Small & medium-sized businesses

We work with the owners and directors of businesses with a turnover from £250,000 to £25 million.

No two businesses are the same. Some of our clients have a relatively small team behind them, others are far larger with perhaps 250 or 300 people working in the business.

Typically, the directors and business owners we work with are based in the West Midlands. However, we are happy to work with businesses from further afield.

Our focus is on helping you meet both your corporate and personal financial goals. We also know that the success of your business will directly affect your ability to achieve your own financial ambitions.

How can we help?

We help business owners and directors plan both their personal and corporate finances. In the context of a wider plan, developed to help you meet your future goals and aspirations, we can help with specific issues, such as:

Your business finances

Tax-efficient income strategies: We will recommend the right strategy to ensure you take money from your business in the most tax-efficient way.

Workplace pensions: We will keep you compliant with pension legislation, while putting in place a package of benefits which will help to attract and retain high-quality members of your team.

Commercial finance: Whether to purchase property, buy equipment or fund expansion, many businesses need access to commercial finance. Working with our partners, we will put the right solution in place for you.

Pension planning: Using a pension has always been a tax-efficient option for withdrawing money from your business. However, the changes in legislation, which allow more flexible access to your pension and for it to be passed on to younger generations when you die, have made pensions an increasingly attractive option for business owners.

Commercial property purchase: Many of our clients prefer to own their business premises rather than leasing from a third party. We can help to arrange the commercial finance necessary. Where appropriate, we can also advise on the benefits of using a self-invested pension, such as a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) or SSAS (Small Self-Administered Scheme) to buy the property.

Shareholder protection: We will recommend the right solution to ensure that if a key shareholder dies, sufficient funds are available to purchase their equity. This protects the position of the surviving business owners, as well as the financial dependents of the deceased shareholder.

Your personal finances

Mortgage finance: As a business owner, finding the right mortgage isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. Whether you are a first-time buyer, moving home, remortgaging or looking to invest in a Buy to Let property, our partners will recommend the right mortgage for your needs. They will process the application too, removing the hassle from what can be a stressful time.

Protection: Considering the effect that illness or death would have on your financial dependents is a fundamental part of financial planning. We will recommend the right protection package to ensure that the financial future, for you and your loved ones, isn’t put in danger should you fall ill or pass away.

Short-term savings: Holding money on deposit might mean it is slowly eaten away by inflation. However, there are times, for example, if you are saving for a house deposit when it is necessary to hold cash. We’ll do everything we can to help you offset the effects of inflation.

Your children: Whether you want to pay for private education, help fund university, or provide a lump sum as a deposit for their first home, we’ll build these objectives into the financial plan we create for you.

Retirement: Helping you to retire at a time which suits you, with an income which delivers your desired lifestyle, is central to the financial plans we produce for our clients.

Estate planning: Making plans for when you are no longer here is important, yet most people don’t have a will. We will help you put appropriate arrangements in place to ensure your loved ones are protected when you are no longer here, and your assets are distributed in accordance with your wishes.

Inheritance Tax: When appropriate, we will make recommendations to help reduce the amount of tax paid when you or your spouse dies. This maximises the amount you leave to friends, family and good causes, and minimises the tax paid.

Value of advice

We know the value of high-quality, independent, financial advice. Each and every day, we witness first-hand how it benefits our clients.

However, research has also quantified the benefit of taking advice:

  • People who work with a financial adviser boost their assets by an average of £41,099 (Source: International Longevity Centre: The Value of Financial Advice Report July 2017)
  • The same research found that taking financial advice leads to higher incomes in retirement:
    • All ages: £773 more per year
    • 65-79-year olds: £1,100 more per year
    • Aged 80 and over: £1,300 more per year
  • Those people who work with a financial adviser save, an average of £98 more per month, creating an additional income of £3,654 each year in retirement (Source: Unbiased)
  • The earlier people take advice, the better prepared they are for retirement:
Age when first sought retirement service Well prepared for retirement Not prepared for retirement
18-24 71% 11%
25-34 52% 15%
35-44 41% 25%
45-54 39% 29%