FINANCE
Robson Laidler’ s specialist support for Teesside businesses
EXPANDING EXPERTISE
Teesside presence – Robson Laidler’ s Jack Spoor is delighted with progress since joining forces with Tindle’ s.
WORDS: DAVE ROBSON
When two respected accountancy firms joined forces last summer, an expanded service on Teesside was among the key aims.
And seven months on from the deal being signed, Teesside businesses are already feeling the benefit from the expanded specialist support they can access following Robson Laidler’ s acquisition of Tindle’ s Chartered Accountants.
Formed more than a century ago, Robson Laidler was already a well-known name in the accountancy and business advice world. The deal with Teesside firm Tindle’ s created a £ 9m group, with a total headcount in its Newcastle, Durham and Teesside offices of around 130.
But it’ s the expanded service now available on Teesside that’ s already proving a real game-changer.
Robson Laidler can now – under one roof – provide Teesside firms with a much broader range of services previously unavailable locally, while maintaining a strong, relationship-led presence across the region.
And as he details some of the new services now available on Teesside, where the HQ is in Medway House on the Teesdale Business Park, associate director and head of business innovation Jack Spoor is encouraged with how things are going so far.
He tells Tees Business:“ It’ s been a really successful first seven months, considering the natural challenges you get from integrating two separate firms. But the teams on both sides have been very open to new ideas and new ways of working, which has made the process a lot easier.
“ Having an integration plan with considerations from both sides helps us remain objective and implement the correct changes at the right time.”
New services introduced locally by Robson Laidler as a result of the acquisition include: > Business valuations and forensic accounting. > Wealth and financial planning for high net-worth individuals.
> Business Advisory Start-up Scheme( BASS).
> Dedicated healthcare accounting for GPs, practice managers and dental professionals. The firm has also developed expertise in additional regulated and complex sectors, including legal accounts and SRA compliance, charities and not-for-profit organisations, agriculture and healthcare.
And underpinning it all, says Jack, is a Robson Laidler commitment to remaining fiercely independent.
He explains:“ As an independent organisation, being able to offer the level and variety of services we do while not bowing to the pressure of private equity is very important to us.
“ It’ s all done with customer service in mind. So having this offering is important for the North-East, because otherwise you’ d be looking at the larger consolidators in the industry for these sorts of services.”
He says the impending Business Advisory for Start-Ups scheme, which is set to be introduced later this year, could be big for Teesside.
“ Because Teesside is such a hotbed for startups and particularly the tech scene, we recognised that start-ups need a lot of support but can’ t necessarily afford it. So, we’ ve decided to develop a scheme that will offer the level of service they need at a subsidised cost.
“ It’ s putting a long-term relationship at the forefront, rather than trying to look for short-term financial gain. And further down the line, we hope they’ ll become valued customers who appreciated the help we gave at the start.”
It all means that through Robson Laidler’ s joined up, advisory-led approach, clients now benefit from access to specialist advice typically associated with larger firms, delivered through a single, coordinated team.
It allows the firm to support clients at every stage of the business lifecycle, while retaining a local, personal service.
And it shows a real commitment to Teesside, with the expanded service offering not only strengthening support for the local business community but also creating new career pathways, specialist roles and development opportunities for emerging talent.
Jack says:“ Teesside was certainly an area that we highlighted as being of strategic importance, so we’ re happy to get a presence there and it makes the group better as a result.
“ We are really happy with how things have progressed so far and are excited about the opportunities that will come off the back of it.”
For more details, visit robson-laidler. co. uk
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