Pioneering four day work week model enables the Trustpilot rated ‘Excellent’ firm to put clients first with industry leading accessibility
Warrington, UK. April 7th, 2026 – Caroola Accountancy, one of the UK’s largest specialist accountancy providers for contractors, freelancers and small businesses, has become the first accountancy firm in the United Kingdom to offer extended opening hours until 7pm, Monday to Friday.
Based in Blackpool and Warrington and serving clients digitally across the country, with its largest client base in London, the firm launched the new hours in March 2026.
Caroola is now available to clients for 11 hours each working day, setting a new standard for accessibility in the UK accountancy sector.
The initiative was driven by Director of Operations Carl Bridges and forms part of a wider customer first strategy led by Managing Director Paul Goodwin. Under Goodwin’s leadership, Caroola has consistently prioritised service quality and client satisfaction, building the firm into one of the most trusted names in contractor accountancy with an ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating of 4.8 across more than 6,400 verified reviews.
The operational shift has been made possible through the introduction of a four day work week for Caroola’s operations team. By restructuring staff schedules across the week rather than concentrating them into a traditional five day pattern, the firm has extended its availability without increasing headcount or compromising service quality.
Research published by Robert Walters in 2025 found that just one in five UK professionals now works within traditional core office hours. Over a third reported starting early or finishing late every single day, while 43% said their working patterns were entirely dependent on workload.
For Caroola’s client base of contractors, freelancers and small business owners, many of whom manage their finances around demanding project schedules, the standard 9 to 5 accountancy model has long been out of step with reality.
Separate research from Trustpilot found that 54% of UK consumers rank timely responses to queries as the single most important element of good customer service, ahead of every other factor. A further 51% said they valued being able to speak to a real person rather than an automated system.
Caroola’s extended hours address both of these demands directly. Clients can now reach a qualified, dedicated accountant by phone or email until 7pm every weekday evening. Not a chatbot. Not a call centre. The same professional who knows their business.
Carl Bridges, Director of Operations at Caroola Accountancy, has been with the business for over 14 years, having originally joined Nixon Williams in 2011 before it became part of what is now the Caroola Group.
Working closely with Managing Director Paul Goodwin and Commercial Director Stephen Chapman, Bridges modernised and galvanised the operations team to deliver a service model that puts clients at the centre of every decision.
“The accountancy industry has operated on a 9 to 5 model for decades, but our clients have never worked that way,” said Bridges. “Contractors finishing a day on site, freelancers wrapping up a project in the evening, small business owners who can only sit down with their finances after their own customers have gone home. These are the people we serve, and we should be available when they actually need us.”
“The four day work week gave us the framework to make this work. Our team now operates across a staggered schedule, which means we have full coverage from 8am to 7pm without anyone working longer hours. Staff wellbeing has improved, client satisfaction has increased, and we haven’t added a single penny in additional cost. It has been a genuine win for everyone involved.”
Caroola’s approach draws on the growing body of evidence supporting shorter working weeks. The UK’s landmark four day week trial, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and the think tank Autonomy, studied 61 organisations over six months in 2022.
The results were striking: 71% of participating employees reported reduced levels of burnout, 39% were less stressed, and sick days fell by 65%. Perhaps most significantly, 92% of the companies that took part chose to continue with the model after the trial ended.
Rather than using the four day week purely as an employee benefit, Caroola has applied it strategically to solve a client problem. The result is an operational model that delivers better service to clients while simultaneously improving conditions for staff.
Caroola Accountancy holds an ‘Excellent’ rating of 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot, based on more than 6,400 verified client reviews. The firm is an FCSA Accredited Member and ACCA Platinum Trainee provider, and has served the UK’s contractor and freelancer community for over 30 years.
The firm’s extended hours are now live. Caroola’s full team of dedicated accountants is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm, by phone on
0333 034 2481 or by email through each client’s dedicated accountant.
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