Brookson boosts its Information Systems department

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:24:49 GMT

Brookson has announced the appointment of some key positions within their Information Systems (IS) department.

Accountancy and umbrella company provider Brookson, has appointed new IS Manager Robin Candy, Support Manager Gerrard Singleton and Project Manager Craig Russell.

These appointments are central to the implementation of a number of new initiatives currently being undertaken by Brookson, including the recent introduction of Microsoft Dynamics CRM system, which allows the virtualisation of 24 servers down to 6 and upgrading software business wide. The changes are all intended to improve the current service offering to their 9000 customers working through their own limited company, as a sole trader or as an employee of Brookson's umbrella company.

Robin Candy recently joined Brookson from Morgan Stanley's UK residential mortgage business wehere he held the position of IT director and was responsible for support, development and testing. Robin was also part of an award winning team who developed an online mortgage approval and underwriting solution that processed over £3 Billion of mortgages in the first 12 months. Robin said: "Moving to Brookson was an easy choice, due their focus on technology and aspirations to constantly improve their services."

Gerrard Singleton has arrived after previously working for Cegedim Rx in Leyland and brings with him of 15 years experience in IT Support. "Working for a progressive company who continue to use cutting edge technology is always attractive to anyone working in IT," said Gerrard. "I'm looking forward to developing not only Brookson's service offering but also the skills and capabilities of the team in general."

Craig Russell has been working in Programme Management for over a decade and has worked for a number of large projects including implementing SAP in 38 entities across 7 European Countries. Craig sees his role at Brookson as being 'to provide the necessary controls and infrastructure that are vital for projects to succeed.'

Brookson's service is ideally suited for individuals looking to set up in business, either as a sole trader or through a limited company. Small business owners often require more support from their accountant than just the completion of year-end accounts and tax returns. Brookson provide a variety of online tools, such as financial statements, that keeps the business owner in financial control of their business and working compliantly.

Brookson recognise technology has an essential role to play in delivering next generation accountancy services to the self-employed. They believe that the skills required by a modern accountancy business go well beyond accountancy skills alone; the modern accountancy business requires the expertise of individuals that are able to build and support an IT infrstature for both operational service delivery as well as online customer facing service delivery. These latest appointments significantly strengthen Brookson's Information Systems skill base.

About Brookson
Brookson is a leading tax accountant, IR35 specialist and support services provider to small business including business start ups. Brookson supports self employed people in their chosen way of working through its limited company, sole trader and umbrella company services. As a 150 strong accountancy service, managing the affairs of over 9000 customers, Brookson is committed to offering the very best service, support and ad

Brookson invest in new Systems Infrastructure

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:19:18 GMT

Brookson has embarked upon a major infrastructure upgrade program with the introduction of a number of new products.

The accountancy support services provider and Umbrella Company has recently introduced 2010 versions of Microsoft exchange and Microsoft SharePoint. The introduction of Exchange will provide more integrated communication and improved efficiencies regarding emails around the business, while SharePoint provides a far more dexterous document management capability, consolidating the way Brookson store documents, information and consequently how they manage data.

The project also sees the virtualisation of more than 24 physical servers onto 6 virtual hosts. This provides a number of benefits such as less power consumption due to reduced need for cooling the servers, faster deployment of applications business wide, easier maintenance and increased reliability.

These changes are intended to improve the efficiency of the services provided by Brookson to its 9000 customers working through a Limited company, as a sole trader or as employees of Brookson's umbrella company.

Lee Kingshott, Information Systems Director at Brookson, commented, "New technology is something Brookson continue to invest in. With our current aspirations to revolutionise the accountancy market, improving our in house technology is critical to improving our customer experience and these recent changes are another big step in further enhancing our services."

Paul Sweeney, Managing Director at ANS Group added, "ANS Group aim to provide cutting edge technology solutions to our customers and it's great to work with forward thinking organisations such as Brookson. Our solutions are focused on improving business efficiency and enhancing the end user's productivity and collaboration experience."

Brookson is investing in a robust and efficient technology infrastructure in order to drive the online innovation that is currently being experienced by its customers. This investment is necessary if Brookson is to achieve its strategy of significantly increasing its market share of the self employed accountancy market.

Brookson's Online Navigator Money Manager portal underpins Brookson's claim to offer one of the most innovative contractor accountant services available on the UK market. Allowing clients to access their business financial information 24/7, the system has been designed to help customers run their businesses more effectively by providing up to date financial information at their finger tips.

Brookson announces partnership with Liveperson

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:57:37 GMT

Brookson, a specialist accountancy and support services provider has chosen Liveperson as a strategic partner to provide live web chat capabilities for Brookson's website.

The software allows Brookson's new business consultants to interact with prospective customers as they browse Brookson’s website. Prospective customers invariably have questions on a wide variety of issues that need to be answered before making a decision about whether self employed working is for them. Self employed working may not be the best option; working through Brookson's umbrella company is a popular option. Liveperson allows consultants to expand on the guidance provided online so visitors can make an informed choice about the way of working that suits their individual needs.

With Liveperson Brookson's consultants are able to engage with prospective customers as they read the website page by page. Brookson want to make life simpler and easier for Limited Company and sole trader professionals therefore they are looking to engage in a way that best suits the individual. Some individuals prefer to chat online because it may be impractical to have a conversation at that time or it may be that online chat is their preferred method of contact.

Head of New Business, Andrew Sloan commented: "In today’s climate, self employed professionals browse the internet to find accountancy services. By utilising this contact method, discussing the content as they read through the website, we are able to provide prospective customers with a clear understanding of why Brookson is so different to the services offered by a traditional high street accountant."

This latest service improvement is another in a long line of technological enhancements to the Brookson service in recent months. Brookson's stated strategy is to "revolutionise the small business accountancy market" and the web plays a significant part in this strategy both in terms of winning new customers and servicing the needs of existing customers.

Brookson's service is ideally suited for individuals looking to set up in business, either as a sole trader or through a limited company. Business owners often require more support from their accountant than just the completion of year-end accounts and tax returns. Brookson provide a variety of online tools, such as financial statements, that keep the business owner in financial control of their business and working compliantly. Online chat complements a service that relies on clever use of the web.

LivePerson has quickly become a valuable tool for Brookson's new business consultants to make that first connection with a prospective customer.

Brookson introduce new Opal Telecom telephone system

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:20:23 GMT

Brookson has installed a new Opal Telecom telephone system, including Mitel hardware and software, across its whole business.

Brookson, a leading accountancy and umbrella company services provider, has introduced this new system to improve their customer services offering.

The new Mitel 5000 CP system allows Brookson to route calls more efficiently to the relevant experts and ensure callers receive a hassle free experience when contacting different areas within the business. The software also provides more reporting capabilities including monitoring calls and call volumes.

The move will also ensure self employed specialist accountants Brookson maximise their call efficiencies as the new software will allow simultaneous running of both PCs and the telephone system on one network.

Head of Customer Services, Peter Metcalf commented: "The introduction of this new technology is a massive step forward in terms of our service offering, allowing the business to manage increased call volumes more efficiently, ultimately leading to an even more professional service."

Brookson's service is ideally suited for individuals looking to set up in business, either as a sole trader or limited company, who often require more support from their accountant than just the completion of year-end accounts and tax returns. Brookson's revolutionary approach to accountancy reduces the administrative burden of day to day bookkeeping and the time consuming administration for our customers. Brookson do the accounting so their customers do not have to. Key to its successful 'day to day' service is a dedicated Customer Service Team that speak to customers on a regular basis providing specialist accountancy advice. As a result, Brookson has considerable call volumes to manage on a daily basis.

This latest addition is another in a long line of technological enhancements to the Brookson service and further cements their commitment to innovation and revolutionising accountancy. Brookson currently has over 9000 customers working through a Limited Company, as a sole trader or as an umbrella company employee.

Opal Telecom only recently completed the installation of this new system and Brookson has already experienced the benefits with improved accuracy of data provided through the new software. The Customer Services Team is now able to schedule resources and manage call levels with increased efficiencies. Brookson believe this investment will improve the service experienced by all its customers.

Brookson partners with Experian

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:51:34 GMT

Brookson has improved its identification assessment process by introducing Experian software for its customer ID checks.

Brookson, a leading accountancy, tax and support services provider to the self employed, has selected Experian as the ideal partner for its Identification Software. Experian's Authenticate Pro and Validator Plus products will be used to verify the new customers and will dramatically reduce the time it takes Brookson to complete their customer take on process.

Brookson's umbrella company customers work with a wide range of recruitment businesses. The Experian partnership enables Brookson to continue to be a compliant service provider while meeting the speed of set up required by both its contractor customers and the recruitment businesses. If contractors are delayed in taking up opportunities it costs the contractor and the agency money.

Authenticate Pro accurately verifies the identity of new customers by referencing applicant details against Experian’s data sources to obtain a 'pass', 'fail' or 'refer' with regards to their identity. Where a 'fail' or 'refer' is signalled, a supporting tool called Validate Plus performs a remote check on information contained in official documents, such as a passport number, without the customer having to part with these.

Andrew Sloan, Head of New Business at Brookson, explained: "Introducing new and innovative solutions is something Brookson continue to demonstrate across both its limited company and umbrella company service lines. This latest addition will further streamline our joining process, in many cases allowing customers to join on the same day, provided relevant checks are passed."

Stuart Johnston, Managing Director at Experian QAS added: "The authentication process plays a crucial part in improving business efficiencies in the financial services market: it affects the customer experience, the staff workload and the compliance levels of the company. It's great that Brookson is integrating our product range so effectively, combining Validate Plus and Authenticate Pro to offer efficient and rapid validation of customer details and make the customer acquisition process less of a headache."

With more initiatives in the wings, Brookson is looking to significantly increase its customer base across all services lines and continue to improve the quality of service it provides to limited company, sole trader and umbrella company customers. The new Experian software will make the joining process more efficient while delivering a better joining experience for the customer.

About Brookson
Brookson is a leading tax accountant, IR35 specialist and support services provider to small business including business start ups. Brookson supports self employed people in their chosen way of working through its, sole trader and umbrella company services. As a 150 strong accountancy service, managing the affairs of over 9000 customers, Brookson is committed to offering the very best service, support and advice.

Brookson completes 2010 strategic recruitment programme

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:45:01 GMT

Brookson, a leading tax accountant and support services provider, has completed its strategic recruitment drive to help strengthen its existing senior team in preparation for extensive 2010 growth plans.

The senior management team appointments consist of new sales and marketing director, Chris Bowden, head of group marketing, Sandi Rowley, and head of new business, Andrew Sloan. These sales appointments together with recent appointments in operations and IT build on Brookson's tax accountant expertise to create a team with the appropriate depth of experience to achieve its growth plans.

Chris Bowden, 42, has over 20 years experience in global logistics, specialising in corporate account management and sales. Chris joins from FedEx where he managed large multinational, global accounts including Rolls-Royce, Microsoft, Dell and HP.

Appointed to communicate the development and modernisation of Brookson services through numerous new marketing channels, Chris will reaffirm Brookson's commitment to support its customers with the latest technological innovations.

Chris will be challenged with building multi channel strategies across all Brookson service lines including limited company, sole trader and umbrella company service lines.

Sandi Rowley is a highly accredited B2B marketer and joins the Brookson team from Alliance and Leicester commercial banking, with over 21 years of direct marketing experience in the finance industry. Tasked with ambitiously growing the business through the integration of key marketing channels, Sandi will be using direct and digital strategies to support new initiatives that will position the company at the forefront of accountancy services. Sandi's experience at A&L marketing products and services to entrepreneurs looking to set up a business will be invaluable to Brookson.

As head of new business, Andrew Sloan, 32, will be responsible for encouraging Brookson's business growth by implementing new sales strategies and increasing prospect conversion through telemarketing and web interaction. Enjoying years of financial services experience, Andrew begins his new role with a wealth of knowledge having joined Brookson after eight years at MBNA, he is also a member of the Institute of Direct Marketing.

The team is working in together to drive Brookson's sales strategy providing accountancy and support services to self employed professionals. The new team recently launched Brookson’s new sole trader service as part of the Revolution sales campaign.

-Ends-

About Brookson
Brookson is a leading tax accountant, IR35 specialist and support services provider to small business including business start ups. Brookson supports self employed people in their chosen way of working through its limited company (sole trader and umbrella company services. As a 150 strong accountancy service, managing the affairs of over 9000 customers, Brookson is committed to offering the very best service, support and advice.

Contact details
Victoria McDonnell
Marketing Manager
Brookson Limited
340 Firecrest Court
Centre Park
Warrington
WA1 1RG
084

Brookson launches new healthcare initiative for customers

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:05:32 GMT

Brookson has launched a new healthcare initiative with health and wellness care provider Bupa.

Brookson, a leading tax accountant and support services provider, has negotiated an exclusive discount with the leader in health and wellness care, Bupa, for private medical insurance.

The 25 per cent discount is applicable to Brookson customers and their immediate family to provide peace of mind now and in the future. This initiative is available across all Brookson's service lines which include self employed customers working through their own limited company, or as a sole trader, as well as customers working through Brookson's umbrella company as employees.

Andy Linaker, strategic business manager of Bupa, added: "Self-employed individuals are some of the most vulnerable workers in the marketplace when it comes to illness or accidents. With their focus often around securing contracts and ensuring a regular flow of work, arranging private healthcare typically falls to the bottom of the priority list. While the UK is fortunate enough to have the NHS, it is important not to underestimate the impact that prolonged waiting lists or extended treatment can have on the income of a self-employed individual."

Bupa's private medical insurance provides flexibility and swift access to treatments, with the minimum amount of fuss. By working closely together Brookson and Bupa plan to enhance the Bupa offering and create a variety of bespoke benefits for Brookson customers.

Brookson's approach is to provide additional benefits to customers on top of accountancy advice and support services. Brookson want to provide their self employed and sole trader customers with the ability to plan ahead and minimise the impact on income as much as possible, should illness occur. Bupa recognise the challenges that self employed professionals face during periods of illness making them an ideal partner.

As a result of the new deal, Brookson customers now have access to an exclusive discount with a leader in health and wellness care for private medical insurance. This is part of Brookson's continued strategy to offer a wider range of value added services to its customers.

ENDS

Brookson joined by new tax and IT specialists to head up growing departments

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:22:18 GMT

Brookson, a leading tax accountant and support services provider has introduced a specialist tax team led by Matt Fryer to support the increasingly wider tax advice needs of its customers. In addition, Brookson has strengthened its team with IT director, Lee Kingshott as it continues with its revolutionary approach to online support for accountancy services.

Brookson recently established a sole trader service to complement their established limited company and umbrella company service lines as part of a strategy to reach a wider market place. These latest appointments are considered key in order to deliver a market leading service.

As Brookson customers include engineers, IT contractors and healthcare professionals, the specialist expertise which Matt and Lee bring to the business will help in supporting delivery of innovative solutions to these self employed professionals.

Matt, will head up the team responsible for ensuring that HMRC obligations are met and tax planning opportunities are maximised for Brookson customers. Matt is an experienced tax accountant, with nine years experience in the field of ‘personal tax advice' following roles with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and KPMG.

Lee has a close understanding of Brookson's market having worked as a limited company IT contractor himself. Lee joins from Surecomp Business Solutions, having also held directorships with subsidiaries of the Royal Bank of Scotland and senior positions within Barclays Bank.

Recruited to oversee Brookson's IT operations, Lee's main focus will be delivering excellence in customer service. This will involve the evaluation and implementation of the latest technology available and maintaining ongoing security of Brookson's on-line services to sole traders, limited companies and to their umbrella company employees.

Brookson continues to widen its range of services which are underpinned by its investment and commitment to technology. The appointment of both Lee and Matt provides key expertise to the management team required for Brookson to meet its strategic goals.

About Brookson
Brookson is a leading tax accountant, IR35 specialist and supports service providers through to small businesses and business start ups. Brookson supports self employed people in their chosen way of working through its limited company, sole trader and umbrella company services. As a 150 strong accountancy service, managing the affairs of over 9000 customers, Brookson is committed to offering the very best service, support and advice.

Brookson launches its sole trader service

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:03:47 GMT

Brookson, a leading tax accountant and support services provider, has launched a sole trader service providing tax advice, invoicing and bookkeeping support to self-employed individuals working as sole traders.

Brookson's service is not like that of a traditional service provided by a typical high street accountant. Sole traders working with a traditional accountant often do their own bookkeeping and administration on a day to day basis. Brookson take this burden away with their comprehensive and all inclusive service which allows customers to review their financial records on-line so that they know what should be set aside to pay the taxman as they trade during the tax year.

The service is ideally suited for individuals looking to set up a business who often require more support from their accountant than just completion and submission of year-end accounts and tax returns. The Brookson approach removes the hassle so customers can spend more time concentrating on bringing in business rather than undertaking time consuming administration or bookkeeping.

Brookson has been providing a similar service to self-employed individuals working through a limited company but now with a complementary sole trader service, Brookson will appeal to a significantly broader market place.

Its target customers are professionals providing services within the self-employed market including engineers, IT contractors and healthcare professionals.

For individuals who do not want to set up a business, Brookson offers an alternative solution. Brookson's umbrella company service is suitable for self-employed individuals who do not want the responsibility of running their own business and would rather provide their service on a temporary basis whilst still enjoying the simplicity of being an employee.

Brookson continues to widen its range of services that are underpinned by its investment and commitment to technology. With a sole trader service Brookson now has a tax and support service portfolio that will support the wider self-employed professional market. Brookson's service offers something new to the market, a service where the customer has the peace of mind that they know how much they need to be setting aside to pay the taxman as they trade during the tax year.

Brookson selects bigmouthmedia to lead SEO strategy

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:47:34 GMT

Online accountancy firm Brookson has appointed bigmouthmedia to handle its search marketing activity.

A leading provider of accountancy, tax advice and support services, Brookson selected bigmouthmedia following an extensive search to identify the ideal partner to lead its digital marketing strategy. An established innovator in the sector, the move comes as the award-winning consultancy moves to establish its Navigator Money Manager portal as the UK's preeminent suite of online financial tools.

"As a company we have been going through a revolution in recent times. We have fundamentally changed our business model and are going direct to market as we look to continue the company's expansion, so clearly search engine optimisation is a critical part of that strategy," said Martin Hesketh, Managing Director at Brookson.

"Together with its status as an industry leader, bigmouthmedia's unrivalled experience in helping brands make the most of their online activity made the agency the only logical choice for the job."

Founded in 1995, Brookson was recently shortlisted as a finalist in this year's Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) awards for 'Innovation of the Year'. The company's 150-strong accountancy service now manages the financial affairs of over 9,000 customers, freelance contractors and individuals who work in business for themselves.

Brookson's Navigator Money Manager portal underpins Brookson's claim to offer one of the most innovative contractor accountant services available on the UK market. Allowing clients to access their business financial information 24/7, the system has been designed to helps customers run their businesses more effectively by providing up to date financial information at their finger tips.

Currently, ninety nine per cent of Brookson's customers used the online tool to complete their last year-end accounts and each week the online portal records an average of 4500 unique visits.

"We're delighted to be welcoming Brookson as a client. The company's focus on innovation and invention is one that we share at bigmouthmedia, and this promises to be both an exciting and challenging campaign," said Phil Acton, Head of Business Development at bigmouthmedia.

About Brookson:
Brookson is a leading provider of accountancy, tax advice and support services to freelance contractors and self employed professionals who work in business for themselves. Brookson supports people in their chosen way of working through its limited company, sole trader and umbrella company services. As a 150 strong accountancy service, managing the affairs of over 9000 customers, Brookson is committed to offer the very best service, support and advice.

About bigmouthmedia:
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe's largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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