BIG INTERVIEW
Lanop: your best friend in business As an experienced accountant and business advisor, Aurangzaib Chawla has been extremely busy in the COVID-19-induced lockdown. Zaib has been working with Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce to provide support to hundreds of local firms, helping them to find ways of keeping afloat in these unprecedented times. Zaib, who is a tax specialist and managing partner at Lanop Chartered Certified Accountants, says: “Businesses want to know what their peers are doing, to share ideas on how to get through this period of uncertainty. That’s why we’ve hosted webinars on a range of topics, from looking after cashflow and social media marketing to liaising with landlords. We’ve also been recognised in the media, discussing the issue of fraud in relation to the government’s job retention scheme in the Financial Times, Computer Weekly and on the website of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.” “If you’re in financial trouble, it’s vital to keep your creditors and receivers informed, especially if you think you’re in danger of going out of business.” It’s not difficult to see why Zaib promotes Lanop as “your best friend in business”. His philosophy is to be there for clients at all times and tailor his services to meet their needs. It’s an approach that seems to be working. Lanop has more than 1,000 loyal clients, although fewer than 100 are currently operational due to the coronavirus, and in recent weeks the company has secured around 20 new clients on the back of its strong reputation in the marketplace. “Many of these new clients were dissatisfied with the service they were getting from their previous advisor,” says Zaib. “They had heard of us and were willing to try something new.”
Born and raised in Pakistan, Zaib has had a keen interest in business from a young age. He picked up tips from his father, who had a background in the textiles industry, and soon developed an inquisitive streak that sometimes landed him in trouble. Zaib recalls: “I was an only son so I usually got what I wanted! Dad knew that the only way to develop me was to send me abroad to get some experience.” He arrived in England at the age of 19 after gaining an accounting qualification in Pakistan, and joined Kaplan, a company that offers accountancy, bookkeeping, tax and finance training. However, after building up his knowledge of these subjects, the entrepreneur in him grew restless and he decided to go solo and launch Lanop. With a master’s degree in corporate governance, IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and investment decision-making behind him, he set about growing Lanop’s client base by networking extensively with the business community. “I was still young so I had to work hard to gain the confidence of clients,” Zaib says. “I didn’t shave for a while to make me look older!” His diligence and tenacity paid handsome dividends. Lanop quickly won new business through referrals, became the highest five-star ranked accountancy company in London and now has an international presence with offices in Pakistan and Qatar. The company has also hired three staff members during lockdown to deal with the busy workload: a marketing manager, graphic designer and an accountant.
“We invested in cloud-based digital platforms and that has given us more visibility and flexibility,” he says. “Other accountancy firms didn’t act and are now playing catch-up.” 14 | Business Connexions
Zaib attributes this success to the company’s ability to adapt and move with the times. “We invested in cloud-based digital platforms and that has given us more visibility and flexibility,” he says. “Other accountancy firms didn’t act and are now playing catch-up.” Lanop has become a one-stop-shop for clients, offering a wide range of services including help for company start-ups, payroll system review and implementation, VAT and tax compliance, cloud accounting, management and financial reporting, forecasting and management of clients’ financial backoffice functions.The company also advises clients on inheritance and capital gains tax planning. Now Zaib has exciting plans for developing new services that can keep Lanop ahead of the competition. “Automation and other technology innovations will influence the way we do business in the next few years,” he says. “I want to start offering IT services to help more companies set up a remote working environment, and cyber security services so they can protect their business. “Accountants will need to be more like business advisors in future. This will not be a problem for us as that’s the way we’ve been operating for a long time.”
If you or your company needs any business advice or has any accountancy related queries feel free to contact Aurangzaib Chawla at 0208 392 9375 or e-mail info@lanop.co.uk
www.lanop.co.uk
