Sam Mallabar MICB did not set out to become a bookkeeper. After two decades in sales, a shift in family life prompted a rethink. What followed was a practical move into bookkeeping and a business shaped to fit around everything else.
Sam Mallabar’s path into bookkeeping wasn’t mapped out early. In fact, like many people, it began with a plan that didn’t quite work out.
“I think A Levels come at completely the wrong time,” she says. “I didn’t get the grades I needed for psychology, so I had to rethink things.”
That rethink led her to a business degree at Northumbria University, and from there into a long career in sales. For 20 years, Sam built her professional life around targets, clients and conversations - developing a confidence that would later prove invaluable.
But bookkeeping wasn’t on the radar. Not yet.
The turning point came years later, shaped not by career ambition, but by family life.
When her son struggled during school holidays, Sam found herself trying to balance work with the emotional pull of being at home.
“I just couldn’t ignore it. I knew something had to change.”
She made the decision to step away from her job - a move many will recognise as both practical and deeply personal. What followed was a period of reassessment.
A role as a school business manager came next. It wasn’t quite the right fit overall, but it offered something unexpected: a window into finance.
“That’s when it clicked. I really enjoyed working with the accounts.”
A practical route into the profession
From there, Sam made a characteristically pragmatic decision. Rather than retraining as an accountant, she chose bookkeeping through ICB.
“It felt like the most sensible route. I already had some experience from volunteering and charity work, so I didn’t feel like I was starting from zero.”
She approached her studies with purpose, building on what she already knew and focusing on the practical application of her skills.
“I was more interested in being able to do the work than collecting qualifications for the sake of it. ICB gave me a clear, practical route into the profession. The training felt relevant straight away and I could apply what I was learning immediately.”
Starting small, growing steadily
Sam didn’t launch her practice, with a big marketing push or a detailed growth plan. Instead, she built it gradually, around the realities of family life.
“I wasn’t under huge financial pressure, so I could let it grow at a pace that worked for us.”
Her first client came about almost by chance with a conversation with a taxi driver on the way to the airport.
“He probably wasn’t my ideal client on paper,” she admits, “but he told everyone about me.”
That early word-of-mouth became the foundation of her client base. Add in local Facebook groups and a willingness to talk openly about what she does, and the business began to take shape.
“That’s the sales background. I’m not shy about telling people what I do!”
Today, Sam runs a local, relationship-led practice called We Balance Bookkeeping, working mainly with clients in her area.
“I like meeting people face to face. It makes a difference because you understand their business better, and they feel more comfortable asking questions.”
That emphasis on relationships carries through into how she supports her clients. Rather than a once-a-year interaction, she focuses on regular contact and ongoing awareness.
“The biggest problem is when people don’t keep track during the year. Then everything becomes a surprise, and not always a good one.”
Seeing opportunity where others see change
While Making Tax Digital has caused uncertainty for many, Sam’s approach has been notably calm - even optimistic.
“I’ve always seen it as an opportunity rather than something to worry about.”
She started preparing early, testing processes, moving clients onto software, and introducing more regular ways of working.
“I’ve already segmented my clients and started shifting towards monthly fees. It’s about getting them used to a different rhythm.”
Her advice is simple, and very much in line with how she built her business in the first place:
“Just start. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You figure it out as you go.”
Ready for the next chapter
For a long time, Sam’s business has been shaped around her children — intentionally so. But now, with more time and headspace, she’s looking ahead.
“I’ve built this to fit around family life. Now I’m ready to grow it properly.”
That growth doesn’t necessarily mean hiring straight away. Instead, she’s exploring outsourcing and more flexible ways to expand, alongside a renewed focus on marketing.
“I’ve created an MTD guide and I’m starting to use video more. It’s a bit outside my comfort zone, but I know it’s the right direction.”
What stands out most about Sam’s story is its steadiness. There’s no single defining leap, she has just made a series of thoughtful decisions, each building on the last.
“I think people often underestimate what they’re capable of,” she reflects. “You learn by doing and that’s how this whole business has come together.”
It’s a perspective that will resonate with many ICB members: practical, grounded, and quietly ambitious.
And as Sam looks ahead to the next phase of her business, that same approach is likely to take her exactly where she wants to go.
