As new Directors we recently completed the purchase of our business where we had previously been employed for a number of years.

Owning your own business potentially has huge rewards (and risks) and whilst we had a good in depth knowledge of the business & its potential we also faced challenges around obtaining the correct professional advice.

Outline discussions with the Bank went well but it was clear from the outset we would require much more detailed involvement from professional advisers to get the finance in place to complete the purchase.

One of our key senior team decided to contact a local external accountant who had previously assisted the business some years previously.

We set up a meeting with Steven Crowther & David Busfield from Crowther Chartered Accountants in Huddersfield.

Steven & David agreed to review our financial forecasts & business plan to ensure that our request to the bank would be considered favourably.

The team at Crowther challenged us on the financial forecasts, discussed these fully with us and made amendments & strengthened our business plan. Crowther liaised with our lenders and our request for financial support was approved.

As new Directors of a long established and successful business we recognised the importance of professional advisers who understood our business objectives & plans for the future.

We were delighted with the support provided by Steven & his team at Crowther which proved invaluable in getting the purchase completed.

Turner Brothers (Holmfirth) Limited is based at Bottoms Mill, Woodhead Road, Holmfirth. We provide a full range of quality vehicle servicing, repair, Tyres & MOT all at competitive prices. A courtesy car service is also available on request.

Please visit our website www.turnerbrothers.co.uk or call us on 01484 682288

Our company Control House was started in 2003, specialising in electrical & software-based Control systems. In the early days of Control House we used a small local accountant, followed by a move to different accountant as the business grew. About two years ago we were made aware that our then accountant was retiring and selling the business and we thought it was the right time to look for a new accountancy firm. Our advice up to this point was largely reactive.

As a company who is looking to go over £2million turnover in the next 3 years, we looked at a possible move to one of the Leeds City Centre based firms, thinking that this would be the best way to get the right strategic proactive business advice we needed. In the midst of the talks with one of these practices, I questioned a trusted work associate about them. She replied that she had heard little about the firm I mentioned but could recommend Crowther Accountants, Huddersfield all day long!

How right was this recommendation!! Over this last year Crowther has done a real strategic overhaul of our business. Not only has their work saved us significant amounts of money, it has all come at a cost that is less that the Leeds City Centre firms. Crowther are so much more than an accountancy practice. They are totally proactive in every area from R & D to grant funding, to strategic business connections and planning. New areas for us such as CIS are not only supported but there seems to be a free training day offered for every area we ask about! As well as our own accountant, account manager and fantastic team of experienced accountancy staff, we are also given generous access to a highly experienced business manager with a wealth of experience. I asked how much it would be for this person to be involved in sourcing a new bank move and supporting us in all the funding applications that came with it. I was very impressed to hear that this was all part of the service.

One of perhaps the most surprising thing about the move to Crowther is how watching their company has made me think about ours. Their team are really close knit and love what they do. They have a lot of team building and empowerment of the team and it shows. Their branding is like something from Silicon Valley throughout the whole building, which greatly inspired us so much so that we are actually in talks with their designer to do our new website. Client relationships are built as partnerships.

Crowther are an accountancy that have a real vibrancy and actually make accountancy enjoyable and exciting (something I thought was impossible!). I went to a wonderful tennis and networking day last year which was not only great fun but provided a superb platform to get to know the staff at Crowther better and form some very interesting business opportunities.

Genuinely it would be a real travesty of justice if Crowther did not get the recognition they so richly deserve!

We are a group of companies with a common Director and a combined turnover of £5m.  Between 2014 – early 2018 we worked with our existing accountants and employed and in-house Financial Controller to develop and upscale the businesses.  In 2018 we found we were not moving forwards in the direction we had hoped and therefore addressed this by seeking a proactive and forward-thinking Accountant.

The Introduction…

Crowther Accountants were introduced to us at a networking event, and came highly recommended.  Subsequently we met with Steven Crowther and in our initial meeting he made several suggestions that would enable a leaner and more productive working method, which could strategically take our businesses to the next level.

The Solution…

As we made the transition to Crowther Accountants the support, we received went way above what we expected.  Where we may have initially been apprehensive about the move to a new accountancy practice, all concerns were soon removed by the team at Crowther’s positive and problem-solving attitude.  This gave invaluable reassurances to our inhouse team and ensured we began better working practices in as minimal time as possible given the extent of remedial work required.

Under Steven’s guidance, and with his team’s dynamic proactive approach, we restructured our accounts department, saved costs, have a better real-time idea of where the business is and where we need to take it.

Once they had everything in order, we then looked at how to run our business properly and where we could implement cost savings.  For the first time in years we have clarity of how the business is financially performing and what products are most profitable for us.  Steven and his team have taken the guess work out of running our business and put some facts and figures to it.

In the short time we have been working with Crowthers we now have monthly management reports that ensure we address any issues within a close timeframe.  Our management team are in touch with how the company is performing and each department has been given direction and clarity, which has allowed us to ensure our business is more profitable.

The Cost Savings…

During the first couple of months Crowthers team recovered considerable amounts of money by reclaiming fines previously paid to HMRC.  Our wages bill was reduced, unnecessary time spent on out of date accounting methods were removed, and in turn further costs were saved.  Overall the combined time and money spent on internal and external accountancy and bookkeeping was greatly reduced yet the accuracy and clarity of the financial status of the business was increased.

The Extra Mile…

The customer service exceeds expectations and the team at Crowther’s are friendly, approachable and professional in a far superior way to anyone we have worked with in the past.  They are an essential extension of our team.  Steven is always contactable, as are our dedicated contacts within the business.

We are a HGV fleet transport business based in Castleford West Yorkshire. The firm was established over 30 years ago & is very much a family business.

We own a large fleet of vehicles to cover all our clients transport requirements & work throughout the UK.

The firm was introduced to Crowther Chartered Accountants in January 2018 by David Busfield- Business Development Manager at Crowther who had extensive knowledge of the transport business & the challenges business owners face in this particular sector.

We had moved our accountancy work in 2016 following a recommendation so we were somewhat sceptical that the service & ongoing support could be improved.

David introduced us to Steven Crowther & it quickly became apparent that Crowther were very different in their approach to our business.

The year-end accounts were completed in a very timely manner, Company’s House entries were updated & the overall service & advice was exemplarily.

The firm were looking to make internal changes to make the financial reporting more efficient & Crowther again stepped up & assisted. Monthly Management Information is completed on time which provides us with a much more accurate trading performance & is shared with our Bankers.

As the senior Director I particularly like the proactive support & guidance which Crowther provide & feel that the company is much more in control of its day to day financial operation.

The whole team at Crowther has been very supportive to our business but I would particularly recommend Steven Crowther & David Busfield for their in depth understanding of our business & the continued support they provide.

We are a manufacturing financial advisory services company based in Holmfirth West Yorkshire.

The Directors have a number of other business interests particularly around engineering & manufacturing for both the UK & overseas markets.

Our Director’s Martin Adams & Yasser Yehya have met previously with Crowther & have built up a high level of mutual trust led by Steven Crowther M D.

We contacted David Busfield to discuss what support Crowther could potentially provide to our business particularly around our Cloud Accountancy requirements connected to submission of R & D claims to HMRC.

Crowther met with us at our offices in Holmfirth, spent time with us & provided support & invaluable advice on how to submit the R & D claims in a most cost effective & professional manner.

It was evident right from the outset that Crowther had the technical knowledge & expertise to assist us on all aspects of R & D claim submissions.

Whilst we had the software to process the claims the support from the Crowther team made the whole process much quicker saving us time and money.

During the last 6 months we have worked on a number of projects with Crowther where we have introduced new clients to them. The feedback from these new client introductions has been extremely positive where Crowther have demonstrated a fresh & dynamic approach to their accountancy needs.

As a company we need the confidence to introduce potential clients to Crowther. Steven & the team at Crowther understand their clients; their needs & the close relationship that must exist to ensure businesses can grow & prosper.

We will continue to recommend Crowther as we build this excellent mutual relationship between our two companies.

Crowther have been our accountants for 4 out of the 5 years that we’ve been in business. In that four years, the service has been second to none and they’ve helped us with variety of services as the business has grown. When it comes to finances, you need a accountancy who you can really trust, who are with you for the long-term and actually care. That’s Crowther.

I benefitted from Crowthers services in the following ways:

From their accounting skills in putting together the documentation required by the purchasers of my business

From their knowledge of HMRC procedures and requirements

From their patience and professionalism in dealing with the many different requests from the purchasers during the due dilligence process which was protracted

From their guidance and support throughout the process, always promptly answering phone calls and emails and being available whenever needed.

Crowther Accountants was introduced to me by an external advisor. At the time, we were with our second accountant in two years and frustrated that they were supplying us with inaccurate figures and a service which was unclear.

We are based in London and Crowther Accountants are 200 miles away. Initially therefore, we questioned the wisdom of our advisor’s advice to meet an accountant that far away. However, we knew straightaway when we met Steve Crowther and his Team that they were the right match for us. They were welcoming, clear about the service my company was to receive and I particularly liked that Steve showed immediate empathy to me as business owner – as one himself, he can.

The undertakings given to me at that initial meeting had been met in full and most importantly, I now receive audited and management accounts on which I can rely. Furthermore, the distance has not hindered the relationship once. Technology allows Crowther Accountants to access our Sage accounting software remotely and the team there promptly and accurately answer any queries we have. Highly recommended

Jake Davison is the founder, owner and Managing Director of City Metals Recycling Ltd, https://www.citymetalsrecyclingltd.com/ a scrap metal yard with trading premises in Barking and West Bromwich. The Company was established in 2000, recycles all types of metal and has grown consistently year on year, as a result of the reputation it has built for treating both its suppliers and its customers professionally and with integrity.

Steve Crowther at Crowther Chartered Accountants has been my accountant for over 30 years and I can honestly say that over that period, I have only ever received the correct advice and an exemplary service.  As a business owner myself, this piece of mind has proved invaluable.  It has also given me the confidence to introduce to Crowther Accountants the Clients I advise – trust me, I would not do that unless I knew they were going to get best advice!

Steve Crowther is the epitome of professionalism and has grown an accountancy practice which combines the traditional values you require from your accountant with a modern and fresh approach to its delivery.  The advice is solid, up to date and delivered by Steve and his Team with a smile.  The team spirit there is excellent, you feel it when in their Offices and benefit from it in the quality service you receive.

I have absolutely no reservations in providing this testimonial and recommending Crowther Accountants

Richard Turvey