TaxAssist franchisee celebrates 14 successful years of serving small businesses

Entrepreneur Nigel Lomax, who heads up TaxAssist Accountant’s Shrewsbury operations, is celebrating a successful 14 years of business, having supported local small businesses and start-ups with financial services and advice since 2003.

After initially launching at a premises in Battlefield Enterprise Park, Lomax relocated to a shopfront office on Sundorne Avenue in 2007. The longevity of Lomax’s business is testament to the success that can be found through becoming a franchisee, as is Lomax’s growing client base, which now counts almost 650 small businesses from across the area.

Reflective of this growth, Lomax is looking to expand his eight-strong team with the addition of an apprentice, which he hopes to appoint over the coming weeks.

The team is also looking ahead to changes in the business finance sector, including the upcoming Making Tax Digital and recent shifts to Cloud-based accounting, which have already brought in an increased level of demand from small businesses looking to prepare for new regimes.

Lomax’s business’ anniversary has fallen in the same month that Karl Sandall, group chief executive of The TaxAssist Direct Group, has joined the Norwich-based charity OPEN Youth Trust as a member of its board of trustees.

Prior to joining The TaxAssist Direct Group in 2000, Sandall spent 26 years working with HSBC in Norwich and Cambridge. He is now deeply involved in the local business community, being a member of Norwich North MP Chloe Smith’s Westminster Club, the Norwich Castle Round Table 41 and the Strangers clubs. He is also a Governor of Wymondham College.

Considering Sandall’s history with children’s organisations, including his work with The Prince’s Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital and East Anglian Children’s Hospices, OPEN Youth Trust says it is “honoured” to have him on board.

Founded in 1995, TaxAssist Accountants aims “to bring first class professional services to the small business owner”. Today, the chain has over 200 UK franchises which are providing financial services and advice to a combined 65,000 small businesses.

With a further 18 franchises in Ireland, the brand now has its sights set on expanding across Australia and Canada.

On his success as a franchisee, Lomax commented: “The small business community has been through some tough times, but it’s great to see how they rally round and support one another.

“We’d like to thank them for their support; word-of-mouth recommendations have really helped us see client numbers grow year-on-year.”