Ventia

Challenge 

Serviced office provider Ventia was set up by North Devon businessman Steve Baker and his business partner Daniel Wheble in April 2009. They needed a team of tax and business advisory experts to help them fulfill their ambitious growth targets.

Solution

Steve started working with Simpkins Edwards just as Ventia was getting off the ground in 2009, following a recommendation from the manager at Lloyds Bank in Barnstaple. There are now 10 limited companies within the Ventia Group and Simpkins Edwards produces all the accounts.

Partners Jean-Paul Quertier and Adrian Hemmings, who have worked alongside Steve since he started the business, continue to provide him with consultancy on corporate structure, business strategy and tax planning.

It’s proving a successful relationship; in December 2015 Ventia was ranked at number 32 on the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table, having been recognised as one of Britain’s 100 fastest growing private companies. The company’s financial results for 2014/15 showed a turnover of £5.9 million and a net profit of £1.2million. Today, Ventia’s portfolio of 21 business centres, each of which has a contemporary, boutique feel, comprising some 2,400 workstations, is helping businesses of all sizes meet their office space needs.

 “The team at Simpkins Edwards is absolutely fantastic. They assist me in exploring all accounting issues really thoroughly, providing me with comprehensive information and always helping me to understand the full picture, which I greatly appreciate. They’ve recently set us up with an online accounting system so that we can go paperless. It was a little daunting at first but it’s gone very smoothly. The team’s proactive approach is really refreshing within their industry and I just get on with them really well – I only have good things to say about them.”
Steve Baker, Managing Director, Ventia, North Devon