business focus 15
Chartered accountants Haines Watts presents a series of articles based on its blogs. It offers analysis, reviews and comments and welcomes your feedback at
www.hwca.com/blog
of the month
How to reach your 2014 targets writes Barry Potter, partner at Haines Watts
As we’ve reached February already and we’re heading towards the end of the first quarter of the year, it’s a good time to take stock of your business’ progress so far.
Many businesses don’t actually have a business plan let alone a sales plan or, if they do, the sales targets are unachievable.
Having a realistic sales plan, which is measurable, is key. It doesn’t need to be long but you should set aside time regularly to take stock and gauge how you’re performing. This will also encourage you to tweak your
plan and address issues, such as any tactics which may not be working and are hindering your progress.
Consider what resources you have when you put your plan together – time, budget and manpower – so you know how high to set your bar.
It’s preferable to have a mixture of short-term, medium-term and longer-term lead generation strategies to aid continuing growth.
If you work back from the business results you’re trying to achieve, you’ll prevent wasting money on resources for any purpose other than
EY creates Centre of Excellence in Reading
EY’s tax practice in Reading has grown considerably over the past few months, creating a Centre of Excellence in the south of England and one of the largest tax practices in the Thames Valley
EY’s Centre of Excellence now consists of nearly 200 people, with strength and depth in all specialisms of business tax services; indirect tax; human capital; transaction tax and international tax services.
The firm’s growth has been driven by growing demand from clients for EY’s services and a continued appetite for trading and expanding into overseas markets. EY’s ITEM Club says exports are set to rise and the UK has an opportunity to boost its export performance further by identifying markets with the best growth opportunities.
David Birch, tax partner in EY’s human capital team based in Reading, commented:
“Export opportunities in emerging markets continue to grow and UK businesses need to actively seek out and target those markets where they can achieve competitive advantage and differentiation.
“In today’s globally integrated, tightly regulated and increasingly competitive capital market, one critical success factor stands out above all others – people. Get the people issues right and your business will grow from strength to strength.
“EY’s human capital team forms parts of the newly created Centre of Excellence and delivers integrated services for our clients across the globe, including
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – FEBRUARY 2014
global mobility, workplace effectiveness and talent and reward.”
Anna Fry, executive director in EY’s international tax services based in Reading, comments: “Our Centre of Excellence also includes dedicated international tax professionals that assist multinational groups with their cross- border tax structuring, planning, reporting and risk management. Integrating such specialists, along with the other key services delivered from EY’s Reading office, allows us to build proactive and truly integrated global tax strategies for our clients that address the tax risks of today’s businesses and achieve sustainable growth.”
Last year saw the first wave of the firm’s recruitment drive in the Thames Valley as teams were hired in global
immigration, mid-market and the highly complex area of compensation accumulation.
Birch adds: “The creation of this Centre of Excellence puts EY in a leading position to deliver the full breadth of tax services to our clients and targets in the south of England and we have ambitious growth plans for the future, including a new international social security capability.
“The new Centre of Excellence will ultimately present more opportunities for the firm and we are actively seeking to recruit more people who share our purpose and commitment to building a better working world.”
To find out more about the recruitment opportunities on offer at EY see details below.
Details:
www.ey.com/UK/en/ careers
www.businessmag.co.uk
the creation of value for the end customer, which is vital. Plan your monthly or quarterly targets and then your sales tactics and approach. This is valuable for businesses both large and small.
Differentiate yourself and your business from the competition by ensuring that your products or services are seen to be better for the customer’s needs. Clarify their requirements and present a solution swiftly.
Finally, don’t be afraid to turn down a deal or a sales proposition if it doesn’t make sense or will need so much effort to complete that it will drastically erode your margins.
Be smart with your business planning and decisions and those 2014 targets will be much more achievable.
Details:
www.hwca.com
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