Value-added 
Auditing 

Audit and Reporting

As Chartered Accountants, audit, reporting and accounting forms a large part of our day-to-day activities. At EQ, we focus our attention on delivering significant value to clients through these services, and not simply achieving compliance.

Our range of audit and assurance services cover a wide variety of areas, including:-

• statutory audit of corporate enterprises
• audit of charitable organisations
• assurance required by specific sectors, such as solicitors, insurance brokers, surveyors, clubs and associations
• internal reviews of financial systems and controls
• investment appraisal on business expansion proposals
• due diligence on mergers and acquisitions

We pride ourselves on working together, so you see us as an extension of your business, gaining your trust and tailoring our approach to ensure we understand you and your business goals before conducting any audit. We will use the audit process as a platform to provide real business advice, helping you to grow and develop your business.

No matter what our involvement, our absolute commitment is to pro-actively support our clients to attain optimum efficiency and maximise returns, achieving your business ambitions.

As Registered Auditors authorised by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, our quality standards are monitored on a regular basis to ensure these objectives are met. Through our involvement with Kreston Global, we are members of the Forum of Firms; an international network of accounting firms whose goal is to promote consistent, high quality standards of financial reporting and auditing practices worldwide.

PCAOB Registration

As a reaction to the well documented US corporate scandals of 2001 and 2002, the Sarbones-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted, and this legislation established the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to oversee the audit and assurance processes relevant to publicly listed companies.

EQ took a pro-active approach by registering with the PCAOB in the United States of America, meaning that we are authorised to be involved in assurance services for companies publicly listed in the US.

As part of Kreston Global, we are committed to supporting the delivery of client services worldwide, and in association with our United States Kreston members, we are able to deliver those services to any publicly listed US company.

Your Potential. Energised.

There is no one better placed than your accountant to provide you with advice which will make a real difference to your business. At EQ we don’t wait to be asked our opinion on issues. We work closely with our clients throughout the year and provide proactive, independent, valuable support for business decision making.

We often challenge the ideas of our clients, and we are rarely accused of being ‘Yes Men’. We have a wealth of experience across all businesses, large and small, covering many sectors, so have the knowledge to guide you through any matter. EQ can help you to develop your business more effectively, and more profitably.

Here is a brief selection of work we have undertaken with our clients, delivering real value:

• establishing financial and non-financial key performance indicators
• business strategy planning
• marketing and promotional advice
• assessment of pricing strategies
• management training and support

Business Finance Advice

EQ are members of the Business Finance Advice Scheme – a service that has been created by the Government and the accounting professional bodies to help businesses find advice on obtaining finance from qualified accountants.

Membership of the scheme relies on us being able to offer SMEs advice in the following four areas:

• Business plans – including the preparation and review of a business plan, advice on tailoring the plan for the recipients and making it a more useful document for the business
• Business start-ups – considering the needs of the new business and the forms of finance available
• Small scale equity issues – covering finance raised from director/shareholders without making a public offering and consideration of the tax incentives that are available using the various schemes available, such as the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
• Bank loans and overdrafts – considering the funding options available, assisting with the application process for loans and overdrafts and advice on the business support schemes that exist

In today’s climate it’s critical that SMEs are getting the right advice to support their business and hopefully this scheme will help to ensure that happens.

For more information, contact one of our team for a no obligation discussion on your business needs and ambitions.