Lytham finance and business advisory firm boosts jobs and doubles turnover
A Lytham-based finance and business advisory firm has created five new jobs after receiving growth mentoring through Boost – Lancashire’s business growth hub.
Suzie Brooks set up Brooks Accountants in 2013 with the aim of providing more than just a standard accountancy service. Her aim was to also to support clients in successfully managing and growing their businesses.
She discovered very quickly the challenge to convince clients that her business could really deliver this wider service. Not wishing to give up on her ambition, Suzie sought assistance from Boost’s Growth Mentoring service.
Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub and is led by the Lancashire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) and Lancashire County Council and supported by funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The Growth Mentoring service aims to help business owners facing growth challenges in areas including business planning, finance, sales, marketing and human resource management.
Through the mentoring service, Suzie developed a new business plan covering sales, marketing and people development. The new plan has reaped rewards with Suzie relocating to offices in central Lytham, taking on five new members of staff, while doubling turnover.
Over the next 12 months she aims to double turnover again and take on additional staff to fill accounting and administrative roles. Suzie also plans to grow her online finance and business mentoring programmes.
Andrew Leeming, Boost Programme Manager, Lancashire County Council, said: “Suzie had the perfect credentials for receiving growth mentoring through Boost. She had great insight into the objectives for her business but knew it was not moving in the right direction. She needed a ‘USP’ – a unique angle for her business, to make it stand out.”
Andrew introduced Suzie to Community Business Partners, who assigned mentor Paul Bury to help her to devise a pricing and marketing strategy and look at brand development. She also received digital marketing and website support.
Guided by Paul’s advice Suzie rebranded her business to Brooks, dropping the word ‘accountants’ in order to reach more businesses. Paul also encouraged her to review her pricing structure and professional fees.
Suzie said: “I’ve got new branding, a new office, a new website and I’ve pushed my ideas further that I expected. Re-addressing my pricing structure has also significantly contributed to an increase in turnover.
She added: “Paul Bury has been so supportive and always went above and beyond to help me. He encouraged me to act on ideas I’d been procrastinating over and gave me the courage to move the business forward. The only way is up from here.”
Boost has received £3.65m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union, ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.