What's in a Name?

By Tina Zawila

So 30 June has come and gone, and it’s the perfect opportunity to start a new financial year in a positive way. At Sothertons Gladstone, we launched ourselves into the new year with a new name, logo and fresh new look!

The merger of our National Sothertons Group with another group of independent accounting firms “UHY Haines Norton” on 1 July 2018, has given us the opportunity to expand our ability to provide dedicated local service, with access to the resources of 320 firms worldwide.  As a result of the merger, we have changed our name to “UHY Haines Norton Gladstone Central Queensland”.

Of course with this kind of change, there is a lot to do.  Whilst our team is the same, with the same dedication to serving our clients and community, our name has changed and therefore we need to change almost everything!  Signage, letterhead, email addresses, business cards and even how we answer the phone. So we have embarked on a big project!

One of the first steps was to communicate with our valued clients.  To let them know that from 1 July, we’ll be different, but the same. 

What a rewarding and wonderful experience it has been to talk to our clients about this change!  Most were curious at first about the name and the merger, but all of them, within moments, said something like “so you and your team are still going to be there?” and “I’ll still be dealing with you – so really nothing will change?” As soon as they were reassured with a positive response to these questions, they were happy to move on to other more interesting topics like tax planning, business improvement strategies and advice!

Simon Sinek said it perfectly when he said:  “Companies don’t do business with companies.  People do business with people.”  People do business with people that they know, like and trust, that make them feel valued and special.  Sure your brand, your name, and of course your products and services are all important components of your business that you want to get right, but ultimately, it is your relationship with your clients and customers that is key to the success of your business and to your personal satisfaction as a business owner.

Nurture those relationships and you may be blessed with clients and customers for life!

At UHY Haines Norton Gladstone, our name may be new, but our service to the Gladstone community spans over 40 years.  If you need business, taxation or financial planning advice, call us today on 49721300, we’d love to help.