About Brett Nicholls Associates
What is Brett Nicholls Associates?
Brett Nicholls Associates is a values-led Glasgow chartered certified accounting firm specialising in the third sector — charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations. Founder Brett Nicholls, a New Zealander married to a Scot, set up the practice in the West End of Glasgow around 2005 (verbatim from his bio: "Around 19 years ago I set up my own consulting and accounting practice in the West End of Glasgow"). Brett qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers and Lybrand (now PwC) and was Finance Director for Govan Initiative Ltd before founding the firm. The practice is family-owned and managed — Brett's son David manages day-to-day operations.
The firm became a Certified B Corporation in February 2023 (verbatim from the news announcement: "We are proud to announce that Brett Nicholls Associates has been certified as a B Corporation™"). It is registered with Companies House under SC369651. More than half of clients are registered charities, social enterprises or other not-for-profit organisations, with the remainder in the private sector.
Where will I work?
Brett Nicholls Associates is based at Herbert House (3rd Floor), 24 Herbert Street, Glasgow G20 6NB. The firm moved to Herbert House in August 2021. Clients are served from this single Glasgow office, with hybrid working available for staff.
What is the Brett Nicholls Associates team like?
The firm describes itself as family-owned and managed. Founder Brett brings background in Corporate Recovery work, including receiverships for banks and institutional lenders, before moving into economic and social regeneration. He serves on charity boards including the Preshal Trust (chair), the Endrick Trust, and Bay of Hope (a Scottish charity supporting children in rural Uganda), and volunteers with Safe in Scotland (formerly the Glasgow Night Shelter for Destitute Asylum Seekers). The firm's ethos verbatim: "We are committed to providing a professional, friendly, transparent and high quality service to our clients. The vast majority of our work comes from referrals made by existing clients and this is something we are very proud of."
On sustainability, the firm has pledged to be a net zero business by 2045. Since August 2022 it has worked with Net Zero Now to measure carbon emissions annually and received a "Step Up to Net Zero" grant from Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, hiring a Net Zero Coordinator to drive emissions reductions across circularity, net zero and waste management. The office has been paperless since 2021, and the firm has worked with Changeworks since August 2022 to divert all waste from landfill. Verified carbon offsets: 21,000kg CO2 in 2021 (Carbon Neutral Britain), 24,000kg in 2022 (across four projects including forest protection in Brazil and clean water in Eritrea), and 21,000kg in 2023 (a UK Woodland Carbon Code-accredited British rewilding project). Ecosia is the default browser on all work devices.
Work-Life Balance
The firm operates a four-day working week. Verbatim from /about-us: "Inspired by Kirsty Wark's TEDx talk in Glasgow, and David's desire for greater work life balance, we have adopted a four day working week. This means that our office is closed on Thursdays to give our staff time off to enjoy other aspects of their lives and to recharge their batteries before returning to work on Friday. This is a true four day week; providing our targets and client deadlines are achieved, staff are expected to work 30 hours with no reduction to their pay. Our trial of a four day week began in 2018, and has now become embedded in our working pattern."
The firm's philosophy on staff: "Staff are our most important asset and we are eager to invest in our team to develop a healthy business. As well as providing opportunities for the professional development of our staff (e.g. training, time off to study), we also want them to pursue leisure activities, learn new skills or hobbies, and develop a passion for a fairer world."
Perks and Benefits
Verified benefits:
- Four-day working week — office closed on Thursdays; 30-hour week at full pay (firm-wide since 2018)
- Professional development support — training and paid time off to study
- UK workplace pension scheme — per the firm's tax-compliance commitment to employment-related taxes
- Net-zero, B Corp culture — Certified B Corporation since February 2023; carbon offsets each year via UK and international projects