Manufacturing

Accounting Services for Manufacturing Businesses

Manufacturing remains one of the most important and dynamic sectors in the UK. Accounting for over £224bn in output, 2.6 million jobs, 41% of all R&D and has the UK sitting as the 8th largest manufacturing country in the world.

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The sector takes many forms from traditional manufacturing and large-scale production, to advanced engineering. Cutting across everything from electronics, machinery, transportation, industrial goods and beyond. These businesses demand a proactive and innovative approach that can keep pace with an ever-changing marketplace.

The sector is rarely out of the news and continues to face many challenges but is also presented with many opportunities, whether this be:

The journey to net-zero, sustainability or ESG reporting requirements
Fluctuating costs for raw materials and energy
Supply chain disruption
Overseas trade
Skills gaps and resource availability
Advancing technology and cost control

Our Manufacturing sector team work in partnership with clients across the sector from entrepreneurial inventors to publicly-funded projects; those with international interests to multi-national distribution centres. This variety gives us valuable insights into a wide range of businesses, allowing us to acquire broad expertise and experience.

Here's what our clients say:

“John and the Bishop Fleming team have consistently delivered a high-quality audit, mindful of our deadlines and with good project management and communication. Any issues have been identified early on, helping the resolution process and maintaining a friendly and professional approach.”

Tean Dallaway, Group Chief Executive, Airsprung Group

“Bishop Fleming has provided an excellent service for our year-end audit. The team are always very helpful and friendly and takes a personable approach. The audit is completed in an efficient manner, being mindful of deadlines. The team communicated well throughout the process and resolved any questions we had, with great technical knowledge being applied during the process”

Michael Hodgson, Finance Director, Clade

It’s about finding the solutions that meet your needs both today and into the future, no matter what size, stage or type of business you operate.

Our services include:

Accounting Systems Consultation, Design, and Strategy: Our team of experts keep up to date with the latest advancements and collaborates closely with software providers to guide clients within the sector, enabling them to manage their businesses efficiently. We've noticed many clients benefiting from automation and digitalisation, providing them with real-time, accessible information for making well-informed business decisions.
Internal Control Review and Reporting: We assist clients of varying sizes by evaluating internal processes, aiding their comprehension of the internal control framework. This evaluation proves invaluable for workforce management and preparing for the integration of new systems.

Audits are more than routine obligations. As auditors, we offer valuable insights to management and stakeholders. Our advanced data analytics tools add significant value to audits in response to growing data volumes and automation.
Our analytics tools use sophisticated processes to harness business data and produce intuitive visualizations. We can benchmark data and enliven discussions with our diverse clientele.
We use a secure portal for seamless exchange of information with clients. We were among the first UK firms to invest in advanced audit and accounting software. Our extensive involvement in designing the leading CaseWare program gives us unparalleled expertise to help you prepare statutory accounts.

We are experienced in advising on raising new debt for acquisitions, capital expenditure, working capital or anything else. We can assist in identification of and liaison with potential lenders, preparation of forecasts & business plans, presentations to lenders, negotiations with lenders and financial and commercial input to legal documents.
We can also identify sources of equity funding for businesses in the sector, from those needing start-up capital, through to those established businesses looking to fund expansion. We can assist in the presentation to potential funders, establish an indicative valuation for the business and assist in negotiations with funders. We can do what is required to ensure that the business gets the funding it needs to reach its objectives.

Bishop Fleming has already submitted successful claims for Research and Development (R&D) relief in excess of £250m in the past seven years.
Expenses that can be claimed are often surprising. We have considerable expertise in the Research and Development market and assist in maximising claims and reducing corporation tax.

We can assist the owners or Board of a company over time in long term strategic decision making. Utilising our diverse sector expertise we can ask the hard questions, sometimes providing the unpopular view. We can help identify what the owners and directors want out of the business and help with the implementation of long term plans.

Our tax advisory experts understand that the taxation landscape is complex and ever-evolving. Our experts explain the issues to our clients in plain language, and work with them to find effective solutions to the challenges they face.
We also have an experienced team of international specialists who advise our sector clients on a wide range of international tax matters, including cross-border funding transactions, structuring overseas expansion tax efficiently and helping our overseas clients investing in the UK to navigate UK tax requirements and access key UK tax reliefs for innovation. We provide international VAT, corporation tax and employment tax advice and keep our clients updated on Brexit developments, advising on its implications and restructuring for the post-Brexit landscape.

We provide a life-cycle service for businesses in the sector. For businesses looking to expand by acquisition we provide a full lead advisory service to ensure the right deal actually happens. We can assist with finding targets, raising finance, negotiating the deal and efficiently and effectively project managing the transaction to completion. We can also provide due diligence services, evaluating the financial and tax aspects of the acquisition, and assist with post-transaction acquisition integration.
For shareholders considering their succession plans, we can assist in assessing strategic options, preparing the business for sale, researching the market and finding potential buyers, negotiating the best deal, providing commercial and financial input to the legal process and project managing the transaction to completion.

VAT compliance and advisory is an important consideration for all businesses. It is important to have strong systems in place to make sure that transactions are treated correctly, and that VAT compliance is managed effectively. Businesses in the sector many also be faced with managing more complex challenges including those related to international trade and cross border issues.