Lunch and Learn: Money-saving questions to ask your accountant

Tara Askham – Finance Specialist | Lecturer | Business Mentor | Award-Winning Finance Trainer Tara Askham is a qualified lecturer specialising in finance and a Fellow of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). With over 15 years of experience, she is known for simplifying finance for non-finance people, helping managers, directors, and business owners understand their numbers with confidence. Tara delivers high-impact finance training across the UK and online, working with global brands such as Volkswagen, SMEs, universities, and mission-driven organisations. Her practical courses help professionals interpret financial statements, master budgeting and cash flow, and make better decisions based on data but without jargon or overwhelm. As a published author for Osborne Books and lead author of the first Accountancy Access to Higher Education Diploma in the UK, Tara has shaped accounting education at multiple levels. She was the subject matter expert and lead writer for the award-winning global ACCA-X online finance course and regularly consults with international accountancy awarding bodies on assessment design, quality assurance, and exam moderation. Her insight and analytical skills have led to her appointment as a funding panel member for NatWest Social & Community Capital, where she evaluates funding proposals from charities and social enterprises. She also inspects the quality of accounting education at colleges on behalf of the AAT and is a guest lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, where she brings financial education to life with real-world relevance. In addition to her work in training and education, Tara is an active mentor and coach, supporting women and underrepresented groups in business. She is a business mentor for Santander, UnLtd, and several social impact initiatives, and provides one-to-one finance coaching to help founders and leaders feel in control of their finances. Tara is the founder of TKA Finance Training, which offers a mix of bespoke, CPD-accredited training for organisations and accessible coaching for individuals. Through this model, she’s on a mission to help 100,000 female entrepreneurs and professionals improve their financial literacy in the next two years. Her work has been recognised nationally, she is a Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday (SBS) winner (twice), and was named one of the UK’s top 100 female entrepreneurs in the f:Entrepreneur #ialso100 2025 campaign. She was also a finalist in the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards in multiple categories, including Entrepreneur for Good in 2018. Whether you need a workshop for your senior team, one-to-one finance coaching, or a tailored programme for operations managers and directors, Tara combines technical expertise with a warm, practical approach that gets results. Areas of expertise: Finance for non-finance managers and directors Financial statements, ratio analysis, budgeting, and cash flow One-to-one coaching and group training (delivered online or in-person) Commercial awareness and financial confidence Education consultancy and curriculum design Social enterprise and charity finance Let’s connect if you want to:✔ Upskill your team to make smarter financial decisions✔ Get support understanding your numbers as a founder or business owner✔ Bring engaging finance content to your training or educational programmes Website: tkafinancetraining.co.uk