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White's set up own accountancy firm

Kevin Feddy
11/11/2008

A HUSBAND and wife have quit jobs at rival Manchester accountancy firms to set up their own practice in the city centre.

White & Company has opened with a team of 10 based in Blackfriars House, The Parsonage.

Emma White, 30, was a senior manager in Chadwick's audit department while Ben, 33, was a partner at Lopian Gross Barnett.

Six members of his team and a colleague of Emma's at Chadwick have joined the couple in their £200,000 start-up. They have also recruited a PA from Eversheds.

The couple, who live in Bollington, Cheshire, hope to achieve fee income of £700,000 in White & Company's first year.

Emma said: "We are aiming to expand quite quickly and we are confident that the level of service we will offer will bring clients to us.

"A major strength will be that clients will always have contact with senior members of the team."

The practice has a broad base of clients, from architects and surveyors to advertising and travel agencies, retail and property firms to manufacturers.

"It was the right time for us - we are both very ambitious and felt as if we had gone as far as we could in our respective roles and wanted to go out and try to do it for ourselves," said Emma.

White & Company provides audit, accounting, corporate finance, and tax and business advisory services.

"We've been planning it for six months, although it may not be regarded as the ideal time to start a new business," said Emma. "Quite a lot of people have wondered whether we are mad, but people need good accountants at the moment, and banks need more assurance."

Emma and Ben, who have been married for four years, say there is no problem being husband and wife and working together.

"We are so busy, in and out of the office, that it's no different to working with anyone else," said Emma.

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