Issue 22 | Page 48

HERE TO HELP Baines Jewitt providing expert post-Covid business advice We are living through extraordinary times – that much is evident. The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown have paved the way for a complete change in our commercial and personal lives. But as the restrictions begin to ease, thoughts have turned to rebuilding and recovery. Adjusting to the new normal is not going to be BY JOANNE easy, and that’s why it is crucial to have the right BARRETT support and advice in place when it comes to getting back on track, according to Stockton-based Baines Jewitt, one of the largest firms of chartered accountants, business advisers and tax experts in the Tees Valley. With a range of expertise that includes taxrelated issues, budgeting, business planning, debt control, financial performance, investments, pensions and accounting services, the Baines Jewitt team is well-equipped to provide advice on the latest developments and actions taken by the government to support local businesses. In the space of a few short months, the business landscape has transformed dramatically, and the way of working has altered beyond recognition. “It is more important than ever before to receive assistance from expert, experienced business advisers to weigh up business and personal options and realise short, medium and longer term objectives,” says Baines Jewitt director Anne Cowley. “Lockdown and the ensuing economic measures announced by the government to help businesses through the challenges they face have probably altered the way we are going to work and do business going forward. Things are not likely to go back to the way they were in the foreseeable future. “My key message to businesses is to have a strategy in place, embrace the new working environment, be flexible and plan even more than you did in the past.” As lockdown was enforced in March, the team at Baines Jewitt moved to different ways of working to ensure their clients continued to receive expert advice at a time when it was most needed. Working remotely and with a skeleton team in the office, Baines Jewitt’s chartered accountants and professional business advisers have guided their clients through the maze of economic measures announced by the government as the picture has changed and developed. Many queries have been about the furlough scheme and how to access it, as well as cash flow concerns and managing preparations for getting back on track now the lockdown is being eased. 48 | Tees Business