- "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
A proper induction for new staff
Recruiting new staff takes up precious time and resources, so once you have found the right person for the job make sure you allocate sufficient time and resources to induct them properly. If you do not, you risk losing the new recruit and having to go through the whole process again.
Often, induction is simply a matter of holding hands for the first few days and then for an hour or two a day in the following weeks. Set a target for when the new recruit should be able to work on his or her own and make them aware of it so they have something to aim for.
During the trial period assess their competence and ability. If someone else is doing the inducting (which is likely to be the case if you employ more than four or five staff) make sure they know what is involved and adjust their working time accordingly.
Do not underestimate the time it takes to do it properly and give the inductor the support he or she needs to look after the newcomer while staying on top of their own work.
Investing time to plan and organise the induction of new recruits delivers long-term benefits of increased morale and productivity. These far outweigh the loss of a few hours of the inductors' time.