Business Profile
EJBC - Showcasing women who mean business
13th March 2008
ACCOUNTANT Emma Thomas, of EJBC, is a Newbury business success story.
In just five years she has carved a prominent position for her Northbrook Street firm, offering accounting, corporate advisory and outsourcing services to local businesses. Clients range from sole traders to major businesses with million-pound turnovers, many led by local businesswomen.
“What our clients like is our honest and down-to-earth approach. They find themselves in an increasingly bureaucratic tax and compliance environment which we can steer them through with ease. In a very competitive marketplace, people are choosing us again and again on the basis of professionalism, trust and realistic pricing,” said Emma.
A qualified accountant and chartered tax adviser, Emma has overseen the growth of the business from her home office five years ago to a busy practice, overlooking Northbrook Street.
“Our business is expanding rapidly, thanks to new business wins, but we set great importance on maintaining our detailed level of service and professionalism to all our clients,” said Emma.
The breadth of EJBC’s client base reflects its range of skills to support West Berkshire’s business sector.
EJBC provides consultancy and outsourcing services, including payroll and bookkeeping, to Sue Hetherton, who, with her husband Mark, runs Hethertons Bakery in Bartholomew Street, Newbury, and Hethertons at the Kings Coffee House in the town’s Broadway.
The guiding principle of her well-known local business is to provide good quality food that is additive free.
“We bake English and continental breads and pastries using good, old-fashioned methods,” Sue said. “We make 95 per cent of what we sell in our own ovens. Traditional and additive-free, that is our ethos.”
Mark runs the baking side of the business, leaving Sue to concentrate on marketing and strategy, plus overseeing their 20 staff.
When the coffee house burnt down in 2005, EJBC proved invaluable.
“Emma worked tirelessly to help us with the insurance claim. She and her team were brilliant and gave us lots of business support,” Sue added.
The coffee house reopened in 2006 and is now trading well, welcoming hundreds of customers every day to sample its delicious fare.
A new venture client of EJBC’s is Essence, an AVEDA hair and beauty salon located on The Broadway, Newbury.
Essence opened earlier this month and puts both its guests and the environment at the heart of its business.
Koulla Swann, the owner and senior hair stylist, has brought the world’s leading manufacturer of botanical-based beauty products to Newbury. She said “The salon takes ‘green’ philosophy to the next level by being certified ‘carbon zero’. We also offset the weekly carbon footprint of each visiting guest.”
While protecting the environment is a cornerstone, another is outstanding customer service offered in its salon and beauty spa. Guests will leave the stress and strain of the world outside when they enter the peaceful world of Essence.
Another client using EJBC’s business service is Angela’s Flower Studio.
Based at 36a London Road, Newbury, Angela’s is run by floral designer Angela Hill.
In just four years, Angela has built the business’s reputation locally and it now boasts many high-profile corporate customers and wedding clients, as well as business from the best hotel and stately home in the area.
What is abundantly clear when you look in her shop is that Angela excels at not only good quality flower selection, but also uses her artistic flair to pick unusual accessories and eye-catching displays.
She chose EJBC to run her affairs so that she could concentrate on the design side of the business.
“I know that I can hand everything over to them. They are also very competitive price-wise,” said Angela.
A further example of the breadth of clients covered by EJBC is the high-profile Swings & Smiles charity.
As founder, the energetic Sian Cook helps spearhead the charity’s campaign to build a recreational facility in West Berkshire for all families who have special needs children.
Sian has been fund-raising tirelessly, and successfully publicising the campaign over recent months.
“It has completely taken over my life and I have very little spare time, but it has been enjoyable,” she said.
EJBC looks after the charity’s accounts, allowing volunteers to concentrate on the important work of fund-raising.
“Emma was so impressed with what we were doing and has been really helpful,” added Sian.
When built, the Swings & Smiles building will boast sensory, soft play and IT rooms, as well as a café. The playground will have specialist play equipment.
Emma is quite rightly proud of her female clients, aware of how many have to juggle home and business pressures.
“We can take the pain of accountancy, business compliance and payroll away from them, freeing them to concentrate on what they are really good at,” she said.
Emma is also looking to the future.
“If any local practitioners are considering their succession plans and they want their clients to continue to receive a personal, professional and affordable service, we are very keen to hear from them,” she added.
Pictured, Emma Thomas and her colleagues from EJBC.
EJBC
2b Northbrook Court, Newbury
Tel: (01635) 46174
Web: www.ejbc.co.uk
Essence Hair & Beauty
10 The Broadway, Newbury
Tel: (01635) 44994
Web: www.essencehair.co.uk
Swings & Smiles
16 Harvest Green, Newbury
Tel: (01635) 38129
Web: www.swingsandsmiles.co.uk
The Kings Coffee House
2 The Broadway, Newbury
Tel: (01635) 521717
Hethertons Bakery
84 Bartholomew Street, Newbury
Tel: (01635) 40948
Angela’s Flower Studio
36a London Road, Newbury
Tel: (01635) 550515
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