
Agenda • Welcome • Business development updates • Technical updates Coffee • Network Update • Practice Management • Break out sessions Lunch • Fireside chat with Mark Fordham
Business Development updates • Industry trends • Our brand • New marketing material • PR • Customer satisfaction • HR
Fees Fees have stabilised in all areas. Downward trend has ceased but have not returned to 2006 levels.
Fees 76% of firms have same staff levels as 2011 and 72% expect no change next year
Fees Number of firms with over 500 clients is dropping 2% (from 4.5%)
Issues • Billing and collection number 1 concern
Growth in the top 20 • Number 20 in 2013 • Feature article and advert • Aiming for number 17 or 16 this year
Growth rates • TaxAssist posting 50% growth YOY • 16% next highest- Grant Thornton • Average growth: 1-3%
What is a challenger brand • Not the market leader, late to the category • Look at their category with fresh eyes • Plucky underdog • Impact is out of proportion to budget • Asking you to pick a side
What is a challenger brand • Challenge the way the customer shops • Challenges what people think about the industry
Challenger brand examples: RaboBank • Ireland’s first online bank • ‘Life’s more interesting when you’re direct’
What can we challenge? • Communication issues • How people buy the service • The industry stereotype
National marketing • Newstalk campaign • 4 month campaign • 2 week bursts followed by 1 week in the month • Mixture of 30 second ads and 5 second stings • More primetime slots
New creative • Creative Director at McConnells, Leo Burnett & Irish International • Best Copywriting 2012 at the Newspaper Awards • Black Shark at Kinsale 2000 for Radio Ad of the Millennium. • Campaigns for : Nissan, Kerrygold, Donegal catch, Centra
Switcher campaign Q1 2014 • Updated tools available including • New adverts* • New leaflets* • Letter to clients • Business review guides • Poster • Tweets • Editorial/ press releases
State support Q2 2014 • Updated tools available including • Start-up guide • Presentation • Template business plans • 9 point cash collection system • Adverts/Flyers • Tweets • Editorial/ press releases
Innovation Vouchers • €5,000 innovation voucher from Enterprise Ireland • Voucher used to research new product or service • Used in conjunction with research/education institutions, e.g. ITs, universities
Start Your Own Business SYOB • Announced budget 2014 • Eligible for people unemployed for over 12 months • Set up as sole trader • Exempt from income tax for first 2 years
Seed capital • Available for new businesses if the individual starting was previously PAYE employee • Claim back income tax for previous 6 years • Maximum of €100,000 • Most sectors qualify for this scheme now
Jobs Plus • Rewards employers for taking on previously long term unemployed staff • €7,500 - unemployed for over 12months • €10,000 - unemployed over 24 months • Paid monthly over 2 years
State support • Panel of representatives • Starting Jan 2014
Farmers Marketing materials • Letter • Poster • Advert • Tweets • Presentations
Customer satisfaction • If you don’t measure it, you cannot manage it! • CX Index can help us capture feedback, to measure, identify and retain at risk clients. • Drives people on to social media
Customer satisfaction • Survey 4 times a year • Lets clients tell you what they wouldn’t in person • Opt-in • Benchmarking against other practices available