Haines Watts working with Omega Architects

“Having worked on many large-scale residential developments in the South East I take great pride in being able to show my wife and children a completed development in which people are very happy to be living in,” Tom goes on. “There are countless highlights but one of the more recognised projects is Bolnore Village in Haywards Heath, comprising 1,500 homes and a village centre with a school, shops and commercial premises. This won awards thanks to Alex Russell’s evangelical vision, as well as Highwood in Horsham for Berkeley, which is considered an exemplary example of place-making and design. Wycombe Marsh, a large urban infill scheme on a former sewage works in High Wycombe is another one I’m particularly proud of. Another success story is the urban regeneration of Queen Mary’s Place, Roehampton House which transformed an ageing hospital site into an aspiration development near the heart of London”.

Tom remembers the first scheme he worked on well: “It was for Barratt Homes in Bromley for 200 flats and houses. Having seen my potential on a couple of smaller projects the directors at the time reckoned I was confident enough to try and get planning permission for this project. It was a classic case of dealing an opportunity to a young person and low and behold, I got it approved. That helped me to progress within the company, and I still drive past the development standing tall on the high street today and I’m proud of my part in delivering a new part of Bromley town centre.”

“I was always drawing in school and I still draw to this day, with a pen and A3 tracing paper in my office, which I’ll then give to someone to work up on the computer. The difference since taking on the business is the need to find a balance between what I love doing – drawing – but also managing the business and all the information that goes with that. Admittedly, that’s the current challenge I’m facing.

“For me, the work-life balance is fundamental. The upshot of running the business is that I can plan my time and workload to fit between 9am and 5.30pm. If you haven’t achieved what you need to within those timeframes, you might be doing it wrong. Quality time with family and my children is what I work for.”

“I do call upon my network for support” Tom adds, “I rely heavily on Dan at Haines Watts for advice, and we’ve become friends so I know I can ask him informally for advice if I need it. “Then there are other business owners I’ll turn to – architecture businesses who we don’t view as competitors, because collaborating has the power to be mutually beneficial rather than only competing. My business partner James and I catch up every Monday, not just about business but personal issues too – whatever is on our minds. Constantly talking and confiding can only be a good thing in my eyes.

“The gentleman that has really helped me through this process, particularly with the funding for the purchase, is Philip Davies, former chairman of Linden Homes. He’s got to a position where he can now help small businesses and by backing us, he gets to be involved in a passion of his, having been in the housing industry all of his life. A Dragon’s Den type character, he’s an inspiration to me and has a really calming influence. We meet monthly.”

“We first met with Haines Watts when seeking experts to guide us through the purchase of the company and Dan’s input has been above and beyond what I’d class as a normal interaction with accountants,” Tom says. “One of the questions they asked us in the beginning was whether we wanted to grow or to keep where we are on an even keel. Going back to the uncertain world we’re in at the moment, we felt there was a potential risk in trying to grow. We’re a bit nervous to jump into anything but growth is on the cards in the future.

“For now, we’re quite happy doing a really great job at what we do, and instead making the operation sharper and tighter. Before we weren’t privy to a lot of data which was kept at shareholder level and managed by our in-house accountant, whereas now we know exactly what is happening month to month. That can sometimes be daunting but at the same time, really encouraging. Sitting down with Dan to work out a way to bring the business forward took the weight off my mind straight away – I never thought an accountant could do that! “We purchased the business at a difficult time so it was about managing our own expectations and the clients’ expectations throughout the process and driving forward in that challenging environment. My advice would be to seek help. It’s very complicated buying and owning a business so don’t think you can take it all on by yourself. You want to be able to focus on what you’re good at, which is why you’ve got to where you are, and not be distracted by the running of the day-to-day. Find people you can trust and who allow you to continue doing what you do best, in order to be successful.”