TaxAssist Accountants has been short-listed for the 2008 British Franchisor of the Year Award by the British Franchise Association (BFA).
The awards, which take place in May, set out to acknowledge the high calibre of BFA members and honour the outstanding performers among them.
The theme for this year's BFA awards is "Then and Now … Five Years On", with candidates required to demonstrate how they have successfully grown and adapted to changing markets, new technology and increased competition in recent years.
Welcoming the nomination, Sarah Robertson, Business Development Director of TaxAssist Accountants, said: "We are excited to be short-listed for this highly prestigious award. Our business concept has evolved extremely well over the last five years and we hope to win this award in recognition of this growth".
Sarah acknowledged the work done by the BFA to increase awareness of the benefits of franchising throughout the UK.
Commenting on the future of TaxAssist Accountants, she added: "We are now looking to expand into Ireland and much further afield with our brand".
TaxAssist Accountants is currently the UK's largest network of accountants specifically catering for small businesses, with each franchisee operating from an independent local office.
Short-listed franchisors will be judged by a panel made up of BFA President Sir Bernard Ingham, Director General of the association Brian Smart, Head of Franchising for HSBC Cathryn Hayes, Yvette Taylor the Business Advertising Manager from Express Newspapers, Farrah Rose from Howarth Franchising and John Chambers from Chambers and Co.
"The BFA Franchisor of the Year Award sets out to honour and highlight the achievements of franchisors in this significant market sector, rewarding the high level of dedication and constant hard work required to make a network successful both now and in the future," BFA director general Brian Smart explained. He goes on to say “This year the entries were of exceptional quality and all the finalists should be justly proud of reaching this stage”.
Snap-On-Tools, manufacturer of automotive diagnostic equipment, won last year's top award, with Dominos Pizza and Molly Maids also receiving recognition for their achievements.
Commenting on the award, Snap-On-Tools national franchise manager Aldo Rodi said that winning the award had generated a "feel-good" factor within the organisation.
"The benefits of winning the award cannot be over-estimated. We certainly intend to use the remaining six months of our tenure to its best effect in helping us to grow our business," he added.
The BFA is the voluntary governing body for franchising in the UK, providing advice and guidance for franchisors interested in achieving business success.
Other awards up for grabs at the BFA event include the Express Newspapers Brand Builder of the Year award and the HSBC Award for Enterprise.
If you are interested in learning more about TaxAssist Accountants then please call 0800 0188297 or visit www.taxassist.net
About TaxAssist Accountants
TaxAssist Accountants was founded in 1995, specifically to serve the tax and accountancy needs of small business in the UK. Its Support Centre is in Norwich, and currently TaxAssist Accountants has a network of offices with over 160 accountants and tax specialists around the country.
Chief Executive - Karl Sandall FCIB
Karl joined TaxAssist Accountants in January 2000 after 26 years with HSBC. As well as being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Karl is also a Business Advisor to the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee.
Finance and Technical Director – Simon Clarke FCCA
Simon worked with a number of small local firms of accountants in accounts preparation and tax planning before moving to PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 2000. Simon qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant in December 1998 and became a Fellow in May 2004. He joined TaxAssist Accountants in July 2004 as Head of Technical Services. Simon heads up the technical and finance teams and takes responsibility for the help line, technical releases, the technical support site and franchisee visits.
Business Development Director – Sarah Robertson MSc, Dip M, Chartered Marketer, MCIM FIDM
Sarah founded a successful Brand Agency ‘The Point’ in 1994 with three other Directors. ‘The Point’ became one of the foremost marketing communications agencies in the Eastern region with billings in excess of £4.5m. Sarah has a total of 20 years experience in the marketing and advertising industry, working with a broad range of national and regional brands such as the British Red Cross, Norwich Union, Oracle, Del Monte, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Swinton Insurance. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing. Sarah joined the TaxAssist Accountants Board on 1st September 2004. Sarah is responsible for marketing strategy, brand development, shop fronts, practice management and business development strategies for franchisees.
Please contact Hannah Westgarth Recruitment Officer on 01603 447402.
Latest questions on 
