Following Local Business Week (13 to 19 May), accountancy and business advice firm Adams Moore says building smart, local relationships should be a focus all year round and is therefore offering any company within a fifteen mile radius of its Tamworth office discounted fixed-fees for two years. Businesses in Birmingham city centre, those north-west of the city, Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield, Nuneaton and Ashby-de-la-Zouch will be eligible for this offer.
With an annual turnover of over £300 billion, the UK SME market – making up 99.9 per cent of all UK businesses – continues to go from strength to strength, in spite of a hazy economic outlook. However, while preparing for Brexit it is of tantamount importance for Britain’s businesses, entrepreneurs and freelancers to adapt to the changing times and plan accordingly for the future.
Tips for doing business locally
- The SME ‘community’ has become what it is today by business owners collaborating, co-operating and learning from each other – competitiveness is not always productive.
- By personally recommending fellow businesses on your doorstep, you’ll soon find them doing the same for you.
- With 70% of SMEs having expressed a desire to make a positive impact on the lives of local customers, partnering with other like-minded businesses is a great way to demonstrate solidarity and ultimately increase your customer base.
- From launching a blog to devising a more integrated approach, a robust local marketing plan has the potential to propel your business into the spotlight.
- You’ll find the majority of social networks offer paid services to target your content to local audiences.
- Using Facebook Business Manager, SMEs can create and save customised ‘Audiences’ to steer their content via location, demographic, interests and behaviour.
- From digital to print, press coverage in local publications is also worth exploring and can prove an extremely effective regional tactic.
- By shopping in their neighbourhood, not only are customers supporting the local economy; with less distance to travel, they are also reducing their carbon footprint – a positive key message for any company.
- For additional peace of mind, outsourcing tasks to local businesses or freelance traders allows you to meet face to face with your consultant and build that all-important rapport over time.
- Providing improved transparency, local businesses that specialise in SME support will often offer packages bespoke to requirements and ask if they offer local business discounts.
Neil Lancaster, Partner at Adams Moore, commented: “Navigating the changeable landscape with a strategic eye on doing business locally could make a huge difference to some Midlands businesses. Local Business Week is a fantastic initiative to remind people of certain practices, but we believe supporting local businesses should be front of mind all year round. We’re helping companies to thrive through this time of uncertainty, whether helping to make tactical decisions on key products and services or streamlining accountancy process through a digital approach and us processing payroll requirements.
“To celebrate our passion for local business we’d like to invite businesses within a 15 mile radius to take advantage of a special offer. Eligible companies and sole traders appointing us by the end of June will receive discounted fixed-fees for two years, and we invite them first to contact us for a free, initial consultation at our offices.”
Businesses must formally appoint Adams Moore by 30 June 2019 to be eligible for the discounted two-year rates on accountancy and business advice services. Call Adams Moore on 01827 54944 to arrange an initial, free one-hour meeting or visit: www.adamsmoore.com.
