We’ve helped businesses across the region secure £11 million in financial support during the Coronavirus pandemic, saving 600 jobs to date.
With a ‘business as usual’ approach our team has worked continuously throughout lockdown giving expert advice to business owners to claim Government grants and loans as well as advice on deferrals of income tax payments and VAT.
Our team has helped to file more than 100 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims monthly to HMRC, enabling many North East businesses to retain staff throughout lockdown, saving approximately 600 jobs. We have also secured over £5m in CBILS loans for businesses so far.
As well as securing finance, our business support services have included the launch of a 24-hour WhatsApp support group, where our professional business coaches were on hand to answer questions day or night seven days a week.
Giving consideration to the psychological effects of the pandemic we also offered bespoke 1-2-1 Change Management coaching developed by our behavioural management partner Duo Consultants, as well as complimentary online personal development training courses on topics such as leadership and self-confidence.
Webinars based around cashflow, forecasting and organisational reviews were also filmed and we partnered with fund management company NEL to host a webinar on How to Get Paid in a Covid-19 World.
Robson Laidler managing director Graham Purvis said: “There has been a multitude of various loans, business support schemes and grants to help businesses and individuals through this extremely challenging time. We set out a roadmap to help our clients navigate through it.
“Because we have always placed great emphasis on forecasting and cashflow projection based on the real-time information we can generate for clients, we have been able to understand the impact on trading abilities in the future and have advised on business planning and funding around this.
“As a firm, in addition to the £2.5m CJRS claims, we have been able to help our clients across the region to secure over £1m in R&D, £1.2m in bounce back loans, £5m through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme as well as millions through other tax savings, helping them ease their cashflow demands.
“To say our team have worked tirelessly is an understatement. We have been hit with the biggest financial and personal challenges our generation has ever seen and I am proud that we have come together stronger to help our clients survive, adapt and thrive.
“As we return to a new normal, we are focused on helping business owners plan ahead and come back stronger with our network of funding contacts able to provide support where government measures do not apply as well as our other mentoring and coaching services.”
Celebrating our 100th anniversary this year we set a challenge to raise £100,000 for charity and despite the challenging circumstances our team still managed to smash this target and have continued to fundraise for our Charity of the Year Macmillan during lockdown. Staff created a virtual #30in30 running challenge and are taking part in the Great North Run Solo and our director Martin Wardle has undergone a 400-mile cycling challenge.
Staff have also spent time making scrubs, headbands, masks and washbags for frontline NHS staff and carers as well as knitted teddies for children experiencing trauma and knitted hearts for Covid patients and their families.
Placing great emphasis on health and wellbeing, every single member of staff received a weekly wellness telephone call from a manager or director, were able to access a weekly quiz and a mental health check-in. A Gambling Awareness and Breast Cancer Awareness session was also set up virtually.
As a firm, we also manged to launch our new Mission, Vision and Values via an e-book to all staff and which will appear on wall art around the office.
Staff are now starting to return to the office following a covid-19 risk assessment and usual office hours remain