Background

Cooke Webster & Co started out in 1998 when two local accountants, Andrew Cooke and Susan Webster, formed a new business partnership as they felt their complementary skills would bring something extra into the market place. Both had enjoyed years of experience in different areas accountancy and, perhaps more importantly, revelled in being involved with and supporting businesses.

They recognised that many accountants had a somewhat distant relationship with their clients, preparing accounts and tax returns but not really knowing them or understanding their business. So how could they receive good advice and support from someone who didn’t know what made them tick?

That was the principle on which Cooke Webster was based; knowing and understanding our clients so we could be best placed to support them. In addition we also wanted to consistently produce a quality product and this meant investing in the right computer-based technology. The computers in that context were the easy part. It is the software that enables them to produce the goods.

At the time, and still now, there was a plethora of specialist packages available and we looked at several before deciding on IRIS, the market leader in accountants’ accounting systems. It is what we use to prepare and produce accounts and tax returns that can then be printed and/or transmitted electronically. We invested in this just after starting the business when we had just two computers in our one-room office in Goxhill. Since then we have stayed with this winning product as our business has developed.

As well as IRIS we do also make extensive use of Sage software as that is probably by far the most commonly found accounting software in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. We are members of the Sage Accountants Club as this is a very cost effective way to have access to the best Sage support and ensure that we always have the latest versions of the programs in use. Through our commitment to this computer-based technology we believe that we do consistently produce the intended quality product!

However we try not to lose sight of the fact that ours is very much a “people business” and as such very reliant on the personal relationships we have recognised and valued from the outset. Our motto of “friendly advice.....for serious business” encapsulates what we are about. Our aim is to build positive working relationships with all our clients through the helpful and professional attitude experienced in our contacts with them. An attitude that should emanate from all of us at Cooke Webster.

Where are we now?

We moved into the offices that we still occupy in Barton-upon-Humber’s town centre in late 2000 but at that time only the first floor, then taking on the whole building when it became available in 2007. From being a two-partner practice with not enough work to fully occupy both partners and one part-time member of staff, we have grown to employ seven staff who ably support two very busy directors. The directors, who also own the company, being Andrew Cooke and Garry Stanley.

Garry came into the fold when we sold our interest in a Grimsby accountants to Weaver Wroot and accepted their Barton practice, that Garry had managed for many years, in a part exchange arrangement. This deal enabled us to concentrate much more on developing our business from one base in Barton upon Humber. We significantly expanded our computer systems, investing heavily in equipment and staff training, to improve the services that we could offer. This trend has continued since then with our in-house capabilities ever growing.

Which geographical areas do we cover?

We service a lot of local clients in and around Barton upon Humber plus many based in the surrounding towns of Brigg, Scunthorpe and Grimsby. With us being so close to the Humber Bridge we also have clients “over the river” in Hull because we can, regardless of computer communications, be physically in many parts of Hull faster than someone who has to get across the city. However we do have clients much further afield, both in the UK and abroad, and will always look at what is required regardless of location. The key factor being delivering the right service to the client.

What can we do for you?

We are very much a general practice and so our clients make up a broad array of businesses and private individuals. For the latter our work will usually involve some aspect of taxation, e.g.:

• Completion of a personal tax return, often for retired individuals with a mixture of incomes and investments to record.
• Advice on Capital Gains Tax when a major asset disposal is being contemplated.
• Help in reclaiming Value Added Tax when a new domestic property has been self-built.
• Advice on starting up a new business or acquiring an existing one. We often help in this area in deciding on business format, financing and perhaps basic viability.

For the business client we tend also to look after their personal tax affairs and so our work could additionally include:

• Preparation of annual accounts for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies.
• All aspects of business taxation whether income tax for the sole trader or corporation tax for the limited company. This may just involve completing the business’s tax return but more often, and especially in the company situation, there will be aspects of tax-saving or efficiency. For example, extraction of profit from a company.
• Tax avoidance for those with significant profits (say £100,000 plus) or potential large tax liabilities to shelter or mitigate through trading, capital gains, inheritance or even property transactions. We are members of a specialist network with the tools and depth of experience to achieve in these areas.
• Payroll operation and management. You provide us with the raw data. We produce your payslips, provide you with timely information to make monthly or quarterly PAYE/ NI payments, deal with the forms for leavers and joiners, and complete the annual returns producing the necessary P35/ P60/ P14s and of course filing via internet. To do this we use the IRIS payroll software in multi-company format.
• Maintenance of your financial records. What used to be called book-keeping but these days could involve some basic spreadsheets or our Sage accounting system and not usually any books at all! The technology used will depend on you and your business needs. Through Sage Client Manager software we can maintain many clients’ records on our systems if that is appropriate but for many a spreadsheet is adequate. When we maintain your records there is of course a cost involved but there can also be significant savings in year-end processes if we have done the work during the year!
• VAT returns. Completing client VAT returns may just be the final quarterly product of maintaining their financial records but for others we will work from their own “books” or computer-based systems giving that confidence someone has looked through their records.

How do we do it?

We have staff that are appropriately qualified in most aspects of accounting, taxation and practical business counselling. We use modern computer-based systems. We have links with external specialists in various fields if such expertise is needed (and we believe that part of being professional is knowing when to seek such guidance).

But, perhaps just as importantly, we are human and we do believe in “friendly advice for serious business”.