50 years and counting
15th September 2023
Author EditorPosted on Categories Finance
Michael Bell Brand Communications is marking a significant milestone. Here, we learn more about the ‘big’ small agency.
In the 50 years of being in business we’ve never courted awards or press coverage. It is not our style. Despite working in the communications industry, we can be a bit shy! We have been too busy helping our clients get the awards and media attention.
But time flies when you are having fun and here we are celebrating our fiftieth year of trading – when Paul Feist from Plus Accounting (our trusted and supportive accountants) approached us to ask If we’d like to collaborate on this feature we said: “Yes, sure, maybe it is our time to shine?”
So, what is it like for a local business that has been around since 1973? We have worked through a few recessions … global financial meltdowns … and not forgetting a pandemic with all the challenges that brought us too.
About us
We are a brand communications agency – supporting brands and businesses in their commercial goals, ambitions, and raison d’etre.
The agency has two sides – Michael Bell – serving global brands such as American Express, Uber, Amazon … and Michael Bell One – looking after regional and national brands. But no matter the size of the client we are working with, one thing remains the same and that is we keep ‘service’ at the core of what we do. I firmly believe this is a key reason for how we’ve managed to survive and prosper.
We take pride in the fact that we operate in the service industry – we strive to be the best in class when it comes to client care. We have always taken the view that the best form of business development is doing a great job for your clients – thinking beyond the ‘ask’ and delivering more than what was expected when needed. That could be from helping to write and deliver a marketing strategy to ensuring a client understands what a Google spider is and how it is impacting their website (do you know?!).
Whatever support is required, it is important to us that our client sees us as an essential part of their marketing effort. This then leads to endorsements, referrals, and repeat business – new business for us has almost entirely come from an existing relationship – directly or indirectly. That is something to be proud of.
Our team all share this belief and approach to doing business and it’s what we look for as well in our professional partners – media buyers, HR specialists, legal firms and of course, accountants like Plus Accounting.
Our partnership with Plus Accounting
We’re celebrating close to 25 years of working with Paul and his team – when the business moved from London to the South coast in the 80’s it soon became apparent that we needed a more local, regional accountancy firm to serve our needs.
Via a referral (the best endorsement see above!) from our lawyers we were introduced to Plus Accounting – who have been our financial advisors both for the business and also us as owners on personal tax, and pensions ever since.
Plus Accounting has overseen and supported us through many changes as a business – including acquiring and incorporating another business. They have always been there at the end of the phone to offer advice and steer us through the challenges of being a business owner. They have the same approach as us when it comes to client care and consequently, they are an essential part of our company team. A supplier that we could not be without.
Our latest project has been to set up an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT) – an exciting next step for the company – it will reward our loyal team that have helped grow the business to where it is now and will hopefully set it up for its next 50 years!
Plus Accounting has helped us source the right specialist legal partner for this as well as guiding us through the intricacies of a company valuation and setting up the Trust. It has all gone very smoothly and I fully endorse this for the right type of business owner looking to pass on responsibility to their team and secure the future legacy for the business.
So 50 years and counting, to sum up the secret of our success to date…a dedication to service…delivering beyond the ask….great clients and great staff…oh yes, and trusted professional advisors…winning combinations!