22nd July 2021
Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group has exceeded all targets for its innovative accountant’s network with its 3000th recruit.
Lifecycle is a unique, free-to-join initiative from the leading multi-disciplinary business services group aimed at providing a number of key benefits and access to specialist advisory services to UK accountancy firms of all sizes.
Catherine Hancock, Senior Manager at Thompson Wright chartered accountants in Staffordshire joined recently to get the Lifecycle network to its impressive total. She said “Being part of this network provides us with many resources and specialists covering a wide range of different fields. This in turn, allows us to provide the most up to date advice to our clients when they really need it. Given the difficulties a number of businesses have faced during this pandemic, having this resource has benefited our clients. Not only that, it allows the team to keep up to date with their CPD requirements in an easy to access format.”
Leonard Curtis Director Rik Heap said they knew that by packaging services and benefits into a simple to understand concept, Lifecycle would drive interest.
“Accountants see the benefits and engage with it. We have bags of resource and specialists in a wide range of fields. Lifecycle membership formalises access to that and comes with some genuine savings, especially around training and CPD.”
Partly to help deliver the Lifecycle offering and partly as a result of the significant level of engagement from accountants around the country, Leonard Curtis has invested in a team of Business Development Managers over the last few years which now totals 13 across the UK. It’s headed up by Nicky Brooks. She commented:
“Lifecycle came from listening to accountant needs. We then put together a range of benefits and services that we knew would make a difference. Obviously, that includes insolvency skills, but there is a lot more to the group offering. Lifecycle is an easy-to-digest summary of all we offer.”
Lifecycle services include: Company secretarial and formation; offshore services for SMEs; debt advisory for SMEs; personal debt advice; corporate restructuring, insolvency and cessation; finance for SMEs; cashflow maximisation; property solutions and legal services.
In addition, members are eligible for a range of other offerings that directly benefit their firms. These include access to competitively priced Professional Indemnity insurance cover, a regular programme of free training and education and discounts on products and services relevant to their business and clients’ needs.
Business Development Director Nicky, who started her Leonard Curtis career as the first full time BDM 10 years ago, has been talking about the scheme to accountants from Lifecycle’s day 1.
She commented: “Free CPD training delivered in person or, over the last year, via Zoom, on core tax and accounting topics, as well as more specialist subjects like the anti-money laundering regulations, has been a big membership driver and helped us build some great relationships.”
The sell is also rooted in that week’s news. Nicky explained: “We are highly topical in our approach to Lifecycle, so solutions are wrapped up in and closely aligned to news of the day. So, response to Covid has occupied most of our thinking in the last 12 months. By staying relevant, we join conversations already going on in practice and usually have an answer to a problem emerging.”
Legal services within the Lifecycle portfolio, spearheaded by highly regarded Manchester lawyer Andrew Gregory, have also continued to grow significantly since LC Legal’s inception in 2016. Rik again: “Legal and accountancy advice from one source is now a reality.”
Jess Swinton, Director at Thompson Wright summarised the network’s appeal: She said: “We’ve worked closely with the team at Leonard Curtis for over seven years now and the assistance and advice they’ve given to our clients during that time has been vital. Lifecycle offers us the chance to flex our service into non-core areas when we need to but leaves us at the heart of the solution for our clients. Everyone’s reputation for problem-solving is enhanced.”
For more information on Lifecycle click here. Follow Lifecycle on Twitter here. For more information on Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group click here.