Wood and Disney - expert financial and business advice in a city where enterprise flourishes.

Colchester, a name synonymous with historical grandeur, is not just a city resting on its rich past; it's a booming hub for modern businesses. The fusion of its vibrant business community and supportive economic infrastructure makes it one of the most ideal locations for enterprises in the UK

There are many reasons why Colchester is a great place to run a business and here are just a few:

1. Colchester’s Business Ecosystem The business community in Colchester is as diverse as it is dynamic. From tech start-ups to established retail giants, the city boasts an eclectic mix of businesses, all thriving and contributing to a bustling local economy. This diversity ensures resilience, adaptability, and continuous growth.
2. Local Authority and Central Government Support Colchester has benefitted immensely from targeted initiatives by both the local authorities and central government. They've prioritised business support, offering incentives, grants, and programmes tailored for business needs. This backing provides a robust foundation for businesses, giving them a competitive edge not just locally but on the national stage as well.
3. Business Support Initiatives Apart from government interventions, there are various local business support initiatives in Colchester. Networking groups, workshops, and seminars are regularly hosted, facilitating knowledge sharing, collaboration, and community building. This spirit of communal growth ensures businesses don’t just operate in isolation but as part of a thriving, supportive network.
4. A Skilled Workforce There is a skilled workforce available emanating from the local colleges, Colchester Institute and the University of Essex. Many students attending the University, including those from over 130 countries around the world, decide to stay in the area adding to the rich skillsets available.
5. Strategic Location Colchester is located just 60 miles from London. This makes it an ideal base for businesses that want to access the national and international markets. The city is also well-connected by road, rail, and even airports such as Stanstead and Southend both of which are within a short distance. Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, is only 28 miles away. 
6. Harnessing Colchester’s Potential with Expert Guidance While Colchester offers a plethora of opportunities, navigating its business landscape requires skill and insight. Wood and Disney provides just that. Whether it's aligning with local incentives, tapping into the city’s network of professionals, or crafting growth strategies tailored to Colchester’s unique economic climate, we are perfectly equipped to guide businesses towards sustainable success.

Colchester is more than just its historical landmarks, the late Queen Elizabeth II thought so too, awarding Colchester City status in her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in November 2022. It's a city where businesses thrive, bolstered by a supportive community and a proactive approach from local authorities and the central government.

It's not just us extolling the virtues of Colchester as a great place to set up and run a business. TFM equity partners have been studying new data and can confirm that while London leads on a lot of metrics, Colchester ranks 9th in the country, with 5,316 active businesses per 100,000 adults! Outranking most major cities and business hotspots like Cambridge, Birmingham, York, Liverpool, Edinburgh ...

Colchester doesn't just lead the way in active businesses. It's also an innovation leader and a flourishing nursery for new businesses to grow and thrive. TFM equity partners found that Colchester ranks 11th in the country, for business births per 100,000 adults with up to date data between Q3 2022 and Q2 2023. with 563 new businesses choosing Colchester to start up per 100,000 adults! Outranking most major cities and innovation hotspots like Bristol, Bradford, York, Edinburgh ...

TFM report caught the attention of Sky News. You can read the whole article at: What is the most innovative town or city in the UK? (5th February 2024)

If you are, quite rightly, considering relocating, or starting a business in this flourishing environment, as a Colchester-based chartered accountants and business advisors, Wood and Disney stand as a beacon for businesses, offering expert financial management tailored to the Colchester business ecosystem. For those moving here or already operating here, aligning with such expertise will undoubtedly catapult your journey to success.

 
Why did Wood and Disney choose Colchester? The decision to establish our accountancy firm in Colchester in 1987 was no coincidence. Recognising the city’s potential and the unique financial needs of its business community, we saw the opportunity to offer specialised business growth services which were not being offered by the very traditional firms operating in the area. Our understanding of the local landscape, combined with our expert financial knowledge, makes us an invaluable partner for any Colchester-based business.

Wood and Disney’s mission is to provide our clients with proactive financial support and business advice to ensure long term success. And with our understanding of the local economy, we are perfectly poised to help your business navigate and harness the city’s abundant opportunities.

Over the years Wood and Disney, while providing both traditional chartered accountant services and business advisory services to our clients, we have used our business acumen to work with local authorities, business hubs, the chamber of commerce, and the university. Representing local businesses, supporting various initiatives to improve support for Colchester businesses, and helping foster an environment that helps  Colchester businesses grow. Here are a few examples:

• Wood and Disney has supported the Colchester Games Hub, which provided a range of support services to Games and App businesses in the city, including help to deliver workshops and training courses on topics such as accounting software, finance, and business planning.
• Wood and Disney are also a member of both Essex and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of businesses in the area and works to promote their growth. Wood and Disney have been involved in a number of Chamber of Commerce maintaining strong links by attending and promoting their services to our client base..
• Wood and Disney also have strong links with the University of Essex. The University has a number of research centres that focus on business and entrepreneurship. Wood and Disney have worked with these centres to develop projects that help businesses to grow and are regularly called upon to present to students who are looking to set up new businesses.
• Wood and Disney also support local networks building our contacts with local trades and professionals so we can help our clients by sign posting them to those who we have got to know and trust over many years.

Learn more about Wood and Disney on our home page, where you can read about:

• Why our CEO, Peter Disney was named Top 10 Business Advisor in Global Awards. 
• Why we are finalists in the Accounting Excellence - ‘Small Firm of the Year award (South of England).

And find FREE content, such as:

• The Future Proof Business Quiz which is unique in that it enables you to “self-measure” the likelihood of your business surviving more than ten years. Clients run it regularly to see how they have improved their scores over time.

• Our 2023/24 New Business Kit which looks at the various financial, tax and accounting considerations of starting a new business. Over 50 pages from business structures, tax, VAT, Making Tax Digital, Payroll, cash planning and forecasting, raising finance and even insurances.

And don’t forget our Wood and Disney Mobile App which is full of useful features such as:

• 18 calculators including a mortgage calculator, inflation, APR, savings and even a currency calculator.
• 22 tax tables including from Corporation Tax, car and fuel benefits, national insurance, links to cloud accounting logins and even details of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).
• You can check the prices of precious metals as well as share and fund prices.
• And it gives you access to our weekly Tax and Business News in both written and video formats.

In conclusion you can see that not only does Colchester offer so much potential for its local businesses but that Wood and Disney, chartered accountants are at the forefront in supporting those businesses with its unique mix of traditional compliance and expert financial management.