Aycliffe Today Business #11 | Page 27

Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 27 INBOUND MARKETING EVENT A SUREFIRE SUCCESS HARLANDS CONTINUE EXCITING GROWTH PLANS Sarah Burns, from marketing company thrive, reviews the companies Inbound Marketing event at the Xcel Centre... Growing accountants, tax consultants and business advisors Harlands Accountants LLP has added another member to its experienced team. #InboundMarketingWeek was held for the first time across the globe in June, and Aycliffe was lucky enough to host one of only two events across the North-East. The aim was to raise awareness of and celebrate inbound marketing. Welcoming people from our makeshift check-in desk at Newton Aycliffe’s Xcel Center, our Social Media Executives, Caitlin Sharkey and Briany Hodgson, offered all of our guests their very own badge and a goody bag was ready and waiting inside. To kick-off, our Strategic Director, Rachel Townsend Green, took to the stage and – with props at hand – introduced the crowd to the concept of inbound marketing. Our agency focuses on inbound marketing and the role it plays – plus its individual components – for businesses looking to diversify and revitalise their marketing strategies for modern audiences. While the crowd giggled at a picture of graduation-age Rachel (stop sniggering!), we continued with Morgan Stephenson, of HT Media, who explained the concept of video and its impact within an inbound strategy - with insightful examples. Then it was “hello” from New Results Training, with Nevil Tynemouth and Mike Lever – who is the current British Sales Trainer of the Year - bringing a bit of physical activity and audience participation to proceedings, as they discussed varying subjects, relating to building trust and the ‘buyer journey’. Finally, Chris Stainthorpe from CustomerSure delighted us with a presentation which involved a bit about customer feedback, a bit about the importance of sharing said feedback, and a few penguins and fire effects thrown in for equal measure. David Cudlip is now heading up Harlands’ accounts and audit team, joining the firm from RHK Business Advisers LLP in April after forging a strong reputation as a highly-ambitious, up-and-coming advisor within the local business community. David has a wide range of skills and experience and has worked with a variety of SME limited company and high net worth clients including money remitters, investment bankers, architects, professional sports stars, actors and politicians. One of David’s most notable achievements was successfully securing a £1m EIS finance raise for a London-based client. Armed with some ambitious growth plans, Harlands saw David as the ideal person to take the core Audit and Accountancy services to the next level. “It was obvious from my first meeting with Glyn Davison that Harlands have come a long way since the management buyout in 2007” said David. , “What really interested me was that this was only the start of their growth plans. I was convinced from our first meeting that there was a strong culture fit between myself and the rest of Harlands management team and it was obvious that the relationship was going to work. ” Since joining the business, David has been heavily involved in driving operational efficiencies between all core service departments. Managing Director Glyn Davison said: “David has a real passion for reviewing how businesses operate and analysing how they can improve. The chats were quickly followed by some networking and, most importantly, afternoon tea and cakes. “We have really enjoyed how he applied this concept to Harlands, which has been a great tool in learning how the business operates and how we can we look to improve to compete at the next level. ” We’d like to especially thank Teesside University, Business Durham, South Durham Enterprise Agency and DigitalCity, who all helped to make the day a fantastic success. It’s an exciting time for Consett-based Harlands, which also has an office on Aycliffe Business Park, after investing heavily in its brand, marketing, team and systems over the past 12 months. If you require any help with your marketing and branding strategy or implementation, feel free to tweet us @thriveHQ or email hello@thriveability.co.uk For more information on David and the rest of the team, go to www.harlandsaccountants.co.uk