BellchambersBarrett was once a small professional services firm with bold plans.
Co-founder Shane Bellchambers knew early on that technical expertise alone wouldn’t build a successful business. Teams also needed the skills to explain their thinking and communicate clearly.
So in 2017, he enrolled his team in a tailored Business Writing Essentials workshop. The results were immediate. And so the firm made the workshop an annual investment as the team grew.
A decade on, CSA’s work with BellchambersBarrett now extends far beyond business writing. Here’s how the firm benefits from making communication capability a core part of its growth strategy.
The client
BellchambersBarrett is a Canberra-based professional services and accounting firm known for its commercial acumen and client-centred values.
From its early days, the firm’s leaders understood that technical expertise alone wouldn’t be enough to grow the business. But if staff could communicate their thinking clearly – to clients, colleagues and stakeholders – they’d deepen and amplify their impact.
Yet as the firm expanded to a team of nearly 100 people, maintaining consistent communication standards became more complex. And more critical.
The challenge: Capable but not yet commercial graduates
Like many professional services firms, BellchambersBarrett hires high-performing graduates straight out of university.
They arrive eager and talented. They understand audit processes and budget frameworks. But as Partner Sart Spinks explains, the challenge is in how they translate that knowledge.
‘New graduates struggle to articulate details to people who don’t have that technical understanding,’ says Sart.‘
Without structured communication skills training, managers need to sit down with them and review documents line by line: You don’t need that jargon. That’s too dense – the client doesn’t need to know that.’
The solution: Embed writing skills early
When CSA first ran training for the team in 2017, BellchambersBarrett was still a small operation.
Yet Co-founder Shane Bellchambers recognised the commercial value of clear writing skills and committed to running the workshop annually.
Today, every new starter who joins completes business writing training as part of their onboarding and professional development.
(Even during the pandemic, the training didn’t pause. Workshops moved online and the commitment to quality communication remained.)
Across BellchambersBarrett, teams see how clear written communication underpins faster development, fewer rewrites – and more impact.
The merger moment: Aligning two cultures
In 2023, BellchambersBarrett merged with Accrue Chartered Accountants.
Suddenly, there were two teams. Two ways of working. Two sets of writing habits.
BellchambersBarrett made a strategic decision: enrol the new tranche of staff in Business Writing Essentials early to align expectations and ensure consistency across the firm.
It sent a clear cultural signal: Strong communication standards are part of how we do business.
Bridging the next gap: Speaking with confidence
Another pattern soon emerged. As team members progressed into more senior roles, they were technically capable… but they could be hesitant in client presentations. They lacked the confidence to speak up and present their ideas clearly.
So BellchambersBarrett expanded the scope of its strategic partnership with CSA.
In 2025, CSA delivered a series of presentation skills workshops to help middle-level managers:
- Contribute confidently to influence stakeholders
- Speak concisely and manage nerves
- Structure client conversations for impact
Investing in people, investing in growth
Many firms prioritise technical skills and stop there. But BellchambersBarrett understands something deeper.
While financial expertise gets you qualified, communication skills determine how far you go.
What started as a single workshop a decade ago has become a multi-layered professional development strategy. The next stage of the relationship with CSA includes:
- Developing a writing style guide to support onboarding and maintain consistency
- Running leadership communication programs to ensure alignment
BellchambersBarrett invested in communication early, reinforced it through growth and protected it through change. It remains central to how the team leads, advises and builds trust.
3 key takeaways
1. Set the standard early: BellchambersBarrett invested in communication training while still small – enabling the firm to scale quality as it grew.
2. Embed communication in onboarding: Graduates need to build new skills to write and present effectively in commercial environments.
3. Embrace communication as a growth strategy: From mergers to leadership alignment, communication skills strengthen culture and shape strategy.
Want to build a culture of confident communicators? Whether you’re onboarding graduates or aligning teams, our facilitators will help you set high communication standards – and keep them there.