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Graduate trainee position available at Alexander Knight & Co

Are you a graduate looking for an opportunity to start your career in accountancy?

  • Have you recently graduated or are graduating within the next 12 months – ready for a Summer 2024 start?
  • Would you like to join an accountancy practice that will support you to progress the first steps in your career?
  • Apply now to join our growing team based in Hale, Greater Manchester.

Alexander Knight & Co is a modern, progressive and forward-thinking accountancy practice. We are committed to ongoing training and development in order to best serve the needs of our brilliant team and incredible, loyal clients, with a reputation for delivering high quality work through a friendly proactive style of accountancy.

Our client base is large and varied across a number of sectors both locally and nationally and we are active members of a renowned global accountancy network. We promote a positive and professional culture within our company and offer a supportive and flexible approach to working which is appreciated by both our staff and clients.

Candidate Requirements

Polite & professional manner.
Smart appearance.
Bright & articulate – able to engage with colleagues & clients appropriately, with ease & confidence.
Enthusiastic, self-motivated & keen to learn & progress within a professional environment.
Punctual, reliable, responsible, conscientious & trustworthy.

High level of numeracy & literacy essential.
Excellent organisational skills & consistent, accurate & analytical working methods.
Effective time management, strong communication skills & a high level of attention to detail.
Able to work independently & as part of a team.

5 (preferably 7) good GCSEs (grades A*-C/9-6) to include Maths & English ideally at the highest levels (A/A*/8/9)
2 A-levels (or equivalent)
Degree (2:1 or above)

Prospects and Benefits

  • Real potential for fast- track career progression.
  • Full support for completing studies and achieving career ambitions through staff training – on the job and external course provision.
  • Competitive salary
  • Agile, flexible approach to working, with opportunities for a hybrid basis i.e. a mix of remote and on site.
  • Modern, vibrant working environment, centrally located and within walking distance of both a village and a town.
  • Parking, excellent transport links.

Disclaimer 

Alexander Knight & Co is an equal opportunities employer and no terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate on the grounds of a person’s gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation.

All candidates will only be assessed in accordance with their merits, qualifications and abilities to perform the role expected. Only successful applicants will be invited to the next stage consisting of an interview and assessment. We look forward to receiving your application via email to alison@alexanderknightaccountants.co.uk. You can read more about our practice here.

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Julie & Jacob join Alexander Knight & Co

We are thrilled to confirm the expansion of our team with the arrival of Julie Gee and Jacob Dally at our office in Hale.

Julie is an experienced payroll professional and will handle all payroll related processes for our clients.  She will also support clients to onboard new employees with payroll, HMRC compliance and employee benefits.

Jacob has joined us as an Assistant Accountant and will supports our senior colleagues to deliver accountancy services to our client base of entrepreneurs. He will also assist with preparing returns, client queries and client services.

We are delighted to welcome Julie and Jacob to our team!

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Murray Patt named ‘leading UK accountancy influencer’ by ICAEW

We are pleased to announce that Murray Patt, founder of Alexander Knight & Co has been named as one of the UK’s leading accountancy influencers by the ICAEW as part of its annual #ICAEWRoar campaign.

The top UK online influencers were chosen using a formula tailored to emphasise quality over quantity. Using its values of integrity, objectivity and respect for others as a starting point the algorithm is unique to ICAEW.

Methodology

The ICAEW focused on UK-based individuals tweeting and discussing accountancy related topics such as accountancy, tax, budget, assurance, insolvency, audit and finance.

The ICAEW’s values of integrity, objectivity and respect for others were applied to the tone of voice of the tweets and retweets, determining the data it included in its metrics.

Working with Falcon it used a social media listening tool to pull data relevant to specific keywords, looking at a metrics comprising of:

  • Audience re-tweets;
  • Author tweets;
  • Positive and neutral sentiment
  • Visibility and audience relevance.

Algorithm

The #ICAEWROAR algorithm values quality over quantity. Placing more emphasis on topical engagement of the authors’ tweets than the amount they’ve tweeted, the algorithm considers everything from visibility, relevance and tone of voice, to reaction and audience engagement Read more on the ICAEW’s website here.

Congratulations to everyone who made the list!

You can follow Murray Patt on twitter here: https://twitter.com/MurrayPatt

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Alexander Knight & Co sponsors podcast

We are proud to confirm that we are now the official sponsors of the widely-acclaimed podcast ‘Before the Bar Opens’ hosted by the award-winning voiceover artist and composer Emma Clarke.

Before the Bar Opens is a podcast about what happens before the music starts.

What has to happen before people can hear, play and enjoy music? How do the people involved with its creation feel about music? Why is it central to their lives? How has music influenced them and shaped their experiences?

The answer to those questions is…surprising.

Emma Clarke, the creator of Before the Bar Opens is a long-standing client of our practice. As host, she interviews a broad range of people who make, use and love music. The podcast is produced by Rik Watson.

As keen supporters of the performing arts and ardent music lovers we are pleased to support this podcast.

Some members of our team even feature in a series of small cameos between the episodes, where they are only too happy to discuss their own passion for music & what it means to them. (See whose voices you can recognise!)

The podcast can be streamed on all the major platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Check it out here

Murray Patt, founder of Alexander Knight & Co, said:

“We are delighted to support this podcast. We have known Emma Clarke for a long time and we know the quality of her work as a recording artist, voiceover artist and presenter is first class. We are proud to be associated with the production of this podcast.”  

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Alexander Knight & Co forms strategic alliance with specialist tax advisory firm

We are pleased to have extended our specialist tax advisory service by forming a strategic alliance with a fellow MGI Worldwide member firm.

Freestone Jacobs is a leading specialist tax advisory firm founded by Paul Taylor together with Allison Walker. Paul in particular has over 35 years of experience as a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Advisor and will enhance the strategic planning for clients in a range of scenarios including mergers, acquisitions and restructuring.

Murray Patt, founder of Alexander Knight & Co, said:

“There is a natural fit between our two practices as a result of us both being member firms of MGI Worldwide, the global network of accountants. It means that as our client base grows, both in terms of size and sophistication, we can be confident that we are continuing to provide the appropriate level of tax specialism that our clients both need and expect from us.

“We’re being innovative and ambitious with our growth and development in 2022 and we’re dedicated to working with and hiring the best people in the accountancy marketplace. We’re enjoying working with Paul and Allison and we’re looking forward to building on this relationship to bring the benefits of their experience to our range of entrepreneurial clients.”

Paul Taylor, founder of Freestone Jacobs, said:

“Allison and I are delighted to be working with Murray and his colleagues and look forward to providing a bespoke solution to the particular requirements of the Alexander Knight & Co clients, as they undertake significant business transactions or transformation. We’ve already formed a good working relationship and it helps that we have the same vision for providing the accountancy expertise required by the modern business owner.”

If you – or your client – requires specialist tax advice involving a merger, acquisition or restructure or other significant business transaction – contact us now on (0161) 980 8788 or email murray@alexanderknightacountants.co.uk

Murray Patt of Alexander Knight & Co

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Welcome to our latest audit clients

We are pleased to confirm we have been appointed by three leading businesses as their audit accountants. You can find out more about Selwyns Travel, Lumenpulse UK and Think Hire by clicking on the links below.

Our audit enables us to spot potential risks, find ways of boosting performance, and suggest ideas for growth.

We don’t just regard an audit as a single annual visit. For us, the face-to-face contact and information we collect is an integral part of an ongoing flow of knowledge. We use this to keep our clients well-informed and confident in their business decisions based on solid financial foundation.

When we have completed our work, we provide a comprehensive, accessible summary of the audit findings and arrange a meeting to discuss in detail these and any other issues. For more information about our audit service click here.

 

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Getting fit for 2022? Don’t forget your business…

For most people the start of a new calendar year is usually focused around aiming for personal goals. Family, fitness and financial resolutions are the most popular aspects people like to switch their attention to at this time of year.

For the entrepreneur, these plans are commonly backed up with a raft of positive new intentions for their business.

Despite the threat of Covid-related restrictions being omnipresent and the economy still not quite moving along at full power, it makes sense to be optimistic and proactive with your business during 2022. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the top five things entrepreneurs should be focusing on whilst they’re running on the treadmill, the road or cycling on their Peloton…

SALES

Winning new business isn’t easy. But it simply has to be done in whatever market you operate in. Without new business coming in, you’re never going to grow. In our experience, we are increasingly finding that businesses are more interested in recruiting sales people who have engaging personalities and emotional intelligence rather than ‘old school pushy’ sales people. Sales staff are on the frontline of your business and it’s essential to select them wisely. If you do the sales yourself – then make sure you don’t focus all your effort on new business and neglect your existing clients or customers.

 

MARKETING

Standing out from the crowd will be more essential in 2022 than ever before. More new businesses are being launched every single day as people spot new opportunities to exploit the weaknesses of others who have been found wanting during the pandemic. Make 2022 the year that your business becomes highly visible – and therefore widely known in your marketplace. Make sure you position your business appropriately and get known for one thing in particular. Our very own ‘accountants for entrepreneurs’ mantra is a good example of this!

PEOPLE

Media headlines are all about the number of job vacancies being at the highest level in modern history. It can be tempting to think that it’s easy to find the right people to help you grow your business.

The reality, as every entrepreneur knows, is that it’s often incredibly challenging to find brilliant people who will help you take your business forward. This is especially true if you are a SME and there’s a major emphasis on personality and client/customer-facing service. Don’t lower your standards by recruiting in haste at the start of the year. Hold out for the right people and you will see the rewards over the long term.

INNOVATION

Don’t stand still. Continual improvement of systems, processes and behaviours within your business is hugely important if you’re going to succeed in 2022. Realistically that looks like an investment in new technology, new products or new services. If you don’t innovate – you can be sure that your competitors will…and they’ll reap the rewards of evolution faster than you.

(RE) FINANCING

Cash is king…but the last 18 months has tested the patience of even the most prudent Finance Director! The combination of repaying Government-supported loans, overdraft facilities, commercial loans and reduced sales will hit hard in 2022.

Sitting down with your accountant or relationship manager at your bank should be high on the agenda in Q1 of 2022, especially if you’ve got expansion plans. You’ll need to make sure you have the financial capacity to support your business plan during the year.

It makes sense to review your accountants each year. Speak to Murray Patt on (0161) 980 8788 or email murray@alexanderknightaccountants.co.uk for a confidential chat about moving your business to Alexander Knight & Co.

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Triple hire for Alexander Knight & Co following new client wins

Alexander Knight & Co accountants appoint three new recruits to join its growing team

We are delighted to have expanded our team with the appointment of three new colleagues in preparation for further growth in 2022.

Danielle Cresswell, Alastair Tough and Paul Dunn have joined the Alexander Knight & Co team as we also add three new businesses to our entrepreneurial client base.

Selwyns Travel Limited, Lumenpulse UK Limited and Think Hire Limited, have all selected our practice as auditors.

Bringing a wealth of experience from her time working at accountancy practices across the North West region, Danielle Cresswell will provide hands-on support to clients in the role of Manager.

Alastair Tough recently graduated from the University of Warwick and has chosen to take the first steps of his accountancy career with Alexander Knight & Co joining as an Assistant Accountant after relocating from Nottingham.

Paul Dunn joins as Senior Accountant where he will be advising clients on statutory reporting, management accounts and audit.

Murray Patt, founder of Alexander Knight & Co, said:

“We are delighted to welcome our latest three recruits to the team and as we enter the exciting next stage of growth as a business. 2022 is going to be an important year for entrepreneurs as they recover their business from the effects of the pandemic and they look to surround themselves with new and proactive professional advisors to support them on their journey.

“We are delighted to welcome Selwyns Travel, Lumepulse UK and Think Hire as new clients of our practice and we are looking forward to supporting them as they implement their business plans and growth strategies over the coming months and years.”

Paul, Danielle and Alastair have joined our team.

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New article in Altrincham Today

We were pleased to see our double-page poster in the latest issue of Altrincham Today which is the local community media title we are supporting in 2021. You can grab a copy in most public places in Altrincham – and there are plenty in many of the town’s shops, cafes and restaurants.

 

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Zoom (and face-to-face!) appointments available

Many of our clients (just like the rest of the world!) are keen on having online meetings via Zoom or Teams during this period. We are no exception – and we’re very happy to meet ‘virtually’ as well as at our safe and secure office environment in Hale.

Since we launched our practice we’ve always had a philosophy of embracing technology and for us it’s been a seamless transition to hybrid and remote working/meeting. 

For those people who prefer to meet face-to-face, you can be assured that our office is a reassuring environment. As well as PPE equipment (hand sanitiser, face-masks, screens, signing in) we maintain social distancing measures so our staff and clients can be as comfortable as possible during this time.

If you want to review your end-of-year accounts or any part of your business tax strategy via Zoom or Teams – don’t hesitate to ask – we’ll be happy to do so!

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