- "In the last 20 years our business has changed considerably…and as the focus of our business has changed, Bird Luckin have moved with us."
Alex Tanner, George Tanner (Shalford) Ltd - "Bird Luckin has looked after us incredibly well for over 60 years, they are pro-active and innovational - meeting all our needs to help us achieve our aims."
Richard Stubbings, Cliffords Limited - "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!"
Colin Webb, Walthamstow Stadium - "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."
Jane Bennett, Bennetts Funeral Directors - "Although we deal mainly with one Partner … 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"
Jeremy Ruggles, J.S. Wright & Sons Ltd - "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"
Matthew Sullivan, SNC Ltd - "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.""
Robert Church, W A Church (Bures) Ltd - "The work which Bird Luckin has done for Boddingtons over the past few months has helped shape our future direction for the better."
John Warner, Chief Executive, Boddingtons Ltd - "Bird Luckin has acted for us since our inception 10 years ago. They have a very 'can do' yet highly professional attitude - we are very appreciative of their support and advice over the years."
Marlon Fox, Outlook Property Ltd
Reducing the cost of stress
With millions of working days lost in the UK each year, stress costs British businesses billions annually. To make matters worse, a landmark court case recently ruled that employers can be held liable for the effects of workplace stress on employees' health.
Experts believe that besides leading to falling productivity rates, stress also greatly increases the risk of personal injury.
Two of the principal causes of stress are bullying by managers and people being put in jobs they are not suited to. Businesses can begin to tackle the problem by introducing simple personality assessments, job rotation, and regular management reviews.
Causal factors
Taking a broader view, a number of causal factors can be identified:
- A general increase in the pace and complexity of working life brought about by the rapid growth in information technology
- The erosion of personal space and time resulting from developments in communications technology
- Increased workloads resulting from staff cutbacks, etc
- Increasingly informed and demanding customers and clients
- Lack of job security
- The stresses involved in commuting to and from work, travelling on the job etc.
Some of these factors are out of the hands of business owners, but others can be addressed - especially when it comes to IT-induced stress.
Computer rage
Research has shown that many people working with computers feel frustrated or stressed because of IT problems. The majority of computer users have seen colleagues hurling abuse at their PCs, and admit to swearing at their own computers!
The results of this new menace of 'computer rage' are not only higher stress levels, but also measurable costs to the business - deadlines are missed, contracts are lost, and customers angered. Clearly this is an area where the business owner is in a position to improve matters.