Project Description
Family businesses
As recognised family business advisers, we support family business owners – across generations – in finding and navigating the best course for their businesses (and their families).

We support family business owners in finding and navigating the best course for their businesses.

Our specialist family businesses service includes:
Developing a family business code – by conducting individual interviews and questionnaires with key stakeholders, combined with a series of facilitated discussions, we work with family businesses to develop a tailored family business code
Succession planning – when the principles of succession planning are clear, we can advise on the tax implications and help you to act to optimise the tax position for the family
Supporting the next generation – we can provide specific training or act in a more general and wide-ranging mentor role for the next generation of (family or non-family) business leaders
What our clients say

Trusted advice and support

Professional Practices Partner
A Chartered Accountant, Chartered Tax Adviser and an ICAEW Solicitors’ Special Interest Group committee member, John specialises in advising growing businesses and professional practices.
John’s profile >John Beevers
A Chartered Accountant, Chartered Tax Adviser and an ICAEW Solicitors’ Special Interest Group committee member, John specialises in advising growing businesses and professional practices.
Following a degree from Liverpool University, John trained with Sagars, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1994 and as a Chartered Tax Adviser in 1996. He became a partner in 2000.
A recognised expert in advising professional practices and owner-managed businesses, John’s advice is always in demand.
On a one-man mission to convert the Sagars team (and any visitors to the office) to green tea, John is working hard on an alternative career as a rock guitarist and/or goalkeeper.
Favourite song: Lucky Man, The Verve

Charities & Not-for-Profits Partner
Susan provides audit, accounting, taxation and business advisory services to small and medium-sized limited companies, pension schemes, charities and not for profit organisations.
Susan’s profile >Susan Seaman
Susan provides audit, accounting, taxation and business advisory services to small and medium sized limited companies, pension schemes, charities and not for profit organisations. She has extensive knowledge of accounts preparation and statutory audit work and advises on related corporation tax and income tax matters.
Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Taxation Adviser with a national firm, Susan joined Sagars in 1998 and recently became a partner. She is a member of the ICAEW’s Charity and Voluntary Sector special interest group and is responsible for our graduate recruitment and on-going professional development programmes.
Susan likes to spend her time away from Sagars in the great outdoors – cycling, walking and gardening in the summer months and standing on junior football touchlines in the winter months…she’s also a very dedicated mum.
Favourite song: One, U2

Audit & Assurance Partner
Kevin is an FCA qualified accountant with lots of experience in dealing with owner-managed businesses. He works with the business client team at Sagars, looking after a portfolio of diverse clients with a focus on larger companies and complex groups.
Kevin’s profile >Kevin Hoult
Kevin is an FCA qualified accountant with lots of experience in dealing with owner-managed businesses. He works with the business client team at Sagars, looking after a portfolio of diverse clients with a focus on larger companies and complex groups.
A Chartered Accountant and Economics graduate from Liverpool University, Kevin joined Sagars in 2006. Specialising in advising growing businesses of varying sizes across a range of industry sectors, Kevin has extensive knowledge of general audit work and particular expertise in working with groups of companies on complex audit matters, also providing tailored support to clients with overseas subsidiaries.
After a hard day at the office (in Leeds), Kevin likes nothing more than to pull on his trainers and run home (to Huddersfield) … as a warm-up for the 100 mile challenges that he “enjoys” on a weekend!
Favourite book: Life of Pi, Yann Martel

Tax Partner
Kate works with businesses and their owners on tax strategies and mitigation, looking at business and personal tax structures to achieve long term goals.
Kate’s profile >Kate Naylor
Kate spends a lot of time working with businesses and their owners on tax strategies and mitigation, which includes looking at the business and its structure, through to the owners personal tax situation and their longer term goals and plans.
An experienced tax practitioner, a Chartered Accountant (a prize winner in her finals) and Chartered Tax Adviser, Kate has considerable expertise in tax planning and developing tax mitigation strategies for private and business clients – with particular experience in dealing with complex groups.
Kate graduated from Oxford University, qualifying and working at a senior level with a Big 4 firm before joining Sagars in 2001 and becoming a Partner in 2003.
Having walked down the aisle to ‘Dizzy’ by Vic Reeves and the Wonder Stuff, Kate was persuaded to move North from the West Country on the promise that the beer was better (we’re thankful she didn’t prefer cider).
Favourite book: Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown

Director
Joel is a qualified Chartered Accountant and an experienced business adviser with a varied portfolio. He is particularly experienced in looking after family-owned businesses and solicitors’ practices, advising on business management, accounting and taxation, and specialising in solicitors’ accounts, SAR and partnership tax.

Partner
A qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Taxation Adviser, James manages a mixed portfolio of business clients, providing solutions to clients’ challenges and supporting them to achieve their goals across audit, accountancy, taxation and business advisory services.
James’s profile >
Senior Manager
Alexandra manages a portfolio of clients across a variety of industries and sectors, supporting them to achieve their business and personal goals by providing audit, accounting, tax and bespoke advisory services. A Chartered Accountant, Alexandra is also an experienced member of our cloud accounting team, with certifications for a variety of cloud solutions, and has particular expertise in bookkeeping and management accounting.