"Boldness has genius, magic and power in it. Begin it now." - Goethe

You may well have noticed that Gibbs & Co don't advertise on a grand scale. Nor have we bought into any national venture, giving us a ready presence in the market place on the back of someone else's efforts. As a fledgling firm in 2002 such paths may have had their attractions, but we chose to remain independent, because that way we can ensure that you, as our client, remain at the heart of everything we do.

Is there a down side to this? Not at all, in fact our costs are lower, enabling us to retain our highly competitive fees. In fact once you have tested our approach, we believe that you will find it difficult not to recommend us to friends and colleagues alike.

Much of our Ethos originated naturally from the firm's founder, Stephen Gibbs whom seized the opportunity to provide a service that was so much more than presenting a set of accounts and the accompanying tax returns each year.

"It takes years of diligent training and relevant experience to qualify as a Certified Accountant, taking in a wide range of disciplines, before you are considered worthy of the letters FCCA. This is no accident, business is not something that is carried on in a vacuum, your professional adviser has to be skilled in many areas that can, and do, impact on your success. I believe your accountant should be a vital player in your team, ensuring that you build on your successes and prosper."
Stephen Gibbs

A family man Stephen has come to value his free time, however, when he is not walking the family dog or improving his fitness levels by swimming or running he enjoys playing chess.

Our founder has been fascinated by chess since he was nine years old and has served junior chess locally since a fellow accountancy student invited him to lend a hand in the newly formed Sheffield Area Schools Chess Association (SASCA) in the 70's. We asked him why is chess so important to him?

"Good chess requires many attributes which people recognise as being pre-requisites for success: concentration; tenacity; diligence; patience; an eye for detail; a questioning mind; and mental energy are necessary to become an accomplished player. But the leading exponents of the game are able to think both logically and creatively and to blend the two processes together in finding exceptional moves.

Playing well, and occasionally finding an exceptional move, still gives me a tremendous buzz, and there is no doubt in my mind that that competitive edge spills over into my other passions in life serving me and my clients well."

With so many good causes to champion, why choose junior chess?

"I discovered as a youngster that chess was the first thing that I could excel at, and that that success gave me the confidence to go on and to develop other useful skills that were harder for me to acquire. My involvement with SASCA has allowed me to help nurture others to go on and to begin to realise their full potential. It is wonderful to watch them grow both as chess players and in life."