Testimonials

David Wybar, Partner - Head of Rural Business at Birkett Long LLP

"We work with John Gallant regularly, in particular for mutual clients where he acts both as their adviser and as a trustee. John is very efficient and is a valued member of the professional team that supports these clients; in addition, he takes a very responsible approach to his role as a trustee, always mindful of his duties as well as the interests of the beneficiaries."

Alex Tanner

George Tanner (Shalford) Ltd “In the last 20 years our business has changed considerably, from family building contractor into a residential developer, and as the focus of our business has changed, Bird Luckin have moved with us. Their service and advice have kept pace with our needs.”

Richard Stubbings

Cliffords Limited and Channels Golf Club “Over the years, Bird Luckin have been instrumental in assisting our business development. They are pro-active and innovational, and have tailored their services to meet our needs.”

Bruce Haynes

Margem Limited "Since the management buy out of our company some five years ago, the team at Bird Luckin' have worked responsibly and conscientiously, with our company's best interests their priority. We believe that Bird Luckin's sound advice and support have allowed us to gather momentum in moving our company forward, and we look forward to working with them closely during the next phase of our development."

www.pcds.co.uk

Jane Bennett

Bennetts Funeral Directors, Brentwood As one of the oldest established businesses in Brentwood, Bennetts Funeral Directors appreciate the relationship they have built up with Bird Luckin, and the level of customer service they receive. "Our first encounter with Bird Luckin was when they judged us for the Essex Business Awards Customer Care and Service category in 2002. We subsequently won our category and overall Business of the Year," explained Jane Bennett, Managing Director. "Bird Luckin have taken care of all of our accounting needs, from the basic compliance issues such as tax returns and P11D's, to more complex areas such as developing our Sage package and providing the support we needed to keep it running smoothly." "They have also been most helpful on proactive issues such as business planning; as we developed, their Business Solutions team were able to work closely with us on matters such as pricing strategy and the range of services we provide. "It's important for us to know that we will always be able to contact the right people to give us the right advice and support." Bennetts Funeral Directors have been established in Brentwood for more than a century, and now also have premises in Billericay. www.bennettsfunerals.co.uk

Jeremy Ruggles

J.S. Wright & Sons Ltd, Great Leighs J.S. Wright & Sons Ltd are the world's leading supplier of cricket bat willow; as well as supplying blades to bat manufacturers throughout the UK, the company also exports products around the globe from their premises in Great Leighs. The family-run firm has been supplying cricket bat willow and other timber for more than a century; until recently however, the company had relied on manual accounting systems, using cash books, sales and purchase ledgers and private ledgers. Bird Luckin have worked with J.S. Wright and Sons for many years and, as company director Jeremy Ruggles (great-grandson of the firm's founder, Jessie Wright) explains, the move to using Sage Line 50 underlined the strong relationship. "Bird Luckin have been very supportive in the move to using Sage; the training was excellent, and they have generally been very helpful and practical," says Jeremy. "That level of service is something we have always received from Bird Luckin, who have advised us on the full range of accounting issues, from payroll through to developing the business. "I've probably got a dozen different Bird Luckin contacts in my e-mail address book. Although we deal mainly with one Partner, Janis Osborne, we also know that if we need to contact someone else who is a specialist in another area, we can get the advice we need quickly and easily. "It's because of that level of service that we wouldn't dream of going elsewhere," adds Jeremy. To learn more about the history of J.S. Wright & Sons, and the processes involved in growing, harvesting and preparing cricket bat willow, visit the company's website at www.cricketbatwillow.com.

Matthew Sullivan

Strategic Network Consulting Limited When IT solutions specialists Strategic Network Consulting Limited (SNC) decided to switch to Sage software for in-house accounting, the company initially approached IT-based Sage resellers. But, as Matthew Sullivan of SNC explains, it soon became clear that an accounts-based reseller would be the better partner; "From our perspective it was much more effective to work with an accounts-based reseller than an IT-based one. The IT people understood the software, but just didn't grasp our aims or the accounting issues." The company contacted Sage, and were introduced to Bird Luckin, who were asked to install, set up and train on the Network version of Sage Line 50 Financial Controller. "They were very thorough, very professional and had a good understanding of our business and what we were trying to achieve," says Matthew. "Bird Luckin got us to a stage which would have taken us months - if not years - to reach on our own, and they got us there in a matter of weeks." Since then SNC, which is based in Piccadilly, London, have now also installed Sage Job Costing, Sage Financial Forecasting and Sage Payroll; "We've been very happy with the installation, training and support we've received from Bird Luckin," adds Matthew. To find out more about the services offered by SNC, visit the company's website at www.stranet.com.

Janine Carhart

I have used Bird Luckin from the start up of my company in 1997 and have found them to be a key instrument in the development and growth of J9 Limited. Not only professionally dealing with accounts from both trading names: Barriers Direct and Bass Interiors online, and my personal tax issues; but offering advice on growth and pensions and tax that has proved invaluable" says Janine. "Their personal interest and attention to my company has provided piece of mind and individual advice to fit my exact needs. Not perplexed by any task, I have used their extensive resources even on overseas issues." Janine C Carhart, Managing Director, J9 Limited. For more information about J9 Limited visit www.barriersdirect.com or www.bassinteriors.com.

Stephen Smith - Boleyn Transport Limited

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to every one at Bird Luckin. The professionalism is second to none and working with you is a breath of fresh air. Advice is always succinct, payroll is now a simple process and support is always available at a moment’s notice. What I especially like is that whoever we call they always know the answer to our questions. To find out more about Boleyn Transport Limited, visit the company's website at www.boleyncommercialpark.co.uk and www.hgvmot.com.

On Alistair Barnwell

“We’d like to introduce you to an accountant. More specifically to our accountant. We haven’t been with him long, but in the short time we have been together, he has answered all our questions around expertise and trust. He has over-delivered. He is always available, he is keen and has great energy. He is excited about our business. It’s genuine too. We don’t believe you can fake stuff like that! How do you think we feel about him?

Well, he makes us feel good, that’s for sure. He makes us feel secure in the knowledge that an expert is taking care of our financial obligations. He gives us direction, expertise and trust. In fact, he has become a part of our business. He would have to do something seriously awful for us to consider finding another accountant. In other words, he has (in a short period of time) become visceral.

Was he unethical? Did he brainwash us or use NLP on us, or coerce us into doing things we didn’t want to do? Did he manipulate us? Of course not! He was outstanding in his interactions with us. He understood our needs, our desires, our fears, and made sure he over-delivered.” For more information please visit www.crack-it-training.com

Davison, J. and Davison, S (2011) Crack It: 5 Steps to Creating your Wow! Chiropractic Practice. London, Alice & Fred Books. p148 - 149

Understanding agriculture is an asset

Family firm W A Church (Bures) Ltd has more than a century of experience in the agricultural industry, and director Robert Church believes Bird Luckin's own knowledge of the agricultural sector is a major asset. "There is clearly a level of experience within Bird Luckin in relation to working with agricultural clients, which is a real benefit to those within that sector," says Robert, the fourth generation of the Church family to be involved in the running of the Suffolk-based seed suppliers. "You can be a good accountant, but if you don't have an understanding of the industry it can be very difficult. "There are two or three people we have regular contact with at Bird Luckin who know our business well, and it makes a difference; they have worked with us on a range of issues, including audit, tax planning and business planning. "We have been with Bird Luckin for four years now, since our accountant moved to join the firm, and we wanted to maintain some continuity. "I would rate them as good to excellent, and I would certainly recommend them to other agricultural businesses." To find out more about W A Church (Bures) Ltd, visit the company's website at www.churchofbures.co.uk.

Colin Webb

Walthamstow Stadium "In my relatively lengthy career, I can honestly say that Bird Luckin are the best firm of accountants and auditors I have ever dealt with - and I don't say that lightly!" "They understand the needs of their customers in every area - not just simply accounting but pensions, employment issues and a whole host of other areas. They use straightforward language, they are down to earth, and they are not pompous in any way - they do not talk down to their clients." "I have worked with David Huggins (now retired) for many years, but that professionalism and approach has filtered down through the team; I've yet to come across anyone within the team who doesn't share that approach, there hasn't been anyone who we couldn't work well with." "And as well as the right approach, their presentation is perfect; obviously we receive copious amounts of reports and notes with our audits, but it is presented in such a style, and written in such a language, that it is easy to understand. It means that you actually want to read the reports, because you can understand the information they contain."