- "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
Surprise growth for service providers
The service sector saw 'surprisingly buoyant' business conditions in December, according to the latest figures from Markit/CIPs.
The figures show that activity and new business within the industry grew at the strongest rates since July.
The headline index from the survey posted a five month high of 54.0 in December, up from 52.1 in November, and boosting the gap above the benchmark of 50, which separates growth from contraction.
Commenting on the figures, Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit said: ""The December survey rounds off a reasonable fourth quarter for the service sector, which is likely to again provide the main stimulus to overall economic growth. Services are likely to have expanded by around 0.3%-0.4% in the final quarter, down from 0.7% in the third quarter but offsetting a renewed downturn in manufacturing and sluggish growth of construction to help the UK avoid a slide back into recession, at least for now."
The survey also found that business confidence remains low among service providers, as growth expectations slip and anxiety grows over the Eurozone crisis and austerity measures.
Williamson adds: "Uncertainty remains unusually high, and companies look to be hunkering down for a tough year in 2012. However, the upturn in services activity in December provides some encouraging news that the UK economy is showing some resilience among the many headwinds that it is currently facing."