Profit Isn't a Dirty Word How Sam Hoyle is redefining finance for female founders in the UK

In a sunlit co-working space in the heart of Durham, Sam Hoyle is talking numbers - but not in the way you might expect from a trained accountant. There are no spreadsheets in sight, no industry jargon, and certainly no judgment. "So many brilliant women are building incredible businesses," she says, "yet when it comes to their numbers, they either avoid them or feel like they're not 'good with money.'"

Hoyle is part of a growing movement of entrepreneurial women in the UK who are not only launching service-based businesses online but also challenging traditional ideas around profit, pricing, and financial empowerment. As the founder of Harmony Accounting, and more recently a self-described profit strategist, she's working to dismantle the overwhelm many women feel around finance - and doing so at a time when understanding your numbers could make or break a business. "Right now in the UK, with rising costs, changes in tax rules, and more scrutiny on business finances, knowing your numbers isn't a 'nice to have', it's survival," Hoyle says. "My mission is to make finance simple, jargon-free, and give clarity to numbers, so female founders can scale profitably and build the lives they dreamed of when they started their businesses."

From Compliance to Clarity

Hoyle's path to this role hasn't been linear. For years, she played the part expected of her: the diligent accountant focused on compliance, tax deadlines, and ensuring clients met regulatory obligations. It was secure, respected work - but it didn't ignite her.

The turning point came when she realised that numbers could tell a far richer story - not just of past performance, but of future potential. "The biggest turning point was shifting from being 'just an accountant' to stepping fully into my role as a financial strategist," she explains. "I realised that the real transformation happens when women understand how their numbers drive strategy - knowing what to sell, when to invest, and how to pay themselves more."

It was this shift that led her to create new services under the Harmony Accounting umbrella, focused on financial clarity and profit-first planning. And as demand grew, so did the sense that she was tapping into something urgent and underserved. "It wasn't just about tax returns anymore," she says. "It was about changing how women run businesses in the UK."

The UK Landscape
The timing of Hoyle's evolution couldn't have been more critical. The UK's small business sector — and particularly its growing population of women-led online businesses — has been navigating a turbulent period. From the aftershocks of Brexit to the cost-of-living crisis and shifting tax landscapes (including the looming implementation of Making Tax Digital for income tax), founders are under pressure. "Adaptability is everything right now," Hoyle says. "With the MTD for Income Tax on the horizon, and increased operating costs, I've focused on helping clients build financial resilience."

To that end, she's developed a suite of tools and frameworks designed to cut through noise: cash flow forecasting, profit forecasting, and capacity planning, all tailored to service-based entrepreneurs. Crucially, she's also walking her talk. "On a business level, I'm also diversifying my revenue streams with group programmes and digital products to create scalability and stability - which is exactly what I encourage my clients to do too." It's a key lesson in modern entrepreneurship: if you want your business to survive volatility, it must be both financially sustainable and strategically flexible.

Vulnerability as Strategy
While her work is rooted in numbers, Hoyle is quick to point out that the real connection with her audience - primarily women in the online service space - has come not from data, but from vulnerability. "Starting to speak openly about my own numbers and journey was huge," she says. "So many accountants hide behind the technical side, but when I began sharing my story - the mistakes, the fear of visibility, the lessons learned - people connected with me on a much deeper level."

What might seem like a minor branding tweak was, in reality, a radical departure from the accountant stereotype - and it paid off. By leaning into authenticity, Hoyle built trust, which in turn became the foundation for client growth, retention, and transformation. "Being human, not just technical, has been a game-changer."

Women, Wealth, and What Comes Next
Hoyle's work touches a broader cultural conversation: how women relate to money, and how systems have often left them under-informed, underconfident, and under-earning. "You don't need to be an accountant," she says, "but you do need to know the story your numbers are telling you. It's not about spreadsheets and tax codes, it's about clarity, choice, and freedom."

She encourages founders to start small — track income, understand baseline expenses, set aside for tax - and work their way up to deeper strategy. In her view, finance shouldn't be gatekept or feared; it should be empowering. Her clients range from coaches and consultants to creatives and digital agencies - all navigating the unique challenges of running online-first businesses in a rapidly evolving market. What they often have in common is a desire for freedom, purpose, and a business that doesn't burn them out.

And Hoyle gets it. She's a mother, a business owner, and a woman who built her practice around the kind of life she wanted to lead - flexible, impactful, and values-driven. "What excites me is the energy of women stepping into entrepreneurship here," she says. "The UK has such a vibrant community of female founders building service-based businesses online, and we're seeing a real shift away from traditional corporate routes into businesses built around lifestyle, family, and freedom."

Building the Future
Profit. For a long time, especially in heart-led businesses, it's been something of a taboo - seen as selfish, greedy, or in conflict with purpose. Hoyle wants to rewrite that narrative. "Profit isn't a dirty word," she says. "It's what gives you options. It's what allows you to invest, to grow, to rest. Without it, you're building a house of cards."

Her work is not about maximising revenue at any cost, but about helping founders build businesses that are both impactful and sustainable - businesses that fund the life they want, without sacrificing themselves in the process.

And as for the future of Harmony Accounting? Hoyle is clear: she's building something scalable. Not in the VC-backed, blitzscaling sense, but in the sense of reach, accessibility, and impact. She's launching online programmes, expanding digital products, and speaking more - not just to teach finance, but to reshape how it's understood. "It's about helping women not just survive but thrive financially," she says. "That's what keeps me fired up." In an economy where small businesses are constantly adapting to change - economic, technological, regulatory - Hoyle is doing more than offering accounting services. She's helping women build financial power, with clarity and confidence at the centre. And in doing so, she's showing that money isn't just math. It's strategy, security, and freedom - and every founder deserves to understand it.