Why is TGS writing your accounts by hand?

It’s a solution to a problem

In December 2020, a harsh winter storm led to a complete power cut in TGS Paris offices. As if Covid was not disruptive enough, when the power did come back, there was a week-long internet blackout. Accounts needed to be done and TGS proved once again how agile they were and solved this problem easily with some creative thinking. 

The best temporary solution was to put interns to work! They’d handwrite all audit and account reports expected by the clients. 

Now, that should have been the end of it once the internet began working again, but it wasn’t. Clients were delighted to receive handwritten accounts and they wanted them to continue. They were so delighted in fact, that they raved about the service to others…and demand went through the roof. 

It’s new, it’s innovative and it’s slow

TGS’s handwritten accounts got such a positive response that TGS hired super-intern, Justine, (23) to head the operation as CEO (the youngest low-tech CEO in the TGS family). Justine came up with the idea of a new product offering from this innovation: TGS Slow Accounting.

TGS Slow Accounting offers clients hand-written accounts and audit reports. It’s slightly more expensive than electronic accounting, but the quality is premium. TGS interns work day and night to uphold the Triple S policy that this service guarantees: Slow, Stylish and Sustainable hand-written accounts.

TGS Slow Accounting is not just win-win – it’s win-win-win-win-win. 

• Better for the environment! – No data means no emails, no server farms, and no pollution.

• Security, peace of mind and a quality product – Slow Accounting files can’t be hacked which means no stress about security. They are incorruptible and authentic works of art. No need for non fungible tokens in these artworks. 

• Cheap labor delights clients – interns are ‘paid’ in experience, and clients are ecstatic with authentic and personalised accounts.

• Interns get food, company and a chance to improve their skills – students are no longer isolated in their small student flats during covid. They can work with others in a warm place with food to fuel the work. As well as mental benefits, they can also improve their core skills (e.g. literacy and math!).

Slow is the future of accounting

It might seem like something from 1721 but almost 4 months on TGS has rooms full of interns doing everything by hand. Clients love this step towards a more human accounting and feel a real connection to the network. They love how sustainable this method is and experience real benefits of slowing down a bit for once.

Is it really sustainable? When asked this, TGS gave an emphatic YES. They have a lot of interested clients who like that this service is good for the planet and is creating jobs for students. They also have a lot of interns, students, college pupils, even children in schools involved producing the handwritten accounts. You don’t even have to be able to write to take part as the youngest ‘staff’ are responsible for coloring in the charts and diagrams.

Go slow or go home: Slow Accounting in the USA

TGS had a crazy, innovative idea that really took off and they were able to capitalize on it. So much so, that it looks like this service is going to be easily scalable and is now available in the US. The TGS Slow Accounting movement is being spearheaded in the US by none other than ‘the finest entrepreneurial coach in the world’, Alan Weiss. If Alan thinks it’s a good idea to slow down, maybe you should take a break and think about it. 

Printed copies of Alan’s new book, “Your Legacy is Now,” are currently available on Amazon. Please get in touch with us by letter if you’d like to order a hand-written version of this book.

As seen on TV

Watch the report on the runaway success story of TGS Slow Accounting by JebShe, David Henry and Jennifer Russeil for French business news TV channel, Avril LaFolle TV.