← State of Embedded Finance 2026

TotalBooks

Can a small regional accountancy practice scale revenue and client retention by wrapping traditional bookkeeping and tax services in digital-first tools (Xero, GoCardless, Virtual CFO) targeted at South Wales and Bristol SMBs?

HQCardiff, Wales, UK
FoundersBuhir Rafiq (MAAT)
IndustryVertical SaaS / Accounting
The story

TotalBooks is a UK-based digital accountancy and bookkeeping practice led by AAT-licensed accountant Buhir Rafiq, serving SMBs across South Wales and Bristol. It has evolved from a traditional bookkeeping firm into a 'digital accountancy and virtual finance director' offering, positioning itself around cloud accounting (Xero) and outsourced CFO services. The firm adopted GoCardless to tackle late payments — a common pain point for small accountancy practices — and uses Xero as its central cloud platform. The embedded finance footprint is minimal; the firm is a consumer of fintech tools rather than a distributor of embedded finance.

Last 12 months
Regulated entities
Professional membership / regulatory body
UK
Total Books (AAT licensed practice)
The stack
Open banking
Gocardless
Accounting
Xero
Accounting gap: minor