- "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
Can't get the staff?
Research has shown that many small and medium-sized businesses are finding they cannot recruit the managers they need. The two most common reasons given are lack of suitable skills and inability to match the remuneration packages offered by larger businesses.
Internal recruitment
One obvious solution to both problems is for small and medium-sized businesses to develop strategies for recruiting managers from within. This approach has obvious advantages:
- Candidates will already be familiar with the business, its products or services, and its internal procedures, thus reducing the costs of induction and training
- Employee morale, and therefore productivity as a whole, will improve if there is seen to be a real prospect of career progression within the firm
Of course, appropriate training will still be needed, but if potential high fliers were identified at an early stage they could be given the necessary training in stages as part of a recognition and reward process.
Experience shows that employees acknowledged in this way tend to go the extra mile to prove themselves - and often develop a positive and loyal relationship with the firm.
Incentive schemes
There is also scope for smaller businesses to improve their incentive schemes. The same research shows that in smaller firms there is a much greater tendency for managers' and directors' bonuses to be linked to the overall performance of the business rather than their own individual performance. Businesses wishing to retain or recruit good managers might take note and consider restructuring their bonus schemes accordingly.
These days, even smaller businesses can be quite creative in the remuneration packages they offer. A 'cafeteria plan' that combines salary, bonuses, and other financial incentives with pension provision, insurance schemes, child-care facilities and/or flexible working patterns might prove to be just the formula to retain your star performers and encourage them to grow with the business.