Regional firm
MPS Accountancy vs Ballards
Ballards is a Droitwich-founded firm dating to 1985, now over 150 people across Droitwich, Worcester, Birmingham and London. It has pushed well beyond accountancy into consultancy — IT and NetSuite implementation, marketing, talent acquisition — and is a Xero Platinum Partner with international reach through AGN.
Ballards LLP
- Based in
- Droitwich, with offices in Worcester, Birmingham and London
- Distance
- About 7 miles from Bromsgrove to Droitwich
- Established
- Founded in 1985
Facts verified against the sources listed below.
Quick answer
How does MPS Accountancy compare with Ballards LLP?
Ballards LLP is a 150-plus person firm founded in 1985 with offices in Droitwich, Worcester, Birmingham and London, offering audit, corporate finance and consultancy including NetSuite, marketing and recruitment, and is a Xero Platinum Partner. MPS Accountancy is a small Bromsgrove firm founded in 2023 focused on accounts, tax, VAT, payroll and tax planning for owner-managed businesses on a fixed monthly fee, and does not offer audit.
Last updated
At a glance
MPS Accountancy and Ballards, side by side
Every row below is drawn from public sources — Companies House and each firm’s own website. Where a firm doesn’t publish something, we say so rather than guessing.
Be honest
When Ballards is the better choice
We are not the right accountant for everyone, and pretending otherwise wastes your time and ours. Here is when you should pick up the phone to them instead.
You want consultancy alongside compliance — ERP implementation, digital marketing or recruitment support bought from the same firm that does your accounts.
You need audit, corporate finance, or international support through a global network.
You are scaling fast and want a firm that can keep adding specialists as you grow, rather than one you will outgrow.
Where we fit
When MPS Accountancy is the better fit
The reasons clients have moved to us from firms like Ballards.
You want an accountant, not a consultancy relationship. Our scope is deliberately compliance and tax planning done well.
You are a sole trader or small limited company where a 150-person firm's minimum engagement doesn't make commercial sense.
You want to know exactly what you'll pay each month, with ad-hoc questions included rather than billed.
Services
What each firm covers
Services as published by each firm. A longer list isn’t automatically better — it usually means a bigger firm with a wider remit, and a fee structure to match.
MPS Accountancy
- Accounts preparation
- Corporation tax returns
- Self Assessment
- VAT
- Payroll and CIS
- Tax planning
We do not offer statutory audit, corporate finance or FCA-regulated financial advice. If you need those, we’ll tell you and point you to someone who does.
Ballards LLP
- Statutory and outsourced accounting
- Corporate and personal tax
- Audit and assurance
- Corporate finance
- Strategic business advisory
- Financial planning
- IT and digital transformation, including NetSuite
- Brand and digital marketing
- Talent acquisition
As published on their website. Check directly for the current position.
FAQs
Questions people ask when comparing us
Is Ballards too big for a small business?
Not necessarily — they serve SMEs and start-ups as well as corporates. But there is a practical difference: at a firm of 150-plus you are assigned a team, whereas at MPS you deal with the founders. Some people strongly prefer one or the other.
Does MPS do consultancy like Ballards?
No. Ballards offers IT and digital transformation, marketing and talent acquisition alongside accountancy. We deliberately stay in our lane: accounts, corporation tax, Self Assessment, VAT, payroll and tax planning. If you want those other services bundled, Ballards is the better fit.
Both work with Xero — is Platinum Partner status meaningful?
It reflects the number of clients a firm has on Xero, so it signals scale of adoption rather than quality of advice. We work in Xero daily, alongside QuickBooks and FreeAgent, and will migrate and set you up for Making Tax Digital as part of onboarding.
Sources
Where these facts come from
Everything on this page about Ballards is taken from public records and their own published material, last checked on . Firms change their services, staff and pricing — always confirm the current position with them directly. If you spot something out of date here, tell us and we will correct it.
Keep comparing
Other firms you may be weighing up
Let’s get to work.
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