A YEAR OF GROWTH & CELEBRATION
Five years of Milsted Langdon in Bath The Bath office of award-winning accountants Milsted Langdon , who work across Wiltshire ended the year on a high , celebrating five years in the city with a party at the newly opened Apex Hotel .
More than 80 local business people enjoyed a champagne reception to mark the firm ’ s success .
Ian Lloyd , a partner in the Bath office in Queen Square , welcomed the invited guests and spoke about the practice ’ s growth . He handed over to Milsted Langdon ’ s chairman , Jonathan Langdon , who went to university in Bath before co-founding Milsted Langdon with his room-mate at the time Simon Milsted . Milsted Langdon will soon celebrate its own 30-year anniversary in February 2018 .
Speaking at the event , Ian said : “ The city of Bath was present at the start of Milsted Langdon ’ s journey , thanks to Jonathan ’ s connections with the city , and has continued to play an important role in our practice .
“ When we set up an office five years ago , little did we know the success that we would enjoy . I am certain that Bath will maintain an important role in our overall practice across the South West for many more years to come .”
National Tax Award Win
Milsted Langdon ’ s Ian Lloyd and Steve Horton raise a glass to the firm ’ s fifth year in the city .
2017 has been great for the firm in more ways than one . In October , Milsted Langdon was named National Tax Practice of the Year at the prestigious Practice Excellence Awards , one of the highlights of the accountancy profession ’ s calendar .
The award for National Tax Practice of the Year was presented to tax partner , Rob Chedzoy and business intelligence partner , Chris Downing by Rachel Riley of Countdown fame .
Roy Chedzoy said : “ Winning this award means so much to our team and recognises the fantastic work they do on a dayto-day basis to help our clients with complex tax matters .
“ The Practice Excellence Awards focus on the most innovative firm ’ s operating in the UK and it was nice to hear that the judges were impressed with our forward-thinking approach to tax – especially our preparations for Making Tax Digital and expertise in handling complex R & D claims .”
Trade Mission to China Business intelligence partner , Chris Downing has recently returned to the UK after spending five days touring China ’ s economic heartlands , having helped guide 11 of the South West ’ s leading food and drink companies .
The list of delegates included household names such as Rodda ’ s , the UK ’ s largest producer of Cornish clotted cream and Jakemans , the cough sweet manufacturer .
Bristol companies , Bramley & Gage , a gin distillery , and jam maker Stute also made the trip , as did another gin maker Salcombe Distilling Company , and the juice makers Frobisher ’ s Juices and Luscombe Drinks .
Milsted Langdon co-sponsored the event with banking giant , Santander , which saw the companies meet with buyers in Shanghai , Nanjing and Beijing to discuss how they could trade with one another .
The companies were also given tours at a number of successful Chinese businesses and enjoyed presentations on trade relations and processes , including a talk on intellectual property by representatives from the Bank of Shanghai .
During the trip , delegates were advised on the tax considerations of extending their operations beyond the UK and of trading in China , and on the unique aspects of selling and marketing products in South East Asia .
“ We had a fantastic week meeting a number of important Chinese business leaders and officials alongside our fellow sponsors Santander , while also exploring some of the cultural differences of the modern Chinese business world .
“ The buyer events were very successful and a number of the firms from the South West who attended were able to meet potential customers , with rumours that new
Rob Chedzoy & Chris Downing collecting their trophy at the Practice Excellence Awards in London .
opportunities may have already opened up for some firms in the market .”
Chris believes that the visit also assisted delegates to learn more about how business is conducted in China .
“ The mobile is king in China and it was interesting to see how they utilise devices to maximise communication with potential business partners , which was not only interesting to experience , but will also prove useful when we are making inroads into this growing market for our clients .”
Plans for 2018 & Beyond In 2018 Milsted Langdon looks to grow its team adding new members to the tax and business consultancy side of the firm . Ian Lloyd commented : “ The consultancy arm is attracting a great deal of interest and referral work and our plan is to keep supporting both new and existing clients with our skills in this area .”
As well as its presence in Bath , Milsted Langdon also provides tax and accountancy advice from its offices in Yeovil , Taunton , Bristol and London .
For more info : www . milsted-langdon . co . uk
advice @ milsted-langdon . co . uk 01225 904940
Protecting your assets
By Sam Lloyd , specialist in key person insurance
You protect your company photocopier , so why not your key people ?
You would probably find it unthinkable not to have insurance protecting your business contents from the effects of a fire or a burglary .
However , the effect of losing one of your key employees within the business could be much more difficult to recover from . Proper cover is vital to help your business recover quickly and minimise the effect on your profits should an unfortunate event happen .
Possible outcomes on the death or critical illness of a key employee The unexpected can happen and the impact on your business could be damaging and permanent .
• Your business may have to be run without one of the key people whose reputation , personality or vision is crucial to its success .
• If a key employee in your business suffers , say , a severe heart attack , it is unlikely that they would be able to return to work for quite some time , if at all .
However , they may still expect to receive financial support from your business without being able to contribute to profitability .
• You may need to recruit and train a temporary replacement and therefore pay two salaries for one role .
• The sudden death of a key employee can leave you without vital skills or knowledge .
What is the need for key person cover ? The unexpected can happen and the impact on your business could be damaging and permanent .
The absence of an important employee can damage a business in a number of ways . In a moment it could lose key skills , experience and contacts . That is why you should consider taking steps to help protect your business now .
For more info : www . pib-insurance . com
18 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017