Challenge

Beever and Struthers is an award winning firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors with offices in Manchester, Lancashire, Birmingham and London.

We have 17 partners, all specialists in their chosen field of expertise, and all supported by an enthusiastic team of more than 200 directors, managers and support staff.

We have many areas of expertise, but one single minded focus. We judge our achievements on what we achieve for our clients, by striving to excel in everything we do, in every sector we operate in, every day.

Historically we have not had a financial services proposition within our firm. We felt it was important to address this. To be the first choice trusted advisor for our clients we need to be able to support our clients in all matters financial, and this is why we formed our partnership with Pareto.

Solution

Our partnership with Pareto formed in 2021, having taken the time for our teams to get to know each other, and feel comfortable with each other.

A senior member of Pareto’s advisory team moved into our offices in September 2021, and immediately became one of the Beevers family. Over the following months he moved around the departments and teams. We felt this was really important, a visual reminder to our teams that we now have this partnership in place, and so that our advisor could get to know our colleagues, and our clients, better.

At the same time, we arranged presentations, training sessions, and other events, so that our teams were constantly reminded what our partnership with Pareto can offer our clients and our team members.

The strap line “all matters financial” is important to us. Through the partnership we have contact with 72 Pareto colleagues, who can provide support and expertise in a wide range of areas, far more encompassing than we could ever have achieved on our own.

So, we can now look at the bigger picture when we engage with our clients, looking to ensure that their financial objectives (whether business or personal) are aligned with their financial planning. There are key points in a client’s life when this clearly appears on the agenda, for example as business owners start to contemplate their exit route. But our experience has been that these discussions need to be held with clients at all times, even at the start of a business’ life. This means we can be sure at all times we are helping our clients to achieve more.

Results

The response from our colleagues has surpassed all our expectations. And this will be the key to future success. If our colleagues understand what more we can offer to our clients, and what more our clients can achieve, then they will initiate those conversations.

What we had not anticipated was how willing clients with established relationships with existing IFAs would be to listen to what Pareto have to say. This does not always result in referrals. If appropriate Pareto have been comfortable in advising that there is nothing they could do to better serve the client. And that honesty is hugely appreciated by all. But through these conversations’ opportunities have come to light, where clients are looking to diversify their risk.

Uncomfortable discussions have been held with clients, addressing their mortality, and the risks this could bring to their business. Ensuring the appropriate protection is put in place, to both support their families, but also their businesses and employees, is essential. And our clients have welcomed these discussions, if not the driver behind them.

So, in conclusion, although still early days in terms of embedding relationships, the results of our partnership have far outweighed our anticipations. We are looking forward to the future and seeing how much more we can achieve for our clients through this partnership.