Partner Article

O’Connors LLP and Mazars back Families in Business North West launch

National network, consultancy and membership organisation Families in Business (FiB) is launching its new North West division with the support of the region’s leading professional services firms and professionals.

The North West teams of Top 10 UK accountancy firm Mazars, and the specialist corporate and commercial law firm O’Connors LLP, are backing Families in Business (FiB) and are its exclusive Approved Advisers for the whole of the North West region.

FiB will launch its North West regional operation at an event for family businesses and advisers at Wirral’s 5 star Hillbark Hotel & Spa, on 5th December. Guest speaker is Ian Meadows OBE DL (pictured), former High Sheriff of Merseyside, and Executive Chairman of R S Clare & Co Ltd, which was founded in 1748, making it Liverpool’s oldest family business and longest established lubricants manufacturer.

Family businesses account for two in every three of the UK’s private enterprises, with three million family businesses in the UK employing over nine million people that contribute almost a quarter of all GDP to the UK economy and have a combined annual turnover of £1.1 trillion.

FiB delivers focused consultancy, membership, events and tools tailored to the needs of family and owner managed businesses across the UK, and in its latest step in a rapid national roll-out campaign, is launching with a dedicated new team in the North West.

“The North West is home to more than 300,000 family-owned or run businesses,” comments FiB founder and CEO Dani Saveker, “and as such represents an important base for FiB in order that we can provide the specialist support and community they need here in the region.

“FiB’s services and our unique concept have created enormous interest amongst the region’s pre-eminent professional advisers, who are keen to be involved and lend their support to our network of services to deliver the very best, relevant advice to family businesses across the region. It’s fantastic that we launch in the region with Approved Advisers Mazars, Mazars Wealth Management and law firm O’Connors LLP already fully on board.”

Dani founded FiB in 2012 to ensure support, resources, tools and a neutral community exists for family businesses. She was formerly the fourth generation and CEO in her own family’s manufacturing business for seven years, so has first hand experience of the complexities of family businesses: “This means FiB can support family businesses from a position of knowing some of what they are experiencing and the challenges they are facing having ‘lived it’ for many years when I was at the helm of my own family’s business.

“This underpins the structure and approach of FiB, which strives to address the often lack of understanding amongst professional advisers of the idiosyncrasies and unique challenges of a family business.”

Gareth Hitchmough, Partner at Mazars in Liverpool says: “Mazars is delighted to be involved with FiB, and as a firm we are committed to supporting owner managed and family businesses across the North West from our Liverpool and Manchester offices. The sector is facing a number of opportunities as well as challenges, and we provide partner led solutions to businesses of all sizes, whether trading locally, nationally or internationally.”

John Spofforth, Partner at O’Connors LLP in Liverpool, adds: “O’Connors LLP is a family business itself. All the partners have external business interests in family-owned businesses and understand first-hand the unique dynamics of owning and running a family business. We use a combination of legal and strategic expertise and experience to deliver holistic solutions to the challenges that arise in family businesses and to assist families to achieve their ultimate ambitions.

“Becoming a FiB Approved Adviser is a natural step for us as strategic alliances with best of breed advisers and organisations in our key sectors is ingrained in our DNA.”

FIB has agreed with its North West Approved Advisers that where possible they will support Alder Hey Children’s Hospital as their chosen charity in the region.

FiB’s first North West Ask the Adviser and launch event provides family businesses the rare opportunity to meet an array of hand-picked professional advisers and family business experts from sectors including legal, accountancy, wealth management, banking, IT, PR and marketing, for a series of confidential one-to-one meetings, with no obligation and totally free of charge. The guest keynote speaker at the event will be a leading representative from the UK’s family business sector. Ian Meadows OBE DL, Executive Chairman of R S Clare & Co Ltd and High Sheriff of Merseyside 2013-2014, said: “We should never forget that key members in a family business must include the employees, and by establishing an inclusive atmosphere, a very powerful force will be created.”

For more information, and to reserve a place: office@fibcommunity.com.

For more information about FiB, visit: www.fibcommunity.com, and follow @fibcommunity on Twitter. For more information about R S Clare & Co Ltd, visit: www.rsclare.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Families in Business (FiB) .