Exit strategies for footballers (kids and cats included)

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Renée Wallen

With the football season well and truly over, it’s time to tell you the scores for the Nordens Accountants league. Read on to see if you’ve won a prize…

Well, Mark came top again. Still no cheating, apparently, so well done to him! The runner-up was Pete, our clever web designer. No one’s seen him this week so we assume he’s still running…

Lisa came top for the girls with an amazing score, little Jack won the Youth Trophy and Joey Wallen secured the trophy for highest scoring cat!! Check out the full SP on our Leader Board!!

This was bigger news around South Woodford than Beckham retiring. Which got us wondering: does he have an exit strategy? Taking a leap back from any business is daunting – whether it’s achieved its potential or a business owner is withdrawing to recoup capital as part of a strategic business plan. You might not be thinking of the lovely David as a ‘business’ but he is actually a highly marketable product of his own making.

If you’re considering closing, selling or revamping your business, we’d love to help you. We can talk exit strategies, strategic planning or football – the choice is yours!

Happy birthday boss!!

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Renée Wallen

It’s Mark’s birthday today. He doesn’t like a lot of fuss (or so he says) so we’re not hiring a brass band to play their way through South Woodford, and there won’t be fireworks and helium balloons shooting off at noon. Probably not a good idea to let off balloons and bangers at the same time anyway!

We don’t have a troupe of dancing girls jumping out of boxes (although he’d probably prefer that to the trombone players) – and we’re not doing a Stevie Wonder flashmob in Soho Square. That’s not because we can’t sing – it’s because we’re busy doing your tax returns and sorting out PAYE enquiries.

What we DO have…. is cake!! Happy birthday Mark – hope you have a fantastic, successful and fun year ahead.

If you want to sing to Mark today, call him on 0208 530 0720.

Who’s the teacher’s pet?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Renée Wallen

We’ve mentioned before that Mark gives lectures to students at the London College of Fashion. In case you didn’t believe us (based on Mark’s up-to-the-minute fashion sense….) here he is in action!

Students ask him questions and he knows all the answers. Or, if he doesn’t know the answers, he refers them on to those of us in the office who do know. We’re highly trained in specialist areas, so if you have a question about payroll, for example, you’ll speak to Sharon. Kirsty magics away VAT problems and Lisa handles anything company secretarial. Click here to see the whole team!

The person who looks after your accounts and tax dealings (your client relationship manager) will always be happy to introduce you to other members of the team if you don’t already know them. And if you don’t know who your client relationship manager is… oh dear… we owe you a coffee and a doughnut! Call us on 0208 5300730 and let’s chat!

Are you hungry for success?

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Renée Wallen

The Apprentice burst back onto our TV screens last week with sixteen ambitious contestants battling it out to win a business contract with Lord Sugar, one of the country’s biggest entrepreneurial success stories.

Lord Sugar’s opening speech reminded us that in a tough economic climate, people with the seed of a commercial idea find it difficult to engage with banks and financial services. Those organisations are reluctant to lend money to start-ups because they’re looking for collateral and assets to protect their loans. This blinkered thinking is unhelpful and stifles creativity in business.

Most struggling start-ups would welcome the idea of an investment partner ploughing £250,000 into the business. As Lord Sugar pointed out, if you have the idea and are hungry for success, YOU are the collateral; YOU are the asset.

So if you have the idea, you’re hungry and you recognise that you’re the asset that can move your business to the next level, give us a call. We offer far more than simply a tax and accountancy service; we can tell you about alternatives to bank lending and introduce you to our strategic business partners who may be able to help you. Ring us today on 0208 530 0720.

Expert advice to help grow your business

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Renée Wallen

Do you run a business? Would you like to see it grow larger, faster or simply more profitably – at no cost to you? With the right guidance and realistic planning, there are several ways to ensure your business can thrive, starting now!

Grow your business from a little seed to a strong tall tree

As a business owner, it’s your job to make your business successful. Our job is to show you how. So we’re offering some valuable advice that could boost your income immediately. A free business advice session with a qualified member of our team will look at practical ways to increase your bottom line. We can talk about things like your business activities, staffing and ways to save tax. Or if you prefer to focus on your current finances with advice on debt management, that’s fine too.

We’ll work together to create a plan for long-term, sustainable growth. A plan that works for your business, and works for you! We have the knowledge and experience to help your business grow, and we understand what you need to succeed. Call us on 0208 530 0720 today!

Technical Integration – or Andy’s success at Salsa dancing…

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Renée Wallen

Andy’s starting his advanced stage studies this month. At least if he has his nose in a book he won’t be salsa dancing around the office. (He does that you know…)

He’ll be studying Technical Integration – sounds a bit complex to us non-accountants. (There are a few of us here in South Woodford, working alongside the accountancy and tax specialists!) Should be a piece of cake for Andy though: as well as his accountancy qualifications, he has a Masters Degree in computer science. It’s great if you need a printer unjamming…

Over the next few weeks Andy will update his expertise on Business Change and Reporting, including taxation and law, business strategy, audit, ethics and performance management.

Everyone in our team studies and qualifies on the job. We love the way they gain experience and competence along the way, giving them credible business skills as well as academic qualifications.

If you have staff that hope to improve their business or vocational skills, you may be entitled to a tax exemption. So… they gain better skills and knowledge, your business benefits, your customers are happier and you save tax. Chat to Andy to find out more about non-taxable payments and benefits for employees. Call him on 0208 530 0720 or email andy@nordens.co.uk.

Advice from some celebrity Thought Leaders

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Renée Wallen

Mark attended a seminar on how businesses can reconnect to the ‘beneficial flow of money energy,’ deepen their fulfilment in doing business and gain practical help and advice on ways to gain financial freedom.

If you think that sounds a bit airy fairy and mystical, consider this…

We all know that running a successful business is about more than simply making money. Providing a service that delights customers, is sustainable and adds value is of primary importance in this ever competitive market. Yet success rarely happens spontaneously; we all need an example to follow.

Seven ‘thought leaders’ provided those examples at the seminar, including Sir Tim Smit, creator of the Eden Project, Lynne Franks, fashion PR guru and Rachel Elnaugh, Dragons’ Den dragon!

If you’d like to know the inspirational topics they spoke about, you can read the full article here. Or, if you’d like a one-to-one with Mark to chat through tangible ways of making your business more profitable, call him today on 0208 530 0720. Or email mark@nordens.co.uk.

Yellow lines? That’s the ticket!!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Renée Wallen

All around our office someone has come in the night and painted yellow lines. It’s outrageous! It was hard to park before, now it’s ridiculous. There’s been much argument in the press about how local businesses are adversely affected by parking restrictions, and we can see their point.

Fortunately it doesn’t affect us much, as our business comes mainly through recommendations. But it’s an annoyance when clients have to park and walk round the corner. (Or skip round, if the sun’s shining…)

Are you a business that’s missing out on trade due to over-zealous parking problems? If you feel you’re losing money as a result, we can work with you to identify alternative ways to raise your income. Using innovative strategic planning methods we’ll define areas you can capitalise on to make up for the yellow lines, and show you how you can increase your earnings even more! Call Andy to find out about strategic planning, on 0208 530 0720 or email andy@nordens.co.uk

The Jolly Boys outing (accountants take a road trip…)

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Renée Wallen

Yesterday, Mitch, Joe and Tham took a road trip in the sunshine down to Tenterden in Kent, the Garden of England! We’re telling you this because if you’re thinking of choosing a new accountant and are worried that we’re too far away from you, we’re not.

They weren’t skiving off work, but visiting clients in that area. Because it’s really no problem for us to visit you if you can’t come to us. We’re happy to travel to see our clients at their offices, workshops, studios, galleries, warehouses, factories, beach huts, on set or in nearby wine bars!

Or, if you can make it into central London, we have lovely offices right in the heart of trendy Soho where we can buy you a Skinny Decaf Caffe Marocchino with whipped cream and marshmallows – or whatever it is you drink! So if you’d like to get closer to us, call us today on 0208 530 0720 and let’s make a date!

Golf golf golf!! Driving your business forward

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Renée Wallen

As you probably know, some of us here in the South Woodford office love playing around. Golf, that is. So obviously we really enjoyed watching The Masters and discussing it each day during the tournament. (Not that we’re busy talking about sports when we should be doing accounts – we can multitask…)

Some people (mentioning no names) are now recklessly swinging their clubs about, narrowly avoiding heads and filing cabinets. Others here are getting busy shining their irons and counting their tees ready for this year’s Nordens’ Golf Day.

This is one of the highlights of our year, even for the non-golfers. The team and some clients battle it out against the tranquillity of rolling green lawns and blue skies: birdies, snowmen, mulligans and mashie niblicks. (This blogger foresees a lesson in golf terminology and etiquette coming her way…)

If your business is a bit under par, ask us for an informal review to see how we can help you DRIVE it forward! Call Joe on 0208 530 0720.

Author Archives: Renée Wallen