24th November 2017
Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group (LCBSG) has exceeded all targets for its innovative accountant’s network with its 1400th recruit this week.
Lifecycle is a unique, free-to-join initiative from LCBSG aimed at providing a number of key benefits and access to specialist services to UK accountancy firms of all sizes.
Ian Dugmore, from Ainsworths accountants in Lancashire, became a member this week to help the Lifecycle network to its impressive total and round up an exciting 18 months of growth.
LCBSG Director Rik Heap said they knew that by packaging services and benefits into a simple to understand concept Lifecycle would drive interest, but the speed of uptake has surprised everyone.
“Accountants see the benefits and are engaged in it. We have bags of resource and specialists in a wide range of fields. Lifecycle membership just formalises access to that and comes with some genuine savings, especially around CPD.”
So convinced of the power of the Lifecycle concept, LCBSG has put in place a 7-strong business development team working full time across 13 offices. The team, headed up by Nicky Brooks, will be at the forefront of developing new links with accountants and promoting the Lifecycle message. Nicky commented:
“Lifecycle came from listening to accountant’s 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 LCBSG than just insolvency advice. Lifecycle is an easy-to-digest summary of all we have to offer.”
Lifecycle services include: Company secretarial and formation; equity finance for SMEs; debt advisory for SMEs; personal debt advice; corporate restructuring, insolvency and cessation; debt finance for SMEs; cashflow maximisation; property solutions and legal services.
In addition, members are eligible for access to a competitive Professional Indemnity insurance scheme, a regular programme of free training and education and discounts on products and services relevant to their business and clients’ needs.
Jessica Rushton, business development manager for Yorkshire and the North East, has been talking about the scheme to accountants from the start.
She commented: “Free CPD training on a range of accounting, tax and compliance issues, delivered through seminars and online webinars, has been a big membership driver and helped us build some great relationships.”
The sell is also rooted in that week’s news. Jessica explained: “We are highly topical in our approach to Lifecycle so solutions are wrapped up in and closely aligned to news of the day. This week it’s tax avoidance. By staying relevant we join conversations already going on in practice and usually have an answer to a problem emerging.”
Legal services, which sits within the Lifecycle portfolio and is spearheaded by Andrew Gregory, has also gathered traction in recent months as LCBSG moves towards its own multi-disciplinary practice in the SME space. Nicky commented: “Legal and accountancy advice from one source is now a reality for the clients of Lifecycle members via our offering, which can only be a positive step in our opinion.”
Ian Dugmore from Ainsworths summarised the network’s appeal: He said: “Lifecycle offers us the chance to flex our service lines 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.”
Target membership for Lifecycle in the next 12 months is set to exceed 2500 as popularity of the network and its benefits become known in the wider market via the national business development team.
For more information on Lifecycle click here. Follow Lifecycle on Twitter here. For more information on Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group click here.