FINANCE
New look – Andrew Rowe , partner with accountancy group Azets , formerly known as Baldwins .
IT ’ S NOT THE SIZE THAT COUNTS
PICTURE BY TOM BANKS
Accountants part of global stable but keep a local focus
An accountancy firm with a large base at Wynyard is embarking on an exciting new era as part of the international Azets stable .
Formerly Baldwins , the firm – with around 70 people employed at Wynyard Park and more throughout the north – has rebranded as Azets , one of the world ’ s major business accountancy players and with more than 160 offices worldwide .
Partner Andrew Rowe tells Dave Robson what it means for Teesside clients – and stresses how the local touch will remain very much to the fore .
Tell us about Azets : Well , the name ’ s a play on words of “ assets ” and that ’ s what we ’ re all about , helping businesses make the most of what they have . It brings together all of our group ’ s brands under one banner and Azets in the Nordics was the largest and most well-established name internationally .
So why join the Azets stable ? It ’ s a switched on , progressive , tech-savvy accountancy and business advisory group and that ’ s how we see ourselves on Teesside . The traditional accountant is an end-of-year compliance service . We see ourselves as using technology to automate a lot of the data capture and compliance stuff , which allows us to be advisors throughout the year – partners to the business rather than a service bought in at the year end .
Who are your clientele ? Everything from sole traders to multi-million pound companies . But our best fit partner is the SME ( small-to-medium-sized enterprises ) community . In the last few years we have specialised in advising the digital sector – start-ups , university spinouts , that sort of thing . A really varied mix .
What ’ s your approach to digital working ? We were early adopters of the Cloud . Using tech for the manually intensive , data capture side of things means there ’ s more time for us to advise the client on important stuff to them – starting , growing and even exiting their business . Some people don ’ t like change – there ’ ve been a few comments like “ What happens if the internet blows up ?” – but if you can demonstrate the time and cash savings , it ’ s a very neat solution for many businesses .
What sort of new developments have you brought in ? We use CoZone – a Cloudbased , end-to-end , secure document exchange for us and clients , so there ’ s no more attaching to emails or sending it in the post . You can sign accounts and tax returns electronically . It ’ s a real timesaver and reflects the top-level cyber security you need to have now . We are the only accountancy firm who are platinum partners with all of the leading Cloud accountancy software houses , reflecting our commitment and investment in this area . We have recently invested in new software which enables us to quickly analyse accounts and tax information , helping us to react and advise more quickly with the best advice .
Is it all about digital ? We advocate digital working , but there ’ s still the odd person who likes pen and paper , so we remain flexible to our individual clients ’ needs . But digital working brings many advantages . We can be a virtual financial director for a business , as well as looking after the compliance stuff such as tax and accounts .
Might people lose the local touch ? Absolutely not . We pride ourselves on providing a local , professional service . We ’ re very conscious you need to have local knowledge . I ’ m chairman of the Redcar and Cleveland Chamber of Commerce committee and know the importance of a local outlook and providing a personal , high standard of service . But if clients have a problem that ’ s outside the norm , we can access specialist advice quickly for them through our national and international network . An example of this is Customs Duty issues as we run up to December 31 . It ’ s great to be part of a big international player but we never forget our roots and the importance of providing that local , professional , friendly service .
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