Paul Donno & Co Ltd March 2011 Newsletter

March News from Paul Donno & Co Ltd Accountants and Business Advisors

New kid on the block!
From Friday 1st April we will have a fully operational office in the Menta Business and Training Centre in Haverhill.  This is no April Fool!   Michael Ford will be located at the new office, Monday to Friday from 9am - 5.30pm.  Paul Donno will also spend part of his working week at the new office.

This is a big step for Paul Donno & Co Ltd.  Whilst we have had office facilities in Haverhill now for several years we have not had a full time member of staff in situ.  We have previously used our Haverhill office as a base for meetings with clients operating in the town, so more for convenience.

The investment in the move to the Menta Business and Training Centre at 2 Hollands Road is a sign of our commitment to growing our client base in Haverhill.  We have always had strong connections with the town, supporting both voluntary and sporting organisations and being longstanding members of the Haverhill Chamber of Commerce.

We recognise the commercial opportunities within Haverhill and want to ensure that our accountancy practice is well represented.  Michael has worked with Paul Donno & Co Ltd since 1996 and has been an accountant for 20 years!  (Yes we know he looks far too young for that.) Michael specialises in Management Accounts but has the experience and knowledge to assist with all types of enquiries; he will also have the full support of the team back at our Glemsford offices.

The Menta Business and Training Centre is an ideal location for us, right in the heart of  Haverhill's industrial area but only a few minutes drive from the town centre.  There is ample free parking, very spacious and well presented offices and fully equipped meeting rooms.  There is also a rather large kitchen and dining area - so if you do decide to pop in and say "Hello" to Michael he can put the kettle on!

If you know of any businesses in Haverhill who are looking for a local accountant please give Louise a call on 01787 281688 and we can arrange a free no obligation first meeting with them to assess their requirements.

Thank you for sharing the love!
Many of you will be aware that we took part in a national campaign in February called the "14 days of love" which was run by marketing company thebestof.  

Thebestof promote local independent recommended businesses using online and offline marketing activities, Paul Donno & Co Ltd has been a member of thebestofhaverhill since February 2010. Testimonials are at the heart of thebestof brand. A testimonial is a written statement of praise and counts for far more than what we say about ourselves because it is an honest and unbiased comment from a client. Good testimonials can be very powerful.

The 14 days of love focused on encouraging local people to share their love by leaving testimonials for local businesses.  During the campaign we received a lot of love from our clients and the team really appreciate the positive comments that were made and people actually taking the time to leave their feedback on our services.

For some of the campaign we were the most loved accountant in the UK but unfortunately we peaked too soon and had been beaten into 5th place when the campaign closed at midnight on Valentine's Day!  However it is still an achievement to be in the top 5 most loved accountants in the country.  We were also voted the third most loved business in Haverhill and again this is something that we are very proud of.

Reading through our testimonials the key message that comes across is that our clients feel we are accessible and that they can ask us anything.  That is great news for us because we pride ourselves on being different to the stereotypical accountancy practice.  No grey suits and sense of humour failures here or ticking clocks!

If you have any colleagues, family or friends who require accountancy services please pass them our details and ask them to take a few minutes to read what our clients think of us on thebestofhaverhill .

We are looking forward to next year's 14 days of love campaign.  If you are happy with the service you receive from Paul Donno & Co then please leave us a testimonial , you don't need to wait until next February 2012!   If there is any element of our service that you are not happy with then please contact us so that we can address it.  We want all our clients to be happy and to love us!!

Would you want Paul to go to jail?
A recent court case has highlighted the dilemma facing accountants under the Money Laundering Regulations.  An accountant in Sunderland faces a spell in prison after tipping off one his clients that he was the subject of a police investigation.  Full details of the story can be read here. 

Quite a sobering little article that illustrates the responsibility that accountants have to maintain the integrity of the UK financial system.

Update on our charity fundraising for St Nicholas Hospice Care
In 2010 the Paul Donno & Co Ltd team committed to fundraising for St Nicholas Hospice Care in memory of one of our clients, and dear friends, Denise Sheridan from Clare Physiotherapy Practice Ltd who lost her battle against breast cancer in October 2009.  

We set a hugely ambitious target of £5,000  and then Mr Donno doubled it to £10,000   Despite our best efforts we underestimated just how much work would be required to raise such a large sum of money.  By the close of 2010 we raised almost £5000 from a number of events including:

Sudbury Fun Run in April
Glemsford Festival Balloon Race
Charity Golf Day
Accumulator Challenge (which we won!)
Charity Casino Evening
Girls Big Night Out - sponsored 11.2 mile moonlight walk around Bury St Edmunds
Making a donation in lieu of sending out Christmas cards
Donations received from clients via our Justgiving page.

Thank you to everyone who supported us in our efforts - either by taking part in an event, sponsoring us, making a donation or providing a prize.  Whatever it was - thank you.  We were disappointed not to have reached our goal but we are only a small (and very busy) team and we are proud to have supported the Hospice to the level that we have.

Coming soon
The updated Paul Donno & Co Ltd website
We have had our existing website for a number of years now.  It provides a great resource for news and valuable information for our clients, and has generated business for us.  However it is now looking a little tired so we have commissioned a refresh!  Keep an eye on www.pauldonno.co.uk the first person to email us when they see our rejuvenated website will win a bottle of bubbly!!

A Mini adventure
At the end of March we will be going on a mini adventure around Haverhill!!  We have taken an advertising space on thebestofhaverhill Mini.  This brand new Mini One will be whizzing around Haverhill promoting the best businesses in town!  Elaine Carr, owner of the bestofhaverhill, came to us for advice when choosing her new car and we were able to point her in the right direction with regards to a model which is low C02 and therefore more tax efficient.  We also recommended local business JW Contract Hire to sort out the contract hire deal for her.  You get more than just your annual accounts at Paul Donno & Co Ltd!

Dates for your diary
2nd May - St Nicholas Hospice Care Sumo Run
Paul Donno and Michael Ford will be taking part in the first ever St Nicholas Hospice Care Sumo run at Haverhill Recreation Ground on Bank Holiday Monday.  They will run 3 laps of Haverhill Recreation Park in a Sumo suit! Not sure if this is training for the Spartan Race?

If you would like to sponsor Paul and Michael please visit the Paul Donno & Co Ltd Justgiving page
 

24th July - the Spartan Race
There is still time to join the team and take part in the race!  Contact Louise on 01787 281688 for more details or  if you would prefer to watch our Spartans get hot, sweaty and covered in mud! their heat starts at 11.30am on 24th July at Bassingbourn Barracks, Royston, SG8 5LX. More information is available at www.spartanrace.com.

18th August 2011 - Black Tie Charity Casino Night
Following the success of our joint event with the bestofhaverhill in 2010 we are going to be holding the Charity Casino Night again this year - same date, same venue - the Purple Mango Indian Restaurant, Sturmer Road and same charity, St Nicholas Hospice Care

The last event was a sell out and this time, for the comfort of all our guests, we will be limiting tickets to 80.  You will also be able to reserve tables. Tickets will be charged at £25 per head and will include an Indian buffet and £5  of chips to play at the tables. Full details of the event will be available in our April newsletter.  

If you are interested or would like to ensure you have a table please call Louise on 01787 281688.