Member News

The introduction of new rules in 2013, allowing employers to hold “pre-termination negotiations” with employees, without evidence of those discussions being admissible in a future unfair dismissal claim, was welcomed by employers as a positive development.

The changes, which were introduced under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, mean that employers are able to raise the possibility of termination with an employee without the need to follow a full (or indeed any) procedure and without fear of the discussions being used against the employer, in the event that the negotiations break down. Such negotiations can be particularly useful in the context of underperforming employees, with successful negotiations resulting in an agreed termination, with a settlement agreement.

At Steeles Law, we are finding that some employers are not taking advantage of the new rules, either because of lack of knowledge regarding them, or concerns about the consequences of getting it wrong. But just how vulnerable is an employer when it starts having such conversations with a poorly performing employee, which then break down and to what extent does this prejudice any subsequent formal performance management process? It cannot be denied that there are potential traps for the unwary. For example, the rules only apply in relation to claims of “ordinary” unfair dismissal; if an employee subsequently brings a claim for discrimination, or a claim for one of the automatically unfair reasons (for example, whistleblowing), evidence of a pre-termination discussion will be admissible. Employers must also be careful not to engage in what is known as “improper behaviour” in the manner in which it deals with the confidential settlement discussions, for example by bullying or harassing the employee, or placing undue pressure on them to accept the terms on offer.

However, these potential pitfalls should not discourage employers from having protected conversations with underperforming employees. Performance management processes are lengthy and can be difficult to deal with fully and fairly; it is perhaps for these reasons that many managers shy away from them, with the result that businesses often retain poorly performing individuals for far too long. Where performance management processes are undertaken, it is often at the point when the business has already decided that the employee is not up to the job and no longer wants to retain him or her. The managers and the HR professionals involved in the process can then be involved in a dishonest hoop jumping process, which can be demoralising for all concerned. Having a confidential discussion with that employee, with a view to agreeing mutually acceptable exit terms, not only makes much better business sense but can often also allow the employee concerned to leave with dignity.

It is essential, of course, that the manager engaging in the confidential discussions with the employee is aware of the limitations and is careful with the language he or she uses and the manner in which he or she broaches the subject. There is no “one size fits all” approach but by following a few simple guidelines, it is possible to have a properly protected conversation which, in many instances, will result in the desired effect of mutually agreed termination, achieved relatively swiftly and with the protection of a settlement agreement.

Employment law experts from Steeles Law will be providing further detail and guidance regarding pre-termination negotiations at the forthcoming HR Forum on 9 September 2015. We will offer practical guidance on how to have good protected conversations, whilst making sure that you are also aware of the limitations.

We will also be looking more generally at the art of dismissal, in particular the more tricky aspects, such as: Cumulative incidents and prior warnings; “bumping” and redundancy selection; maternity dismissals; TUPE related dismissals; and the removal of senior executives.

KLMUKE took part in Eastern Airways Aviation Cup 5 Aside Tournament on Saturday 11th July in Derby. Thirty six teams played from the airline & aviation industry and KLMUKE finished third, a great result for their first tournament! They played 10 matches, only loosing 1 and went onto win third & forth place play-off. The team were presented with a team/company trophy and individual trophies. KLMUKE looks forward to the 2016 tournament and retaining a place in the top three! Thank you to the players, driver & behind the scenes helpers!

A Norfolk technology company has become fundraising ‘allies’ with East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) and will offer support for the nook appeal which aims to raise £10 million to build a new purpose-built children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk.

Allies Computing Ltd, the leading UK supplier of address data quality solutions, is based in Framingham Pigot; in the neighbourhood where the nook will be built. As previous supporters of EACH, the Directors decided that they too wanted to play their part in supporting their soon to be neighbours.

The Framingham Pigot-based business has signed up to the nook business network scheme to raise at least £10,000 over the term of the appeal. The nook business network asks for companies small, medium and large throughout Norfolk to commit to raising either £10,000, £15,000 or £25,000 over the duration of the appeal in return for a number of benefits and support that the charity will provide.

Sarah Nice, Finance Director of Allies, said: “EACH is a fantastic local charity that cares for and supports local families at an unimaginably difficult time and having previously supported the charity, we were only to happy to support them with their fantastic appeal for a new children’s hospice and we welcome them as new neighbours soon.”

Gary Cook, the nook appeal corporate fundraiser, said: “We’re delighted the team at Allies are continuing with their support for the charity to help make our vision of a new hospice for local life-threatened children and their families a reality.

“We need the support of all sectors of the Norfolk community – individuals, schools, community groups and of course the business sector to achieve our fundraising target, so Allies support is fantastic and we very much look forward to working with them.”

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the appeal or the nook business network should contact the Norfolk Fundraising Team on 01953 666767 or funding@each.org.uk or for more information about Allies please visit www.alliescomputing.com

Breakwater IT, a leading IT support and technology solutions company, would like to announce the beginning of a new and exciting partnership with Swains Plc, one of the UK’s premier communications providers.

Business telecoms has always been one of the core solutions offered by Breakwater and, as the company expands, it continues to be a service that is being developed and invested in. As Breakwater explores ways of further enriching its telecoms channel, the fundamental approach has to be to partner with a prominent regional provider with the capacity to provide excellent service to its customers.

Peter Davies, Chairman of Breakwater commented: ‘Strategically we want to align ourselves with companies that are strong in this region but also who have a national presence. This alliance means we can work together seamlessly, so that both IT and Telecoms can be dealt with as one. This is a significant decision for both companies and we look forward to working with Swains for many years to come.’

Swains represent all of the values Breakwater look to offer to their clients, including carrier grade telecoms coupled with high levels of customer service, support and flexibility. This is a partnership equally sought by both businesses, as Swains recognise the importance of joining forces with an IT Provider in a world where Telecoms and IT are converging and previously separate technologies now interact in a single network.

Charles Wilson, Managing Director of Swains Plc commented: ‘The new partnership between Swains and Breakwater enables us to pool resources and knowledge to deliver the benefits of new technologies and innovation to our customers, with best of breed solutions, combined with a joined up exemplary customer service.’

The affiliation between Breakwater and Swains represents the resolve of both companies to develop the service and solutions they offer, and in turn, their relationship with customers; an undertaking which is paramount in this world of ever connecting digital technologies. Both companies value the need to offer the latest products and technologies, coupled with cost effective packages and quality of service. It is through a partnership such as this that telecoms and IT providers can continue to grow, whilst being committed to offering the best solutions for their clients.

Please watch for further news of an exciting joint venture coming soon.

With the summer holidays underway, many university graduates across the region will be looking to find their first step on the career ladder. So we’ve asked Gemma Pritchard-Jones, our Graduate Trainee Recruitment Consultant, to share her top tips for fellow graduates looking for work.

Gemma explained: “I started working at Pure in April, as one of the first employees to take part in the company’s new Graduate Training Programme. Before that I was a candidate with Pure myself, so I’ve got the benefit of recent experience from both sides of the fence. It wasn’t long ago that I was looking for my first career role. Now I’m helping others to find theirs.”

Gemma’s top tips for graduates:

Be determined and don’t give up

Having worked so hard for several years to gain your degree, it can seem depressing if you’re then faced with what feels like a further slog to find a job at the end of it all. But stay determined and don’t give up. Someone who is obviously resilient and who finds interesting and useful ways to fill their time is a big selling point to prospective employers. A degree shows your level of education and knowledge, but perseverance speaks volumes about what your attitude would be like as an employee.

Do your research

If, after years of searching for facts, figures and information for numerous assignments you thought internet research was behind you, think again! The research skills you’ve gained will stand you in good stead when looking for work. Being as prepared as possible is incredibly important in an interview, so do your research on the company first. Remember, you may be up against others with exactly the same qualifications, but how interested and knowledgeable you appear about the organisation can really set you apart. If you’re not sure what research to do, we’ve put together a handy guide here.

Gain experience

It may not be your dream role, but remember temporary positions can provide valuable experience while you look for your full-time career path. Evidence of hands on experience is extremely important for employers, and many skills are transferable. In my case I took on a temporary role in HR Administration, which enabled me to focus on recruitment skills, before I was offered my role here at Pure. Internship opportunities or voluntary work can also really help to boost your CV.

Seek expert advice

Signing up to a recruitment agency not only provides access to exclusive vacancies, not advertised anywhere else, it also opens up a wealth of support. Our expert recruitment consultants offer valuable career guidance: whether its interview techniques, CV advice, industry information or general career mapping. Our job is to work with you to ensure you are maximising all opportunities to ensure you find the right job.

A Norwich-based business advisory and insolvency firm are showing great signs of promise since opening its doors for business in April this year. Leading Business Services has experienced a high demand from clients in both the corporate recovery and personal debt divisions and has made the decision to expand into larger premises at the newly-refurbished premises at The Gateway, Pottergate, in Norwich.

Jo Pyman, Director, said “After a very successful start, we are delighted to be building the foundations for our continued growth plans. Our new city centre premises will allow us to support more individuals and businesses who are looking to start or grow their business, as well as those who are experiencing financial difficulties or cash flow issues.”

One division of the business, Leading Strategies, which works with start-up businesses and also established companies which require support during growth, has already won a number of clients.

Director Jamie Playford, a licensed insolvency practitioner with over 15 years of experience in the business rescue sector, said: “We are really excited about our unique offering in East Anglia. Using our experience gained from working with clients in financial difficulties, we are looking to share that valuable knowledge with businesses to help avoid the common mistakes that can often be a cause of failure later on.”

The company says it is working with clients producing comprehensive business plans and helping to put in place good business practices to monitor and support those plans, and that this helps clients identify and achieve their goals and gives banks the confidence to support expansion plans. In addition, the company confirmed that number of clients engaging the corporate recovery division has been higher than envisaged at this stage and recruitment plans have been accelerated as a result.

“We are conscious that many clients think that they either do not need or cannot afford professional business support such as this” added Mr Playford. “We would invite those people to get in touch to discuss their business, as getting to know and understand our clients and exploring new opportunities is where we really add value and excel.”

Jo Pyman added: “The feedback we have from our market research, including professional contacts and former clients, is that there is a need for more professional, hands-on support for businesses. Having the experience in business rescue to prevent failure combined with the skills required to drive a business forward and support growth, means our clients benefit from an overall approach that doesn’t exist elsewhere”.

So many Xero users and Xero Accountants on the front cover of the XU Magazine in May 2015 – including us.

This cover shouts about the rapid uptake of Xero – small business accounting software – and the strong community feel amongst it’s users and advocates.

There, amongst all those Twitter images sits Shaper Accountants, the Go To Xero Accountants in Norwich. If you’re new to Xero or an experienced convert, this fresh magazine is a absolute winner. It’s packed full of articles and ideas, that help small businesses. With some excellent articles about the 400 plus Xero Add-On business apps, it’s a knowledge bank of how toscale up a business, whilst keeping hold of the costs.

This is only issue 3 and it’s still a subscription only mag but it’s making a big impact. This issue has some great articles, for example,5 reasons to ditch Excel as your work scheduling tool, in favour of affordable, cloud based tools.

If you are interested in getting a copy of XU magazine get in touch with us. If you just want to admire our little logo pic on the front cover,that’s been seen all over the world, have a really good look!

Britain’s last fire extinguisher manufacturer has signed a major export deal with India – as other fire companies import from there and China.

Britannia Fire is now exporting its pioneering service-free P50 – the first non-metal extinguisher made from the same material as bulletproof vests – to India’s leading fire safety company for distribution across India.

It has already shipped 4000 units as part of a five-year deal worth more than £1million, giving New Delhi-based Aska International exclusive rights to the award-winning P50.

Britannia Fire general manager Andy Spence said: “”When every other fire extinguisher manufacturer is importing from India and China, it feels good to be doing it the other way and flying the flag for quality British-made products and innovation in these countries.”

India joins a list of more than 10 other countries the Norfolk-based company has export deals with for its 100 per cent recyclable extinguisher, which has a 20-year lifespan and a 10-year guarantee.

Its export agreement with Dubai was signed at Britannia Fire’s House of Commons reception for blue chip companies and fire and rescue authorities in March.

Its portfolio of metal fire extinguishers, also made at its Ashwellthorpe factory, where more than 30 people are employed, all over the world, including Japan, Nigeria, Oman and Kuwait.

Aska Equipment, India’s largest manufacturer of fire extinguishing products and a pioneer in the field of specialised fire safety systems and disaster management products, was attracted to the P50 because of its innovation, Mr Spence said.

“It is multi-use as well as super-efficient so there is just the need for one extinguisher, eliminating decision paralysis in the face of a fire about which of the different fire extinguishers to use. Just grab the P50.”

Mr Spence met Aska, a market leader in Disaster Management, in Dubai in January 2014 at the Intersec exhibition.

“Aska is a family business that has been going for many years and very attracted by innovation. They visited our factory and we are visiting them and will be exhibiting with them in October.”

The first 40ft container of 4000 units has already left the Ashwellthorpe factory and will double the number of units every year.

The ‘green’ P50 doesn’t require the costly annual servicing of traditional extinguishers – just a simple in-house three-step check, offering significant cost savings to companies, he said.

It has attracted the endorsement of the government’s former chief fire and rescue adviser Sir Ken Knight, who praised it for offering significant savings for British industry” by taking costs out of maintenance while maintaining all the “effectiveness of portable fire fighting.”

The P50 needs refilling every 10 years rather than five and takes out costs of servicing, spares, and replacements.

Developed by Norfolk businessman and inventor Roger Carr, managing director of Britannia Fire, the P50 has already been installed for multi-site organisations, including Thames Valley Police, Anglian Water and university campuses across the country, offering huge annual savings.

Britannia Fire is in talks with major blue chip companies and household names across the country after hosting a reception at the House of Commons. Supermarket chains the size of Sainsbury’s would save about £6m over 10 years by swapping traditional metal extinguishers for the P50 in all branches, Mr Spence said.

The company has just launched a new F-class fat fire version of the P50 for restaurant kitchens, fish and chip shops and fast-food outlets.

It plans to launch its 4kg and 2kg versions in early autumn

Business in the Community has launched the largest ever workplace survey of race at work in the UK. The charity wants to hear from 10,000 ethnic minority and white employees to understand their experiences of race at work in the UK.

In the UK today, ethnic minorities are under-represented at every level of work. 13% of the population is from an ethnic minority background, but only 1 in 16 top management positions are held by an ethnic minority person. Ethnic minorities are also less likely to succeed in recruitment and less likely to be rated as top performers compared to white peers*. The race at work survey aims to gain better understanding of the issues around this under-representation of ethnic minorities in work, and is asking ethnic minority and white employees aged 16-64+ and currently in employment in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) to share their experiences through the survey.

Sandra Kerr OBE, race equality director, Business in the Community said: “The reality is that the UK has a diverse population. By 2051, 1 in 5 of the population will be from an ethnic minority background. Evidence gathered to date shows that underlying cultures and processes may contribute to ethnic minorities not being treated equally in work. We want to hear the reality of race at work for today’s employees. The collective voice of 10,000 people sharing their experiences will mean we can move away from debate, straight into action.”

The survey is open from Monday 27 July 2015 until Sunday 13 September 2015 at www.raceatwork.org.uk, and is sponsored by BT, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Nationwide and Sainsbury’s.The findings of Business in the Community’s race at work survey will be released in November 2015.

Aston Shaw’s Payroll Manager, Scott Drewery has been shortlisted for a prestigious Practice Excellence Award, in the category of Unqualified/Trainee of the year 2015.

Scott has been working towards his level 4 AAT qualification which he hopes to complete by the end of this year, after passing both level 2 and 3 first time. He has been with Aston Shaw for over 5 years and in that time has excelled – progressing from a new trainee to managing the payroll department, heading up the conversion to RTI and the current shift in the payroll process with regards to the new legislation around auto-enrolment.

Mark Russell, Client Manager of the Great Yarmouth Aston Shaw office nominated Scott for the award, commenting: “Scott is an essential member of our Payroll Department. He manages 2 younger trainees and has gained significant experience on the job alongside his formal AAT training. I have put forward Scott for this award, because he is a natural communicator, enthusiastic, has gone above and beyond to show aptitude for his role and we have been able to rely on him throughout our busiest periods”.

Scott Drewery, Payroll Managersaid: “As I grow and develop in terms of my experience and qualifications, I would like to further my payroll knowledge by specialising in the industry, so I can add more value and be able to run the Payroll department efficiently, proactively and profitably. I would like to advocate the study of specialist qualifications, such as payroll to my fellow trainees – as many prefer to take the generalist route and study to become a chartered certified accountant. My short-term aim is to grow and develop the Aston Shaw Payroll team – recruiting another team member to allow us to handle a greater volume of work – enabling me to bring in new clients and upsell extra services to existing ones.”

Want to take a good income while building an asset for your future? Mark Fordham did. Here’s how he made his million in just 9 years with a TaxAssist Accountants franchise and now sits on its board of Directors.

Mark Fordham’s career had been spent entirely in the Financial Services industry, with a background in banking, internal audit and lecturing at degree level. Realising that his whole career had been with big corporations, he decided that he wanted to work for himself and be in charge of his own destiny and build up his own business close to home.

“The reasons why I chose to consider franchising are the lower risks, and support in areas I had little or no experience of, such as sales and marketing. As part of my due diligence I visited the franchise exhibition at Wembley, looked at websites and magazines, spoke to franchisees and attended discovery days. I also attended a BFA workshop. The reasons I chose TaxAssist Accountants were the positive feedback I received from the franchisees and the success to date of the franchise, the set-up of the Support Centre and the trust I had in them running the franchise. Added to this, I felt that accountancy and tax was an area I could succeed in.”

TaxAssist Accountants is an innovative and award winning franchise servicing small businesses and the self-employed. The franchise which is this year celebrating its 20th Anniversary, was established when the founder figured out that small businesses would need help with their tax and accounts in the wake of self-assessment. Services offered include year-end accounts, tax returns, bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll and cash flow projections. After consistently winning awards in both the franchising and accountancy sectors, TaxAssist has grown to become the 25th largest network of accountants in the UK servicing over 53,000 clients from over 245 shops and offices.

Mark was awarded his TaxAssist franchise in 2003 and built up a client base in St Albans and Harpenden in Hertfordshire. He proved to be a very successful franchisee winning the TaxAssist Fastest Growth Award 3 years in a row, as well as TaxAssist Accountant of the Year, and the British Franchise Association Bronze award in 2009.

“The training and support I received from TaxAssist was first class. Everything they said they would do was done and more. I estimate that my business was years ahead of where it would have been had I started on my own, as a result of joining the franchise.”

“I attended an initial training course in Norwich which covered accounts, taxation, software, sales and marketing. Training and support continued whilst I was out in the field, in the form of technical and marketing help lines, on site visits from technical personnel and Directors, update training days, and of course the support and advice of other franchisees. I also continued to receive a steady stream of leads from the support centre, and found their marketing activities both on a national and local level, and their campaign toolkit particularly useful.”

“I opened my TaxAssist shop in 2009 which led to an immediate boost in new business due to increased client walk-ins. I made sure I continued to be active with networking and marketing, encouraging referrals and ensured that everyone knew where the shop was. The shop also gave the business a professional appearance with even more credibility. I think the shop was the key to my success. It was the visibility, combined with my efforts to drive business forward, and the back-up of the support centre, which lead to me building up to a client base of over 900.”

In 2012, just 9 years after starting his franchise, Mark sold his business for £1million to an incoming franchisee. “I’m happy to say he is still a franchisee, and working alongside his family, he is himself driving the business forward with renewed energy and enthusiasm which is great to see.”

TaxAssist openly encourages all franchisees to consider their exit strategies, and they even provide training days so that plans can be put in place early on in the franchise term. Mark approached the Franchise Recruitment Manager advising that he would like to start the search for a purchaser, and within six months the ideal candidate had been found.

“Did I face challenges along the way? Of course. I worked harder than I ever had and I was slow to take on staff and was perhaps guilty at times of working in the business, not on the business as I should have done. This is not a franchise you can effectively run on your own. When I sold the business I had 13 employees, all of whom were crucial in helping me to achieve what I did. The TaxAssist support extends to staff, who can also attend training courses and use the helplines, which then freed up my time.”

“If someone asked me what advice I would give to someone buying a franchise, I would say to do your research thoroughly. Think about what you will need from the franchisor and consider if they will provide this. Talk to existing franchisees and get a feel for how they are doing.”

The TaxAssist franchise takes on both accountants and business/finance professionals and has found that they make equally good franchisees as is evidenced by Mark’s success. Franchisees can employ accountants while they concentrate on building the business, holding client meetings and networking. What is important is that candidates have plenty of energy, a friendly persona, are technically competent and have a desire to succeed and exceed their goals.

In January 2015 Mark joined the franchise as a Non-Executive Director, representing the interests of the TaxAssist franchisees.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my role as a TaxAssist franchisee and I am looking forward to bringing my wealth of practical know how, into the decision making process of the TaxAssist board. The business model of TaxAssist is sound and there is certainly a ready client base crying out for the good quality, reasonably priced services on offer. I am evidence of what can be achieved by hard work, following the business model, and a personable manner. “

The Franchise Fee to join TaxAssist Accountants is£34,950 + VATand allows franchisees to work from a commercial office and then move to a shop front by the end of their third year. Alternatively franchisees can open up a shop front from day one, allowing their business to grow faster. Full support and advice is available to help with business planning and finance raising and TaxAssist work closely with you to help you to achieve your goals and aspirations.

Over the last 20 years the support on offer has grown and evolved, providing first rate, unparalleled initial and ongoing training and support packages for franchisees and their staff. This includes help lines providing comprehensive support on accounting and tax issues, lead generation, marketing campaigns, localised and national PR and a raft of additional services providers for franchisees to offer an enhanced service to their clients.

Each franchisee operates in an exclusive territory, and there are still many territories and resale opportunities available across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. If you would like to find out more, please ring 0800 0188297. The next step would then be to attend a Discovery Day at the Support Centre in Norwich, where you will be provided with more details and will get to meet with one or more of the Directors of the franchise. You will also be provided with a full list of franchisees for you to speak with as part of the research process, as well as research guides and business plan templates.

TaxAssist Accountants the successful small business tax and accountancy franchise is thrilled to announce that it has won a bronze award at the 2015 ‘Franchisor of the Year’ awards, arguably the most prestigious awards ceremony in the franchising industry calendar. This is on the back of winning the Gold award in 2010 and being a finalist in 2014 and means TaxAssist has now won the award in every available colour!

Judges comments were:

Cathryn Hayes head of business support at the bfa comments: “This is a business that has taken on multiple challenges in the last 12 months and met all of them successfully. The strength of the relationship that TaxAssist Accountants has with its franchisees has instilled a deep trust and honesty between all parties, critical to the exceptional performance of the business and duly recognised with this award.” The UK head of franchising for HSBC, Andy Brattesani comments: “TaxAssist Accountants impressed the judges on many different fronts, not least the franchisee-assisted management buyout and international expansion. It’s particularly notable that these have been achieved alongside continued expansion within the UK and with increased support and training for their franchisees, who continue to thrive. This is a business to watch in 2016.”

The winners were announced at a black-tie dinner held at the ICC in Birmingham on June 25th. Group CEO Karl Sandall and Group Business Development Director Sarah Robertson of The TaxAssist Group picked up the award on behalf of the company. Karl comments “Winning the bronze award in this, our 20th Anniversary year and on the back of being a finalist in 2014 is a brilliant result and is testament to the hard working Support Centre staff and our fantastic network of franchisees. We know our business model works, but to hear such positive comments from the judges on our achievements and way of working is a great endorsement of TaxAssist.”

Established in 1989 and the highest honours available to brands in the sector, the awards recognise the UK’s most exceptional franchisors in a range of categories for their business growth and development, service excellence and commitment to ethical franchising practice.

On the back of this success, the Directors of TaxAssist are keen to push the growth of the franchise network forward by offering an incentive to any franchisee that joins TaxAssist as a new franchisee on the last course of the year which starts on 19th October.

Karl explains “To celebrate our milestone anniversary and our bronze award win, we are seeking to expand our network further by incentivising people with an offer of £5,000 cash back from the franchise fee when they move into a shop front. The only stipulations are that the franchisee must take on a new territory, i.e. not join TaxAssist as a partner or due to a resale, and that they join us in our 20th year 2015 on our next course in October.

I’m more than happy to meet any interested parties, as I usually do, at one of our regular discovery days in Norwich to discuss further. These days are a great opportunity for prospective franchisees to meet the senior support team, and learn more about how we work with you to help you to establish your own substantial business.

I’ve seen franchisees join us for a variety of reasons. Some are looking for a better work life balance, some for less commuting, and others are just fed up of working for others and want to break free and work for themselves. All of them could see that by joining TaxAssist, they could work for themselves but not by themselves and while they are doing so, they are building a valuable asset. With our help and support, we can help you to achieve your personal goals, whether you’re working towards a 5 year contract or 25. Tax and accountancy services are always in demand and with our retail style shop concept which is so convenient for the small business owner we know how successful you could be.

Please do contact the recruitment department on 0800 0188297 for an initial chat and to book onto a discovery day. I look forward to meeting you.”

For full news of the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards 2015 click here to visit the bfa website