After 36 years as an Inspector of Taxes with HMRC, Helen was made redundant. She decided to reinvent herself, completing AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) Levels 2, 3, and 4 at Truro and Penwith Colleges to become a qualified bookkeeper and accountant.

Helen also chose to complete digital marketing training with Digital Peninsula Network, and in 2018, launched her own bookkeeping and accountancy business, "Helen the Tax Lady."

Helen recently decided to take part in a “AI for Workplace Productivity” Skills Bootcamp with Digital Peninsula Network. The course was transformative for Helen. It established foundational knowledge and developed the right mindset toward Artificial Intelligence as an assistant.

Quality prompting was a major focus. She learned that ‘how you ask’ determines what you get. Session by session, the course built systematically through workflows, deep research, AI agents, customer communications, visual assets, and data analysis. On the course, Helen explored a wide range of AI tools, allowing her to select those best suited to her needs. Importantly, the course comprehensively covered legal, ethical, and security aspects - essential for regulated professions like accountancy.

We asked Helen why she decided to do a Skills Bootcamp, and she told us that:

“I wanted to deepen my understanding of AI beyond the basics. I’d been exploring it on my own but felt I was only scratching the surface. DPN’s AI Skills Bootcamp offered a structured, practical way to build real skills and apply AI confidently in my business”

Helen wanted to integrate AI into her workflow for complex tasks, not just for simple questions. She had started training her own AI bot but needed confidence that she could set it up correctly and evaluate its outputs effectively. The advertised course content matched these requirements perfectly. As a sole practitioner, Helen also needed support with admin and repetitive tasks but wasn't ready to hire staff yet. She wanted to explore whether AI could function as a virtual team member, not just answering questions for her, but actively boosting productivity, providing insights, and improving work processes.

It was clear that AI had huge potential; she just needed to build genuine trust in its capabilities and limitations.

When reflecting on the course, and how Helen had implemented the knowledge that she had learned from the course, Helen noted that the key improvements for her ranged from automated meeting notes, repetitive-job checklists, plain-English guides – all of which lead to saved time and giving clients greater clarity and support. Helen also praised the enhanced Excel workbooks for VAT scheduling and account preparation, resulting in faster calculations, clearer layouts, and improved accuracy.

When we spoke to Helen about the main challenges that she faced, she told us:

“One of the main challenges I faced was finding the time to put my new skills into practice alongside other commitments. To overcome this, I made a conscious effort to carve out dedicated time in my schedule because I found the content so engaging and was determined to apply what I’d learned.”

However, she was very keen to speak highly of the tutors:

“The tutors have been brilliant. Knowledgeable, approachable, and always willing to provide guidance and support whenever needed.”

“I’m fortunate to be at a stage in life where I have more flexibility to dedicate time to learning. The once-a-week format worked really well for me, it was the perfect balance. The content was excellent, though quite compact, and I honestly couldn’t imagine fitting it into any less time!”

Helen also added that the best part of the course was having a dedicated coach to guide you through the material. Their ability to clearly illustrate concepts made a huge difference, and she really valued the wealth of resources provided and the hands-on projects, which gave you practical experience and helped to apply what you learned in real-world scenarios.

“This training has completely transformed the way I work. My confidence with AI tools has jumped from a 1 to a strong 5, and I now know how to get AI to do exactly what I need. Before, I only used it for research and technical queries. Now, I rely on it to manage my calendar, handle repeat tasks, and streamline countless parts of my workflow.”

“The impact on my business has been outstanding: I’ve been able to take on more clients thanks to the extra capacity. My turnover has grown significantly, and I’m saving around £1,000–£1,500 each month through improved efficiency. Working as a sole practitioner no longer feels isolating. AI genuinely feels like having an extra team member. I’m really excited to keep building on what I’ve learned. I plan to continue with further AI training and have already prepared my website and business Facebook page to start putting my skills into practice. Once you get on the AI treadmill, you just want to keep going!”

And when we asked Helen if she would recommend this course, and Skills Bootcamps, to others, it was a resounding “yes” – telling us that:

“At 60, I’m proof that it’s never too late to embrace new technology. For anyone who’s hesitant, my advice is simple: take the leap. The investment of time is small compared to the huge benefits in efficiency, confidence, and business growth.”