It's been a turbulent year for businesses everywhere as the global coronavirus pandemic brought many sectors to a standstill and left thousands of people out of work as their employers were unable to sustain their employment.
However, some companies were able to ride the storm and even emerge stronger than ever, despite the ongoing challenges that are facing us and are likely to do so well into 2021 until a vaccine for the virus is rolled out and the virus is brought completely under control. Mullen Stoker is one. The chartered accountancy firm, which is based at Mandale Business Park at Belmont in Durham, managed to secure several new clients and expand its workforce during the months of lockdown and is now looking ahead to a new year which company directors hope will be their best yet. Mullen Stoker – which celebrates its 10th birthday this year – was founded by Neil Mullen and Gary Stoker in 2010 and now employs 14 people.
It has built up an impressive portfolio of clients, from sole traders and large corporates to footballers and famous faces from the world of TV. And despite the unprecedented circumstances which have blighted the globe for the majority of 2020, the company has brought on board several new businesses – leading to the appointment of three additional team members.
Neil Mullen believes the company’s growth during the months of lockdown have been in large part down to the proactive approach Mullen Stoker has taken to keep businesses up to date with financial announcements and changes which affect them.
Neil said: “2020 has been, and remains, a tough year for many businesses, however we’re fortunate enough to have been busier than ever, securing a number of new clients which is fantastic. Especially as this year marked our tenth year in business and when coronavirus took hold, we didn’t know what the year would look like.
“The furlough scheme definitely helped as many of our clients were utilising the support available and were relying on our help to keep their accounts in order. “We also took the approach to be proactive in sending out relevant updates and information which we knew would be useful for businesses and the feedback we got was that this really helped. I think our clients appreciated us taking the time to keep in contact with them when many were struggling to see a way through the pandemic.”
To support client growth, the company has expanded its workforce, with the third appointment due to start in the coming weeks. There are also plans to further recruit in the early stages of 2021. And now, as Mullen Stoker looks ahead to the next ten years in business, Neil, Gary and fellow director Stephen Green are targeting continued growth, which could include opening a second office in the north of the region and expanding outside of the North East.
Neil added: “In the ten years since we launched, our growth has happened organically, in the main down to recommendation and word of mouth, and we’re now at the point where our reputation as one of the North East’s leading chartered accountants is firmly cemented.
“Our challenge now is to build on that, increasing our brand across the region as we take the next step on our business journey. We’ve emerged from the coronavirus lockdown in a stronger position and with the team we have in place, we’re confident that our ambitious plans for growth will be achieved.” Mullen Stoker also offers clients in-house IT services which enhances the overall business offering and that is an area of the business the directors are also looking at investing in.
Gary Stoker said: “The IT services we offer are definitely a USP for the business and something we’re keen to build on. Having the skills in-house to offer clients technology and software expertise, in addition to the accountancy support we’ve built our business on, means we can ease the burden many businesses face when it comes to managing their internal processes efficiently.”
