point of view of “what does this mean for you?”. Basically, take it from the end goal and work backwards, rather than trying to proceed in a straight line and ending up a hundred miles off target.”
You’ve been really open online about some of the tougher parts of business and career life. Why is it important for you to share your story?
“I think I spent a long time being someone I wasn’t, so now all I want to be is authentically myself, and my story is what makes that. It can be scary to do, but it’s part of the healing process and my mission to always challenge myself and keep on growing as a person.
It gets a mixed response if I’m honest, but that helps me surround myself with the right people for me. And honestly, there were some pretty dark times as a business owner, and if I can help one other person navigate those and come out of the other side like I have, then it feels worthwhile.
I just think more people should be more honest, full stop. The world would be a better place for it.”
What kind of clients or businesses do you love working with most, and what do you think makes a really great accountant-client relationship?
“The businesses in a pickle for sure! The ones that have absolutely no visibility of how their business is doing, and are almost ashamed to talk to anyone else about it, so just keep muddling on the same way wondering if anything will ever get better.
I got you.
Don’t worry about bringing the energy– because I know how hard that can be to maintain across all of your life, when you’re actually constantly worried.
Just come in with an open mindset, and honesty on both sides, and we’ll work it out.”
What drew you to Ashton McGill, and what are you most excited about in this next chapter of your career?
“Empathy as a core value really drew me in.
I’ve always positioned myself as someone who understands what it really means to be a business owner, someone who can support in that and be a shoulder to lean on. Empathy has always been a valuable trait in what I do, but has never been a core part of what my business does. At Ashton McGill, it is. That alignment really excites me, and I’m looking forward to this allowing me to do what I do best– helping businesses do their best.
And then when I started looking deeper, the values of never settling and reliability within the team really speak to me and help us deliver our best work. Ultimately, so many business owners are business owners because they weren’t willing to settle for something else, and having like-minded people around you really helps drive on to the next level.
I’m especially interested in getting stuck into work around non-financial KPIs. Businesses are so much more than just the numbers, and being able to go beyond the numbers to really show the value a business creates to society– beyond money in the bank and tax paid– is so exciting for me. The objective of a business isn’t just to make as much money as possible, so being able to support wider objectives and make the world a better place really excites me.”
“Empathy has always been a valuable trait in what I do, but has never been a core part of what my business does. At Ashton McGill, it is. That alignment really excites me.”
Finally, if there’s one thing you want business owners to know about working with an accountant, what would it be?
“Just that the important word in there is with. We’re here to support your business and help you realise your goals, so lean on us to do that.
There can be a perception that an accountant is a necessary evil, working for HMRC to get you to pay tax, but it can be so much more than that, if you let it be. We’ll help you reach your goals, and in the right way, so that it’s not going to come back and bite you down the line.”
“There can be a perception that an accountant is a necessary evil, working for HMRC to get you to pay tax, but it can be so much more than that, if you let it be. We’ll help you reach your goals, and in the right way, so that it’s not going to come back and bite you down the line.”
