Having worked for the likes of Barclays Capital, Deutsche Bank, Hewlett Packard, and Accenture, Kevin Deasy struck out on his own. Here he talks about self-belief, delegating, and inspirations.
Why I started
If I am honest, I felt I had developed a static mindset and thought I had achieved what I could accomplish in the corporate sphere. I wanted to break out and test myself in a startup and see how it went. It was difficult to do, but I went for it and helped a tech startup from 2015-2016 to develop, launch and commercialise an app for mobile compliance. This led to my startup, Accounting Pro, a service aimed at contractors, startups and SMEs.
Finding the gap
There is a gap in the market for a service like this aimed directly at contract workers and startups.
The best thing so far?
We have built steadily and put together a great team. We have grown steadily throughout 2017 and are on track to meet our targets. However, I think the best thing about the whole experience (so far) is satisfying the needs of our client base and receiving great reviews.
“There are a lot of people who will be cynical. I call them dream squashers.”
The toughest part?
You need to realise that not everything is within your control and if you grow (and grow relatively quickly) you will need to delegate. This can be difficult. Also, when you have a business, you strive for perfection. However, mistakes and problems happen, but you need to fix them quickly. Don’t dwell, take action.
Five years from now?
I would like to grow internationally.
If you started all over again is there anything you would do differently?
I wouldn’t do anything differently. I don’t look back. I am about the here and now and planning for the future.
Regarding advice for anyone starting out, I would say back yourself 100%. There are a lot of people who will be cynical. I call them ‘dream squashers’. If you need feedback and analysis, trust yourself and those close to you for advice. If you get a good business mentor ask them but keep your circle tight.
Any role models?
Brian Tracy the motivational and sales guru – tremendously interesting, sensible and helpful information. In an Irish context, Enda McNulty. He wrote a great book called Commit.
Any other kind of work that you find attractive?
I love being an entrepreneur so I wouldn’t like to do anything else. However, if pushed, I’d like to be a professional sports coach. It doesn’t matter the code – it would all be about working with people, working to regular objectives and helping people reach their potential. On the dislike side of things, I wouldn’t like to be a civil servant.
