Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group hails first year in Scotland as Glasgow team expands

Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group has celebrated a successful start for the business in Glasgow with the expansion of its team in the city.

The group, which has 15 offices across the UK, said a rising number of inquiries from SMEs has already led to its decision to increase its Glasgow-based technical team to eight, having recruited six people from Scotland’s ‘Big Four’ firms, accounting for an injection of over 90 years’ worth of additional industry experience.

The firm cited a more proactive approach from The Treasury in recovering Crown debt as driving a steady increase in HMRC-led insolvency appointments for its Scottish operation.

LCBSG said its specialist turnaround and business intervention division in Glasgow - Corporate Strategies – which also now operates from its Waterloo Street office, is processing an increasing number of Time-to-Pay (TTP) arrangements for those companies feeling pressure from its creditors.

The firm revealed that last year saw 95 per cent of Corporate Strategies’ TTP applications approved by HMRC - 56 of the 59 TTP proposals submitted - as more businesses sought expertise earlier.

This helped reschedule payments of approximately £9 million and saved more than 1700 jobs nationally, LCBSG said.

The increasing number of SMEs in Scotland, up 3.1 per cent (11,110) last year, to push the total number of private sector enterprises north of the border to 365,600, the highest figure since the time series began in 2000, is also driving growth for the firm.

Stuart Robb, who leads LCBSG’s Glasgow team, said: “Despite the continuing uncertainty surrounding the Scottish economy, it is encouraging to see the number of business failures falling to an eight-year low and Scotland being heralded as the best place in the UK to set up.

“However we’ve recently experienced a sharp increase in the number of SMEs approaching us to agree TTP arrangements. Again, this is positive to see as early negotiation can often be an effective, viable way to retain control of the financial and commercial situation before it becomes too severe.”

“We’re also experiencing an upturn in the number of new start-up businesses who require our company secretarial and formation services. We’re a team of entrepreneurs supporting a nation of them. Scotland has more SMEs than ever before and we’re delighted to aid their growth.

“It goes without saying that I am really pleased with the response we’ve enjoyed as a business since opening our doors in Scotland. Our office move and team expansion is testament to that and we are very much looking forward to the next twelve months.”