- "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
Major shake-up of business inspection on the cards
A major overhaul of business inspection is on the cards, deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced.
Speaking to small business leaders, Clegg revealed that, in addition to the 'intelligent' reduction of red-tape and regulation, another specific area of work for the Government is ensuring that inspectors such as HMRC, the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety executive understand that their job is to make businesses lives easier, not harder.
"There will be a major shake-up of business inspection - going through the regulators, asking ‘are they still necessary?'; ‘Should they still exist?'; making sure that, yes, they intervene when necessary, they offer advice and support, but otherwise they let you get on with it," Clegg said.
He continued to say that regulators must respect the Regulator's Compliance Code, which says that regulators must think about and encourage economic growth. He also suggested that regulators should not be allowed to turn up when they want and as often as they want, but should be limited to a maximum number of visits a year, perhaps two.
On top of this, Clegg revealed plans to reduce the number of bodies, "We also know that which-body-does-what can be extremely unclear. So we're minimising the number of authorities you will have to deal with in the future, introducing sunset clauses for new regulators, placing them under rolling review; if they become irrelevant, or their functions are replicated elsewhere, they'll go."
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have welcomed the speech, but said that more detail needs to be given to raise business confidence. Dr Adam Marshall, director of policy and external affairs at the BCC said:
"At the local level, the picture can be complex, so we need to see more detail on the government's proposals. Sometimes regulators and enforcement generate burdens and bureaucracy that block business growth. Yet it's also important to encourage joint working between local regulators and local businesses, so that officials go after real risks rather than tick boxes. Businesses up and down the country say that there needs to be a clear culture change, making local regulators into allies for business and growth rather than just enforcers."