Page 58 • The HERALD • 15th February 2024 v THE NEXT HERALD IS OUT ON 7TH MARCH v ASK A PROFESSIONAL BRYANT & CO Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers We provide a wide range of accounting and business services to individuals, partnerships and limited companies. We specialise in working with family owned businesses, providing guidance and advice as appropriate. Our services include: • Annual Accounts • Bookkeeping • VAT • Payroll and CIS • Personal and Corporate Tax Returns • Management Accounts • Business Advice • We also provide training on the use of Sage and Quickbooks, and the implementation of computerised and manual accounting systems. • Meetings can be arranged to suit your needs, including evenings and weekends if more convenient to you. • The initial meeting is free of charge, regardless of the length of time, as we believe it is important to develop a good working relationship from the outset. • All fees are agreed in advance of any work being undertaken. Please call Peter or Lisa on 023 8089 4982 to arrange a meeting to discuss your business needs. You can also contact Peter on 07976 808969, or email us at info@bryantandcompany.co.uk Have a look at our website www.bryantandcompany.co.uk for a fuller understanding of our business. A local woman has recently celebrated her 50 year anniversary at one of the South’s oldest family-run businesses. Lauren Haines from Romsey joined Elliotts Builder’s Merchants as a typist on 10th December 1973 and has remained at the company ever since. “I’d been working in a hotel in Wales and wanted to be back in Southampton. When I interviewed for Elliotts I thought ‘It’ll do for now’, and I was offered the job in the typing pool for the brick department.” Little did Lauren know that what started as a simple typist role would spark a lifelong interest in bricks. “Because I was typing a lot about bricks etc. it was interesting to understand what was happening and learn about the products. I felt that I wanted to be more involved in that side of the business. There was an opening to work in the brick office and I put myself forward for the job. The Director at the time thought I’d be too quiet for the role, but I was given the opportunity, and the rest is history.” Lauren then went on to revamp and manage Elliotts’ brick library, the biggest on the South coast, before managing the sales office and then being made a Director in the early 2000s. But as a female in a male-dominated industry, career progression hasn’t always been easy. “As a woman, you had to push to be given the chance. You had to be better From Typist to Director – Local Continued on page 59 NFBP Business Support Programme New Forest Business Partnership (NFBP) have a really useful programme of business support and networking events, open to everybody and aimed at providing training for local businesses across a variety of essential skills. The programme includes a mix of both online and in person events - and many of them are free of charge. For the Business Support Hours you do need to book by 3pm on the day. You will then receive an email before the meeting starts with the Zoom meeting ID and password to enable you to join the meeting online. The next events are: Wednesday 28th February - 4pm-5pm - New Forest Business Support Hour. Join them for their weekly informal one hour networking meeting - an opportunity to update each other on how your businesses are progressing, to meet new people and to ask each other questions in a relaxed setting. Get Tickets: www.nfbp. org.uk/event/new-forest-business-supporthour-127/#tribe-tickets Wednesday 6th March - 4pm-5pm - New Forest Business Support Hour. Join them for their weekly informal one hour networking meeting - an opportunity to update each other on how your businesses are progressing, to meet new people and to ask each other questions in a relaxed setting. Get Tickets: www.nfbp.org.uk/ event/new-forest-business-support-hour128/#tribe-tickets Friday 8th March - 12noon-2.30pm - International Women’s Day Business Lunch. Balmer Lawn Hotel Balmer Lawn Road, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, United Kingdom. Get ready for an unforgettable International Women’s Day extravaganza! Brace yourself for the enlightening panel of inspirational speakers, celebrating this year’s theme: Inspire Inclusion. Get Tickets £35: www.nfbp.org.uk/event/internationalwomens-day-business-lunch-2/#tribetickets
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