The term *wantrapreneur* is usually credited to Noah Kagan. It describes someone who loves the idea of running a business but never quite commits to building one properly.
In the startup world, it’s often used as an insult. That’s not my intention here.
This is a gentle nudge for accountants who want to build a successful practice on their own terms, yet find themselves caught in cycles of delay, overthinking or quiet frustration. Many capable sole practitioners drift into this pattern without ever realising it.
Busy doesn’t always mean intentional
Accountants who fall into this pattern are rarely idle. If anything, they’re often extremely busy. They are doing all or most of the following:
- Grappling with MTD and other new reporting obligations
- Listening to podcasts
- Reading and researching new developments to keep their technical knowledge up to date
- Checking their follower numbers on social media platforms
- Posting content on LinkedIn and on social media platforms without really understanding how they work
- Researching and testing new software tools
- Experimenting with large language models and AI agents
- And so on
None of those activities is inherently wrong, and they can all have value. The problem is that none of them, on its own, determines whether you build the practice you actually want.
That comes from making decisions about the fundamentals: setting clear boundaries with clients, charging fees that reflect your experience and the value you provide, choosing work that plays to your strengths, and structuring your time so your practice supports your life rather than consumes it.
If most of your energy is going into peripheral tasks instead of those decisions, you may be avoiding the conversations and choices that really matter. That isn’t necessarily laziness; more often, it’s fear dressed up as productivity.
Thinking feels safer than deciding
As accountants, our training includes learning how to analyse risk, anticipate problems and avoid costly mistakes. Those instincts serve our clients well, but they don’t always serve us quite so well when we’re making decisions about our own practices.
It’s easy to convince yourself that you need more clarity before increasing your fees, that the “right time” to let go of a draining client will eventually arrive, or that you’ll define your niche once things settle down.
The difficulty, of course, is that things rarely settle down of their own accord.
From the outside, this behaviour can look perfectly sensible. It sounds measured and responsible, but underneath there is often a reluctance to make a clear decision and accept the uncertainty that inevitably follows.
Those who make progress tend to recognise that clarity often follows commitment rather than preceding it. They make a decision, learn from the outcome and refine their approach as they go.
Perfection is a sophisticated delay tactic
Many sole practitioners tell me they’re “working on” creating their ideal practice. When I ask what that actually involves, the answer is usually some combination of polishing systems, researching options or exploring possibilities.
Preparation has its place. The problem comes when preparation quietly replaces progress.
You don’t need the perfect niche before positioning yourself more clearly. You don’t need flawless systems before increasing your fees thoughtfully and confidently. And you certainly don’t need universal approval before setting firmer boundaries with clients.
A successful practice isn’t built by waiting for perfect conditions. It’s shaped through a series of deliberate decisions, many of which feel slightly uncomfortable at the time.
Resourcefulness beats reassurance
I believe that many sole practitioners look for reassurance before they act. They want certainty that clients will respond well, or evidence that other accountants have already made similar decisions successfully.
That’s entirely understandable, but it’s also surprisingly limiting because certainty is rarely available when the decisions that matter most need to be made.
There have been many occasions when mentoring clients have come to me with an action they want to take but haven’t quite felt able to take alone. Often, what they need isn’t for me to make the decision for them. They need the opportunity to talk it through, test their thinking, consider the possible consequences and agree how they are going to move forward.
That’s one of the less obvious benefits of mentoring. A second opinion from someone who understands the realities of running an accountancy practice can shorten the distance between thinking about something and actually doing it.
Running a practice on your own terms calls for resourcefulness more than reassurance. It means asking different questions:
- How can I make this work with what I already have?
- What’s the smallest step I could take this week?
- What would this decision look like if I were just a little braver?
It’s a subtle shift, but an important one. Instead of waiting for confidence to appear, you begin building it through action.
Perseverance is about identity, not stamina
Building a practice that genuinely reflects your values doesn’t have to mean working longer hours or trying harder. It’s about deciding who you are as the practice owner and allowing your decisions to reinforce that identity.
If you are someone who tolerates poor client behaviour, you’ll probably continue to tolerate it. If, instead, you see yourself as someone who runs a thoughtful, commercially sound and confident practice, your actions will gradually begin to reflect that view of yourself.
Some people wait until they feel ready. Those who move forward are more likely to behave in ways that help them become the practice owner they want to be.
The difference isn’t necessarily intelligence, contacts or luck. More often, it’s the willingness to shape the practice intentionally rather than simply reacting to whatever lands on your desk.
This isn’t criticism. It’s a crossroads.
If you recognise parts of yourself in this blog post, don’t read it as a judgement on your ability. Instead, consider whether the way you’re spending your time and making decisions is actually taking you towards the practice you want.
Most accountants who fall into these patterns are thoughtful, conscientious and highly capable. They don’t lack ability or information. More often, they lack challenge, perspective and someone willing to question the assumptions they’ve quietly accepted.
That’s where mentoring can make a real difference.
If you’re serious about building a successful practice on your own terms, with clearer boundaries, stronger pricing and greater confidence in your decisions, I’d be delighted to have a conversation.
It wouldn’t be about theory or the latest business fad. It would be about you, your practice and the practical commercial decisions that reflect who you are, what you value and what you want your practice to become.
If you’ve recognised yourself in some of this, you may not need more information. You may simply need a conversation.
And that might be a good place for us to start.
