Client engagement and commerce platform Practice Ignition has become Ignition, which further reflects its growth beyond proposals and payments that help accounting, bookkeeping and professional services businesses spark long-lasting client relationships with ease.
The brand refresh follows 18 months of significant product investment, to build an even more scalable and intuitive platform that meets the needs of a diverse and growing customer base in APAC, North America and EMEA. In November 2021, Ignition raised $50 million (US) in a Series C funding round led by JMI Equity to support global expansion and bring in new sales and marketing capabilities.
The new platform enhancements include conversion rate optimization in the proposal process, to make it easier for a broad range of businesses to renew and upsell services. With more flexible billing options and multiple option proposal templates from leading industry experts and partners, accountants and bookkeepers specifically can complete traditional tasks such as tax strategy and payroll, while delivering new advisory offerings.
Ignition has also invested in new integrations while enhancing existing ones, including the ability to scale people advisory and simplify billing with a new Gusto integration, and adding more flexibility to automate jobs with an enhanced Xero Practice Manager workflow experience. The enhanced Review and Pay online experience provides more ways for companies to be paid, including automated payments and invoicing.
(L-R) Ignition founders Guy Pearson and Dane Thomas.
Ignition founder and CEO Guy Pearson says that more than 5,000 accounting, bookkeeping and professional services firms use the Ignition platform to do business with their clients today, streamlining their operations, and boosting working capital.
Our new name and platform reflects our mission to deliver even more value across the entire client journey for customers," Pearson says. “Our expansion from proposals and payments to client engagement and commerce is a reflection of 18 months worth of product investment. We’ve created an all-in-one client experience that is designed to meet specific business needs and regulatory requirements while giving accountants and bookkeepers the clarity, confidence, convenience and control their businesses need to reach their full potential.”
Ignition has been driving digital transformation in the professional services industry for almost a decade, working with a broad range of customers to redesign their client relationships, operations and business development.
To date, the company has helped businesses to facilitate over 6.5 million payment transactions and engage more than 1.1 million clients, with over 2.2 million proposals accepted. On average, 52% of proposals are accepted within 24 hours, with a significant number of clients accepting their proposals within a minute."
As part of the rebrand, Ignition also launched a new visual brand identity, bringing to life its core promise to make it easier for customers to do business with clients and ‘spark’ long-lasting relationships.
“Over the last two years, we have seen profound and fundamental changes across the professional services industry, from the rapid digitization of accounting services to changing client expectations,” says Bronwyn Karaoglu, Ignition’s VP of Marketing.
Karaoglu says that in an increasingly uncertain and competitive environment, accounting, bookkeeping and professional services businesses need to strategically position themselves for the future and manage their client relationships effectively. “Our new brand is a representation of where Ignition is today and how we’ve evolved our core offering to meet the needs of customers now and into the future. We’re excited to introduce Ignition to the world as we continue to expand into new markets and industries, and bring our vision of helping our customers build lasting client relationships with ease to life.”
Ignition has experienced significant growth since launching in 2013, with thousands of customers across six markets and over US$2 billion in revenue processed via the platform. The company enables easier tax seasons with multi-signature features in North America and has partnered with leading accounting associations to provide highly compliant engagement letters including ACCA, CAANZ, IPA and NATP.
Carrie Christino, who owns Elm Street Accounting in Orlando, Florida, says she considers Ignition to be the single best app she has implemented to grow her business. "Not only does it allow me to put together amazing proposals, but it also gives me a lot of confidence in presentation to the client. It has streamlined that whole process and I am so happy that I have Ignition."