Finance Awards 2021 Blackthorn: Best Multi-Currency Business Banking Company 2021 Montane Finance: Commercial Finance Broker of the Year - Northern England
2 | Finance Awards 2021 Welcome to the Finance Awards 2021 Now in its third consecutive year, the UK Finance Awards are excited to announce victors for this sought after programme! The UK continues to innovate and galvanise the sector, and in 2021 our nation’s capital remains one of the leading hubs of the global financial services industry. Contributing £132 billion to the economy in recent years, the financial sector has proven vital in supporting the UK’s small and medium business community. Not only are SMEs championed through funding opportunities made possible by venture capital and investment specialists, but also through highly valuable and specialised services such as bookkeeping, payroll, and the insight of personal financial advisors. UK Fintech companies are also paving the way to a bright new future as they continue to inject accessibility and convenience into financial management. Sif Brookes | Senior Editor
Finance Awards 2021 | 3 Contents 4. Blackthorn: Best Multi-Currency Business Banking Company 2021 6. Montane Finance: Commercial Finance Broker of the Year - Northern England 8. Oakmount and Partners ltd: Incoming Success. Best Fixed-Income & Investment Specialists 2021 10. Abaqus Limited: Best Accountancy & Business Advisory Firm - Gloucestershire 11. Mortgages with Hannie Ltd: Best Emerging Mortgage & Protection Firm - Yorkshire 12. Thistle Initiatives: Most Advanced Fintech Compliance Consultancy 2021 13. Jones & Co Independent Financial Advice: Best Retirement & Pension Planning Firm - Derbyshire 14. Auria Accountancy (Herts) Ltd: Most Trusted Accountancy - South East England 15. Mountside Ventures: Best Investors & Start-Up Fundraising Process - London 16. BuildLoan Ltd: Best Self-Build Mortgage Specialists 2021 17. QuantoPay Ltd: Best Educational FinTech Solution Provider - Greater London 18. Shawpoint: Best SME Corporate Finance Advisory Firm 2021 19. AS Financial: Best Mortgage Brokerage & Protection Advisory Firm - Greater London 20. RS Data Tech Ltd: Best National Credit Agency 2021 21. Recognise Bank: Best SME Bank 2021 22. Abode Finance: Best First Time Buyer Mortgage Brokerage - South East England 23. Choaccountancy & Practice Limited: Accountancy of the Year 2021 - South West London 24. Zoo Accounting & Business Solutions Ltd: Best Accountancy & Business Consulting Firm - West Midlands 25. Bean Counters: Boutique Cloud Accounting Practice of the Year - England 26. Venn Wealth Management Ltd: Most Comprehensive Financial Planning & Wealth Management Firm - South West England 27. Robin Hood Mortgages: Most Trusted Mortgage Broker - Nottinghamshire 28. Silver Birch Care: Fair Living Wage Employer of the Year 2021 & Best Social Care Finance Director 2021: Sorraya Amlani 29. Tavistock Private Client: Best Financial Planning & Wealth Management Firm - England 30. KLN Accountancy Services Ltd: Most Trusted Payroll & Bookkeeping Services Provider - East Midlands 31. Car Analytics: Best Vehicle Data Checks Provider of the Year 2021 32. Sestini and Co Pension Trustees Limited: Best SSAS Trustee & Administration Service 2021 33. The Academy of Life Planning: Best Financial Adviser Support Network 2021 & Award for Outstanding Contribution to Finance 2021 34. Santorini Financial Planning (SFP): Most ClientFocused Retirement Planning Firm - East Midlands 35. Purnells Insolvency Practitioners: Best Insolvency Advisory Boutique Firm 2021 36. M Squared Accountants: Best Accounting & Business Advisory Firm – Aberdeenshire 37. Saffron Building Society: Most Trusted Building Society - East of England 38. Bevan VAT Consultancy Limited: Tax Consultancy of the Year 2021 - County Durham
4 | Finance Awards 2021 Dec21434 Best Multi-Currency Business Banking Company 2021 When it comes to creating innovative financial solutions, Blackthorn is one of the key firms that stands out. With a breath-taking track record that includes impressive end-to-end solutions for customers, the firm has gone from strength to strength in a rapidly changing economy. In the SME News’ UK Finance Awards, the team found new heights of success. We dig a little deeper to discover more. When looking for growth, the challenge for SMEs and corporate organisations is finding the flexible financial infrastructure that they need to support their evolution. There simply aren’t that many options out there. Blackthorn is one of those options in this underserved sector, offering the future of integrated financial services with a flexible, scalable ecosystem. This opens the door for these companies to operate both locally and internationally with no friction. The team’s frictionless onboarding process allows the firm’s clients easy access to multiple financial services in one place. Whether it’s e-commerce acquiring, cash rewards, or access to numerous payment rails such as BACS, CHAPS, SWIFT, faster payments and SEPA, Blackthorn has the ability to support clients the length and breadth of Europe. The key to the firm’s success is their remarkable ecosystem and flexibility which ensures that the team can meet any requirements a customer might have, with ease. When it comes to accessing digital payment services, Blackthorn provides solutions for three key market segments individuals, commercial organisations and financial institutions. It’s essential that businesses in the banking sector work to provide cross border, multi-currency transactions in a way that is consistently frictionless. To this end, Blackthorn offers companies various ways forward including multicurrency IBANs and real time FX conversion. As a result, the team can receive and send money globally in over 120 countries. The Blackthorn team has achieved the incredible over the last few years, and this impressive growth is only set to grow in the future. By 2024, global cross border payments flow is expected to be $156 trillion annually and this movement of money is being ignored by traditional financial services. Too often, they remain siloed and inflexible, with poor FX rates and high levels of friction for businesses. Blackthorn is specifically designed to ensure that businesses can do what they need and when they need to do it. Of course, it’s not just cross border payments that are on the rise. The last couple of years have seen the world of E-commerce transform. The solutions on offer from Blackthorn are custom designed to suit the specific needs of the business. The team’s payment gateway technology allows them to connect their business and website to the largest payment methods across the globe, while also providing localised solutions that are truly second to none. Over the last few years, businesses that have never been digital have been forced online, and many have turned to Blackthorn because of their high standards and adaptability. It has secured the growth of many firms as they have learned to court an international audience. The success of the business is due, in no small part, to the way in which it is structured and organised. To ensure that employees have the ultimate in flexibility and ownership, Blackthorn is built around a flat team structure. The result is an incredibly agile business that can make decisions and changes of tack incredibly swiftly. The fluid approach has been vital to remaining ahead of both the competition and the markets as the business has grown and evolved. Those who work at Blackthorn must align strongly with its culture first and foremost. Its essential to have high energy, be driven, resilient and can maintain a strong will towards building success. The nature of the business means that all employees play a crucial role in the firm’s continued growth. An open-door policy means that everyone knows everything about the day-to-day running of the business and can make suggestions for improvement where it might be required. The degree of transparency at all levels has made for a firm which is incredibly progressive. With a firm built around such a rapidly evolving industry, it’s clear that challenges are part and parcel of how the team operates. In many ways, it is what Blackthorn thrives upon. That said, decisions to protect the firm in the short term can hamper long term goals. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated this in every sector and businesses across a multitude of industries have had to work hard to stay ahead of the crisis. Throughout this uncertainty, the Blackthorn team has explored every new opportunity presented to them. Every one of the team’s services has continued to run on a remote basis, seamlessly transitioning to the new normal of home working. As such, very little has disrupted the impressive services offered by the team. In fact, the team has taken advantage of the remote way of working to recruit a wealth of impressive talent from around the world. The new level of efficiency reached by the team has allowed them to push forward in their plans for development in spite of the difficulties of the last few years.
Finance Awards 2021 | 5 Best Multi-Currency Business Banking Company 2021 Having already established services in the UK for payments, FX and IBAN multicurrency account services, Blackthorn is planning to expand their payments services into Europe and Asia. FX and cross border payments are at the heart of the company’s framework, and the team’s impressive supporting financial services will allow businesses to innovate and grow within a seamless ecosystem. Alongside this expansion geographically, Blackthorn has developed an extended roadmap to deliver additional products that will support international clients. The team will address the E-Commerce payment market by introducing a payment service that will enable customers to make payments through 100 local payment methods to over 120 countries globally. It’s this degree of innovation and in-depth knowledge of the sector that keeps them in such high demand. It’s clear that Blackthorn is a service of the future. Their work has pushed the boundaries of what the industry traditionally does and has been rewarded for this farsightedness. We celebrate the team’s tremendous success and look forward to what they achieve as the markets continue to change. Company: Blackthorn Email: [email protected] Web Address: https://blackthorn.finance
6 | Finance Awards 2021 Nov21342 Commercial Finance Broker of the Year - Northern England As a link between businesses and commercial lenders, finance brokers need to have charisma, character, and – most importantly – a deeply rooted knowledge of the industry. Acting as an intermediary between investors and an exchange, Montane Finance has been providing its clients with everything they need to make the right investments via its extensive research, investment plans, and powerful market intelligence. Here we talk to David Booth, Commercial Director. about this prestigious firm so that we can find out more as it wins this UK Finance award 2021. A commercial finance broker is an expert individual who specialises in helping small business owners and investors to connect with their finances correctly. By being wellversed in commercial finance this individual is able to provide the best advice, plans, and loans for the client. Montane Finance serves its clients in the hospitality and care sectors “who approach through existing relationships as well as referrals from trusted advisors. These range from accountants to solicitors and selling agents as well as existing customers,” David tells us. It ensures that only the finest and “most appropriate finance solutions are identified with the keenest terms obtained,” he adds. At Montane there is a very focused and driven attitude that runs throughout the entire team. Leaving no stone unturned, each member of the team adds something of value to every interaction – thus benefitting the client in every way possible. As an independent boutique advisory business, Montane “seeks to partner with acquisitive, ambitious, and committed healthcare and hotel operators,” David shares. Striving to keep forming long-term relationships with clients the team at Montane promises to share its wisdom for a more sustainable future. Focusing on the long-game this firm offers the chance to experience steady and reliable advice for as long as is needed. The team at Montane “are empowered to take ownership of a connection from the very start. They can call upon any of our industry experts either agency or banking at any time. We encourage joint appointments to promote understanding and education within our teams to ensure the provision of best advice to clients,” Scott explains. It is this kind of team effort that is much appreciated by businesses everywhere. There is always someone to help and many individual avenues to choose from to achieve the best results imaginable. Montane’s core values are all centred around commitment, partnership, independence, and sector knowledge. All of its values go hand in hand and create the perfect working atmosphere for the firm so that its clients may get the best out of what it does. By being heavily committed to the client and their needs, Montane has achieved a national coverage that is propelling it forward in the industry. Gaining traction and building a name for itself, Montane perpetually adapts itself to trends and industry challenges. It is committed to going with the flow of time as things inevitably shift from one decade to another. David adds, “It ensures that from the point of introduction to the successful completion of the transaction, Montane Finance will be with clients all the way”. It is with its dedicated nature that it follows through on every promise made, and with its timely manner that it completes tasks to the best of its ability right on target. With its extensive and rich sector knowledge Montane’s opulent experience shines for each one of its clients. “The Directors pride themselves on their deep and broad knowledge and understanding of the Hospitality and Care sectors. Montane Finance will be able add commercial value to businesses throughout the funding process,” says David. With over 50 years of experience in chosen sectors, and over 35 in the banking environment, Montane gives its clients all the tools they need to advance their business strategies and, ultimately, make better business moves. This year has seen a huge list of closures Striving to keep forming long-term relationships with clients the team at Montane promises to share its wisdom for a more sustainable future.
Finance Awards 2021 | 7 Commercial Finance Broker of the Year - Northern England across the hotel and care industries due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As the industries have seen many staff members come and go, with increased staffing needs and costs, this firm has a specialist market approach that helps it to provide clients with bespoke funding solutions that will inevitably improve their situations. “Funding markets have been stagnant for the past two years with traditional lenders concentrating on consolidating existing relationships,” says David. This tells us that there is opportunity for “a number of competitor banks to enter the market” in order to offer their innovative stance for business empowerment. With the future looking strong for Montane, David enthuses, “We pride ourselves on the independent whole-of-market advice our customers receive. We provide a bespoke service for each connection with no two solutions the same. We work with the customer from the initial approach and beyond the final drawdown. This ensures that funding takes place as smoothly as possible and that Montane are not just a transaction led business. We continue to work with our customers to ensure their financial relationships continue on a strong footing.” Not only is Montane welcoming the return of more normal times, but it is also welcoming every new client with open arms. It aims to build relationships that will enable clients to come back time and time again, as they will know that they can truly trust Montane Finance. Contact: David Booth Company: Montane Finance Web Address: https://www.montanefinance.co.uk/
8 | Finance Awards 2021 creating palatable excitement among its clients, placing them in a position of strength to yield a consistent and desirable return on investment for the long term. Glenn states, “At Oakmount, we introduce outstanding products and unsurpassed service that, together, deliver premium quality and value to our customers.” Company Name: Oakmount and Partners ltd Contact Name: Glenn King Web address: www.oakmountpartners.com Contact email: [email protected] Recognised as the Best Fixed-Income and Investment Specialists of 2021, Oakmount and Partners uphold individuality and self-reliance, which has given the company excellent acknowledgement within the industry. Founded over a decade ago, Oakmounts intellectual strength and perseverance is appreciated and respected by its clients, Established in 2009, Oakmount and Partners Ltd is a multiaward-winning investment consultancy giving clients access to internationally diversified investment opportunities. These prospects are explicitly designed to reduce volatility, improve returns, preserve capital, use diversification to increase performance and generate regular income and capital growth. Managing Director Glenn King explains, “Oakmount and Partners are renowned for its investment acumen, financial insight and unrivalled customer service. So, as an awardwinning business, we believe it’s imperative to take control of your financial affairs early on, which can lead to much more financial freedom long term for you and your family.” Because Oakmount is able to introduce such a broad range of investment projects, its clients typically include high-net-worth professional investors, along with corporate platforms, entrepreneurs and intermediaries. Due to their quality range of clients, it is industry apparent that Oakmounts is heavily respected and globally recognised for its efforts within its field of expertise, trusted amongst some of the top companies in the market. Oakmount is internationally connected, aiming to build solid, lasting relationships with clients, priding itself on its long-term sustainability and comprehensive service level. Thus, the company can add tangible value to any investment portfolio with attractive annual yields and significant capital growth potential. Oakmount’s team of professionals engage with investment opportunities in some of the biggest and most popular asset classes daily, Incoming Success. Best Fixed-Income & Investment Specialists 2021 including asset allocation and management of commodities, clean energy, green mining, land acquisition and development, tech and IPOs. Moreover, the company can provide clients with up-to-date knowledge of the everchanging market landscape and offer strategic investment plans that are customised to the needs of the individual and based on risk profile and return targets. In doing so, this helps clients bridge the gap between where they are currently financially and where they’d like to be over the medium to long term. For the better part of a decade, Oakmount has been fortunate to build upon relationships with its clients that have yielded exceptional results, further underpinning the strength of the partnerships with all it serves. In addition, the company manages its business in several areas with a key and essential contribution to sustainable and environmentally friendly investment opportunities. Thus, giving eligible investors access to premium investment opportunities that aid with investment management and put together investment strategies using its advanced analytics software, unmatched expertise and global contacts For Oakmount, the critical factor in its continued growth and success is its commitment to placing the client at the heart of everything it does. Therefore, the company uses an initial in-depth client profiling tool and continuous reviews to ensure that client services and products are directly aligned and attuned to their objectives and requirements. However, with investment opportunities leading out to 2025 and beyond, the company is Nov21511
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10 | Finance Awards 2021 receive from each member of staff is aimed to promote connection and individual importance. With continuous adaptability and attention to detail, members at Abaqus are highly trained and understanding when it comes to changes and dealing with mistakes. However, it is the way they handle the obstacles that enable the company to power through and sustain a positive regarded from its clients and industry community. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Abaqus found that its workload was increasing immensely. Clients were panicking about money, and with the government announcing new grants, loans, and schemes, Abaqus could guide them through what could or couldn’t be claimed. Tom explains, “As we advance, there have been tax legislation changes, some good, some more negative. We ensure that our clients will know all they need to do the best for them. For example, the pandemic made our clients talk to us more, which is a positive thing. The more we know, the more we can help.” Going into 2021, Abaqus had set ambitious targets, and as the year is ending, those targets have almost been reached. Looking ahead to 2022, the company aims to continue its growth within the industry and with its clients and, as a result, are looking to take on an accounts assistant to ensure that its service levels will remain high – as they should be. Company Name: Abaqus Limited Contact Name: Tom Payne Web Address: www.askabaqus.com Contact Email: [email protected] Based in Gloucester, Abaqus Limited is a small yet accomplished accountancy practice that aids companies reach their full potential. Recognised as the Best Accountancy and Business Advisory Firm, Abaqus works with clients, offering a complete service that allows businesses to grow and achieve their goals. Known as AskAbaqus through its networking references, Abaqus are modern accountants with a traditional twist. With over 21 years of experience within the industry, Director Tom Payne has worked with several clients and businesses in various sectors, forms and sizes, from local organisations to national PLC companies with multi-million-pound turnovers. Abaqus has an enormous variety of clients that range from high-net-worth individuals to sole traders, all of which are serious about expanding and growing their companies and are collected heavily from referrals through its network. Thus, reinforcing its reputation as proof that Abaqus is great at what they do, with clients’ appreciation and respect marketing their brand through recommendations. Whilst the company tackles the compliance side of things during its process, Abaqus members find that the most important and integral part of the job is the joy created from helping others progress. The company can explain management accounts and connect clients to other contacts, unafraid to ask difficult questions and challenge clients to get the best growth and goal reach. Over time, these values have been developed and improved, creating a work environment that encapsulates the business ethos. For Abaqus, what differentiates them amongst competitors is its personal approach to its clients – a one-size approach may work for others. Still, to become leaders within the industry, companies have to make a significant difference with their customers and within the market. As a director, Tom’s attitude toward business is the basis of Abaqus, and the interactions clients Best Accountancy & Business Advisory Firm - Gloucestershire Nov21086
11 | Finance Awards 2021 Mortgages with Hannie is a flexible, adaptable, and highly respectable mortgage and protection firm that ensures the best future for each client as they go through some of the most important processes in their life. For a first-class service that will leave you feeling satisfied and understood, Mortgages with Hannie is the place to go. Mortgages with Hannie is a West Yorkshire based mortgage and protection firm that provides a range of services from residential mortgages and investment buy to let mortgages, through to mortgage and family protection. With over 6 years experience in the mortgage market, Mortgages with Hannie was established in just June of 2021 and has been growing rapidly since so that it can help more and more people buy their first homes, invest in property, and protect their families. They aid people in finding a mortgage that they are happy with, and suitable to them based on their circumstances. By providing mortgage advice that is realistic and professional, Mortgages with Hannie is able to help people to make the right choices for a safe and secure future in their own properties. Understanding that advice for mortgages and protection is absolutely essential, Mortgages with Hannie offers varied options as well as a personalised, one to one service. Its protection advice includes all that customers need to know about protecting themselves and their loved ones. Mortgages with Hannie prioritises a wide range of services such as decreasing term and level term assurance, income protection, family income benefit, and critical illness cover. All of these services are dealt with in a professional and compassionate way. They know that these processes can be difficult to digest with all of the different mortgage companies and lenders, and they are a firm believer that things should run smoothly and hassle free. With six core values, Mortgages with Hannie manages to promote reliability, loyalty, honesty, commitment, consistency, and efficiency throughout everything that they do for their customers. By holding these values close to their heart, Mortgages with Hannie offers their customers the chance to experience a business that truly cares about them. They believe that the customer is the most important thing to the business, making sure to listen to all requirements, wants and needs with no judgement and plenty of patience. By building great relationships with each customer, Mortgages with Hannie has been able to succeed in such a competitive industry in such a short space of time already. Working flexible hours to accommodate clients, owner and primary adviser Hannie Rollins works hard to accommodate everyone’s needs as well as giving them the most desirable service on the market. She and her team work diligently to provide advice and support to cater to all of your requirements. For a customer-centred experience that ensures topquality results for all, visit Mortgages with Hannie. Contact: Hannie Rollins Company: Mortgages with Hannie Ltd Web Address: www.mortgageswithhannie.com Oct21707 Best Emerging Mortgage & Protection Firm - Yorkshire By providing mortgage advice that is realistic and professional, Mortgages with Hannie is able to help people to make the right choices for a safe and secure future in their own properties.
12 | Finance Awards 2021 business models to deliver practical solutions that reflect their real needs. This philosophy has proved its worth – today the firm is one of the UK’s leading regulatory consultancies with a team of 40+ talented people working in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. Its clients include many well known names and it is constantly expanding the range of services and support it provides. Thistle Initiatives’ staff are essential in delivering its service. It is important to have helpful, understanding, and talented consultants focused on the best outcomes for the businesses it works with and, importantly, for their clients as well. The focus is on finding a compliant yet commercially minded solution, which is an ethos adopted by its consultants. As people increasingly use innovative fintech products brought to market by exciting and dynamic new fintechs, Thistle Initiatives wants to continue to be at the forefront of the regulatory space. Whilst the space continues to prove a vitally important one, especially given recent market developments, the diversity and pace of innovation can also prove to be challenging to stakeholders and the companies that support it. The company’s goal has been, and will continue to be, to help these innovative firms navigate the space with the confidence that they are in line with a complex and ever-evolving regulatory framework. Absolute Cover is a trading style of Resolution Compliance Ltd. Company: Thistle Initiatives Contact: Sophie Long, Group Managing Director Email: [email protected] Thistle Initiatives, part of the Thistle Group, is an award-winning consultancy providing expert compliance advice and support across the financial services sector. Its clients range from niche start-ups to long-established global market leaders, and its expertise is split into specialist practice areas covering investments, payment services, financial crime, credit, general insurance, and regulatory technology. It advises and supports firms in relation to compliance with FCA regulation, PRA requirements, and other key legislation impacting the financial services industry. Thistle Initiatives handles everything, from helping start-ups seeking direct authorisation and firms transitioning from Appointed Representative (AR) to Directly Authorised (DA) status, to advising on capital adequacy, regulated accounting (including CASS), and Section 166 issues. It also provides a range of compliance services including training, audits, M&A reviews and due diligence, plus ongoing support and advice. It offers a practical and bespoke service to each individual client. Businesses are often quoted the rules and regulations applicable to their operation and then left to implement these on their own. In contrast, Thistle Initiatives’ focus is to ensure that it provides the correct and appropriate guidance as well as supports firms in executing these on a practical level, often involving a number of faceto-face meeting and audits, with ad hoc support to follow as required. Thistle Initiatives is a member of the Association of Professional Compliance Consultants (APCC), the body that represents compliance consultancies advising FCA regulated firms in the UK. The APCC promotes high professional standards, sets best practice guidance for members to follow and often works with regulators to pilot or test new initiatives and provide feedback on a range of topics. This relationship gives members like Thistle Initiatives valuable direct access to the FCA, from which its own clients benefit. In 2021, Thistle Group’s services were extended. As well as offering an appointed representative service with Resolution Compliance Ltd (authorised and regulated by the FCA) and a compliance monitoring platform via Compliance Star, it also established Absolute Cover, an Most Advanced Fintech Compliance Consultancy 2021 insurance brokerage specialising in high-quality liability insurance for FCA regulated firms. Absolute Cover can help FCA regulated firms access business insurance including Professional Indemnity (PI), Cyber and Data (Cyber), and Directors and Officers (D&O). Thistle Initiatives supports and guides financial services firms with a wide range of compliance services and provides the expertise to manage both strategic and hands-on projects. Founder and CEO, James Dingwall started Thistle Initiatives in 2012 and while previously working with two of the big four consultancy firms, James recognised the challenges faced by financial services firms and the mix of skills and expertise it takes to deliver effective solutions. James’ experience with blue-chip clients shaped his philosophy of combining high-level skills and experience with a personal, tailored approach. The focus of the Thistle Initiatives team is to always interpret regulations in the light of clients’ specific Nov21856
13 | Finance Awards 2021 Jones & Co Independent Financial Advice is an award-winning team of holistic financial planners based in Chesterfield. With a team of highly motivated, dedicated and knowledgeable financial planners, our aim is to meet the financial needs of the local population and surrounding regions. Each of our independent financial advisors (IFAs) is qualified to give unbiased, jargon-free financial advice across a wide range of financial services; the aim being to improve upon an individual’s current and future situation. We advise clients on all aspects of finance and investment including investments, pensions and wealth management. Complementary skills and personalities Our fantastic team really complement each other. With their unique skills and personalities, they make the firm a success by striving for our key objective: helping clients to preserve or accumulate wealth and security. None of us could’ve foreseen recent global events, but this period of unprecedented upheaval brought the Jones & Co team yet closer and gave us an opportunity to underline how adaptable and innovative we are. It also highlighted how well we work as a team, even when we’re not all in the same place! Improving our clients’ financial situations The business was founded on helping clients to preserve or accumulate their wealth and security and that goal has never been more important. Thanks to the sheer tenacity of the team and a highly robust IT system that allows us to work remotely and securely, we’ve been working hard to continue to improve our clients’ current and future financial situations. Always putting our clients first, we have excellent long-standing client relationships and this has paid dividends as clients turn to us because they trust us and that, in turn, makes the team even stronger and more determined to succeed. Best Retirement & Pension Planning Firm - Derbyshire Exceeding client expectations with exceptional teamwork This new way of working actually informed our continued best practice and we decided to keep online consultations. What’s more, investment and pension portfolio performance across the board has exceeded client expectations; we couldn’t be prouder! As a result of this incredible teamwork, the company is set to grow and expand further in 2022 as we look to recruit several new financial professionals with specific skills and expertise over the coming months. At the same time, we have a great opportunity to grow the company via acquisitions. So, we are seeking to acquire relevant businesses that will able us to further strengthen our position in the markets for the benefit of all of our clients. Here at Jones & Co we remain determined to focus on the many positives that our industry has to offer and will ensure we take advantage of them to ensure a bright future for both our clients and staff. Words by Jones & Co Independent Financial Advice following its recognition in the UK Finance Awards with the title, Best Retirement & Pension Planning Firm – Derbyshire. Nov21014
14 | Finance Awards 2021 clients’ and our own processes.” Auria’s team members are passionate about what they do, they want to help their clients achieve success, and are all committed to using their training and qualifications to drive everyone to success. Andy tells us, “An in-depth knowledge of how businesses work is imperative to what we do and all of our team members use their training and onthe-job experience to build this knowledge base to give our clients the best service possible.” The Auria team has recently found the pandemic has had a silver lining with it opening clients’ eyes to the benefit of a closer relationship with their accountants. This enabled the team to discuss the benefits of planning and regular financial management reporting, as well as to work with clients and impart the knowledge they have of their businesses and the industries they work in to navigate through these pressing times. The Auria Group now has big plans in 2022 and beyond. As well as looking to build their West-End of London Head Office, headed by Spencer Hall fca and their Hertfordshire office, they are also exploring opportunities for subsequent Home Counties Offices. The focus remains in adding quality to their team and the services provided to owner managed businesses, to ensure they keep improving in helping their clients. Andy shares, “In addition to the practice growth, from our London head office, we are launching a family office service where we are able to look at the whole family and the business interests, operate and manage the entirety of those interests so as to give complete visibility to the family of how these interests are performing, without them having to run the finance systems themselves. This will be open to high-net-worth families and individuals, split into: Media, Sport & Creative and the more traditional businesses. Company: Auria Accountancy (Herts) Ltd Contact: Andy Fairclough Email: [email protected] Website: auria.accountants Auria Accountancy (Herts) Ltd is a general accountancy practice, but it considers itself to be more than that to its clients. In light of Auria’s success in SME News’ UK Finance Awards, we got in touch with company director, Andy Fairclough to find out how the firm helps its clients. Andy Fairclough believes any accountant should be able to do your accounts and your books; if not, they shouldn’t be doing what they are doing. He believes that Auria Accountancy is more than that. He said, “We want to be our clients’ strategic partners for their businesses, helping them plan and achieve everything they want for their businesses and, more importantly, themselves and their families.” Auria Accountancy’s core values centre around its commitment to its clients and their businesses. Ensuring they are compliant with HMRC and all statutory filings while helping them look forward and plan their future successes. Being proactive and offering up-to-date, real-time financial information, regular review and planning meetings throughout the year as opposed to once yearly contact. This allows the companies to play that important role within businesses as the strategic financial partner. Speaking about how Auria approaches and deals with clients, Andy said, “We genuinely will talk to anyone and any business. We like to ensure that both the client and our firm are a good fit for each other. So, whether it is an approach from a new client directly to us, or if someone has referred us onto a possible new client, we make sure we meet up and discuss their business and their requirements in detail. “In this deep dive, we ensure we find out the key drivers of the business and provide a detailed proposal for what we believe the business needs to achieve its goals. We are committed to planning and being involved in our clients’ businesses from the ground up.” A crucial part of providing this dedicated service to clients is the firm’s staff. Andy says, “We always look for committed and dynamic team members and like to believe we breed a culture in our firm where our team always puts our clients first and strives to find improvements in both our Most Trusted Accountancy - South East England Dec21179
15 | Finance Awards 2021 Mountside Ventures’ mission is to optimise the fundraising process between European start-ups and investors. It partners with the most ambitious entrepreneurs raising their next round of funding, in order to minimise the disruption to their business, acting as an extension of their team for the duration of the raise. This is done by helping them get investor-ready, introducing them to relevant investors and supporting them in closing their round with terms that are right for them. Mountside Ventures is dedicated to making the fundraising process simpler, more efficient and ultimately, saving time for all parties involved. One of its core goals is to support the European ecosystem on its journey towards catching, and ultimately overtaking, the US in years to come. The organisation works with early-stage companies looking to raise Seed, Series A, and Series B investment from institutional investors. Typically, the companies it partners with are postproduct and post-revenue, across a wide range of sectors – from B2B software to marketplaces and consumer brands. It looks for fast-growth businesses with top tier founding teams and big vision ideas, relevant for venture investors (VCs, CVCs, venture debt providers and family offices). What makes Mountside Ventures unique is it operates as a start-up for start-ups. Having previously launched PwC’s early-stage propositions, which involved supporting an ecosystem of corporates, investors and start-ups, the company realised it could be more agile and better service the start-up ecosystem outside of a large organisation, being a leaner and streamlined team which focuses on this specific problem – early-stage fundraising. First of all, Mountside Ventures is not a broker, and it is not a placement agent. Many founders have had bad experiences with individuals or organisations who charge a fee for just making an email instruction to a potential investor. As well as unregulated brokers in the market who risk criminal liability, the firm doesn’t believe it’s the right way to work with start-ups. For entrepreneurs, the value Mountside Ventures provides is split into four areas, and they’re all complementary. First, it gives them a clear understanding of the fundraising process, what’s involved, who the key players are and how to succeed. Second, it critiques and challenges them on their documents, ensuring they are fit-forpurpose and works with them on articulating their value and investor propositions. Third, it introduces them to relevant investors across Europe who have the cash to deploy and where it believes there is a good fit. Finally, it empowers them to close their rounds on terms that are right for them, walk them through the implications of what they’re signing up to, and leverage its knowledge of the market standard. Instead of charging a retainer or upfront fee, the company defers the payment for its services until the round is closed. If it only worked with companies who were able to pay for support now, it’d lose out on working with some of the best entrepreneurs. Although the introduction is one piece of the puzzle, the feedback it has received indicates that it is certainly not where the most value is gained. Mountside Ventures is also unique because of its track record – having worked with over 400 tech companies either in a fundraising capacity or as part of the corporate accelerator it co-founded at PwC; its vast investor network – holding deep relationships with 550+ venture capital firms across Europe; and its use of technology – connecting a wide range of software in order to increase efficiencies, for example, it has mapped over 3,000 VCs and tracks all new funds raised. As successful as Mountside Ventures is, it has still had its share of challenges, more recently in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. The key challenge has been getting in front of investors. Virtual is never going to replace face-to-face interactions and pitch events, despite the fact that 100% remote deals have become popular through this period. Most founders (and investors alike) are unable to build the same relationships in conference calls as they can in person, as there is a lack of informality, flow and spontaneity. This has made Mountside Ventures even more important to its clients because entrepreneurs can leverage the trust and relationships the team already has with investors. Looking towards the future, Mountside Ventures will continue to advise its clients through their fundraising rounds. It has been recruiting the next batch of companies for the new year and tends to work with 10-15 companies at any one time. It has a couple of spaces open, so if you’re a fast-growth business looking to raise venture funding, get in touch! Company: Mountside Ventures Contact: Jonathan Hollis Email: [email protected] Website: www.mountsideventures.com Oct21324 Best Investors & Start-Up Fundraising Process - London
16 | Finance Awards 2021 with the regional building societies leading the way with innovative products tailored to the sector. However, I can see the competition increasing with the growth in popularity on the back of Help to Build.” Lastly, we asked Stuart to share the firm’s future plans with us. “Our focus is purely on developing products exclusively for self and custom build. Our aim is to continue to innovate and provide this specialist sector with our unique bespoke products and services. We want to make self and custom build into a mainstream option for everyone. We believe that the launch of Help to Build will accelerate the growth of the sector and we look forward to being at the forefront of these developments with our lender partners.” Company: BuildLoan Ltd Contact: Stuart Bryce Email: [email protected] Website: www.buildloan.co.uk BuildLoan is the UK’s leading specialist in residential mortgages for self-build, custom build, renovations, conversions and home improvements. In light of BuildLoan’s success within SME News’ UK Finance Awards 2021, we got in touch with Head of Intermediary Sales, Stuart Bryce to find out what the firm has to offer clients. For over 20 years, BuildLoan has been totally dedicated to supporting mortgage intermediaries with around 60 exclusive, solution-based mortgage products from 14 specialist lenders and a unique service, all of which are specifically designed to provide funding in line with customers’ individual project needs and to mitigate risk. Stuart Bryce said, “The two main challenges for self-builders are not running out of money or making sure they have the funds available at the right time to pay for materials or workers. At BuildLoan, we focus on mitigating risk for self-builders; we use our years of experience to verify project costings to make sure they are sufficient and tailor cashflows around the project requirements. Allied to the benefits of cost-based lending, which guarantees that the funds released match the amount required, and the option of advance-stage payments, which provides the money at the beginning of each build stage.” BuildLoan is also a master broker for bridging and development finance, so whether clients are looking to build their dream home, or they are looking to build to sell or to let, on any scale, it has the experts and the lending relationships to help and guide every step of the way. The firm’s service runs from the initial enquiry, understanding the build project, affordability and cashflow requirements, right through to managing re-inspections and stage payments to the completion of the entire build. At the heart of this service are values of creativity, excellence, responsiveness, supportiveness, collaboration, transparency and honesty. It uses its creativity and collaborative nature to build unique solutions with its lender partners specifically for the self-build sector. Its service is Best Self-Build Mortgage Specialists 2021 built upon delivering excellence to brokers and their clients, and being responsive and supportive from initial application through to completion of the build. Underpinning all this is the firm’s honesty and transparency with customers, staff and partners alike. A huge part BuildLoan’s success is its people – not only because of their level of expertise in this specialist sector or their attention to detail, but also their understanding of the needs of the broker and their client. Stuart said, “For most people, building their own home is new, different and daunting, and it’s not something most brokers get regularly, so our team will always focus on explaining everything, to help build up understanding and alleviate any worries or concerns.” Alongside providing excellent service to support brokers, the firm has created a dedicated mortgage platform called Unicus. Unicus will help brokers to learn, research and apply for tailored self and custom build mortgage products, based upon their clients’ specific project needs. Please visit the BuildLoan website to find out more about the service and to register on Unicus. Meanwhile, BuildLoan has found that the pandemic has undoubtedly given many people a reason to evaluate their living space, whether that is to move out of the city or create the perfect space for a living and working home. Stuart tells us, “This specialist market sector is increasing in popularity, and it will continue to do so, especially with the government focus on diversifying the housebuilding sector, to make self or custom building a home into a more accessible option for anyone looking to own a new property. The announcement regarding the launch of the Help to Build Equity Loan Scheme is already generating interest and enquiries, too.” He continues, “The market is highly competitive, Nov21660
17 | Finance Awards 2021 QuantoPay Ltd is a second generation fintech solution enriching customers’ freedom to spend, earn, save and transfer money. In cooperation with Contis Group Ltd, the company is directly e-money licensed in the UK and 30 European countries, while its QuantoPay VISA cards have global functionality and usage from the beginning. Since 2018, QuantoPay has been developing global fintech and other services based on the latest cuttingedge technology, partially based on blockchain. Its objective is to enable access to financial services to everybody, providing transparency and facilitating access to innovative financial solutions. It fuses technology with traditional financial services to reach young generations in particular and revolutionise banking by creating fintech as a service. The product is also open for all who appreciate QuantoPay’s way of challenging not only existing financial institutions, but also self-declared challenger banks. Access to QuantoPay’s various services will be provided through its mobile app in Q1 2022 to offer multicurrency accounts and, in partnership with VISA, payment cards for fast, secure and cheap transfer of funds. No bank account is required – all that’s needed is a smartphone with an internet connection. This is the future of smart payments. Using the service, customers will be able to rest assured that their money is safe at all times. The technology incorporates multilayer security management, new bio identification process, strong KYC/AML through ONFIDO Cooperation, fraud protection (deep machine learning), disposable virtual cards, contactless payment, and the ability to freeze/unfreeze or block their card in the app instantly. Once the QuantoPay/VISA platform has gone live, QuantoPay’s own faster and more secure Binance Smart Chain based smart contracts will be integrated, eventually allowing it to handle Best Educational FinTech Solution Provider - Greater London various administrative and fintech solutions of its platform through blockchain technology. This will be followed by lending, cashback, a deferred payment solution, international remittances, microfinance, insurtech, robotrading, and more services, to be implemented at a later stage. A key benefit of QuantoPay’s service is it saves the fees. It will not take money away from customers but it will actually give it to them, enabling them to save on fees for every transfer or payment. In the UK, research studies found that it is up to nine-time cheaper to use QuantoPay instead of a bank to send money from GBP to AUD, EUR or USD for £200 and £1,000. And it’s up to seventimes cheaper to spend the same amount abroad with the QuantoPay card. Meanwhile, in Germany, research studies found that it is up to five-times cheaper to use QuantoPay instead of a bank to send money from EUR to AUD or USD for £250 and £1,000. And it’s up to two-times cheaper to spend the same amount abroad using the QuantoPay card. And in Australia, research studies found that it is up to twelve-times cheaper to use QuantoPay instead of a bank to save money from AUD to EUR or USD for $250 and $1,000. Ultimately, QuantoPay believes in fairness, aiming to enable access to financial services to everybody through technology and education. It is working to merge both the centralised and decentralised worlds to give the customer the smoothest financial experience. QuantoPay’s services will first become available in Europe with its UK and EU banking licenses, followed by expansion to North and Latin America, the Middle East and Asia further into 2022. Company: QuantoPay Ltd Email: [email protected] Website: www.quantopay.com Nov21658
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