Lairgate Financial celebrates fifth year of ‘doing advice differently’

Wayne Audsley and Phillip Betts established their financial advice business in 2016, with the aim of championing something they believed was becoming increasingly rare in the marketplace – customer-centricity and true independence.

Now, five years on, they’re celebrating the fact that clients have endorsed that approach in their hundreds, to drive six-fold growth for the business.

The firm, which offers whole-of-market advice on pensions, investments, financial protection and tax planning, has now celebrated this important milestone with a complete rebrand, renaming itself as Lairgate Financial (previously James Financial), after the town centre street on which it now resides.

And the pair, along with fellow director Nyree Ceesay, have also agreed the purchase of the historic Georgian building they are based in, at 31 Lairgate, as a signal of their commitment to Beverley and the surrounding Yorkshire and the Humber region.

“When we first set out on this journey, it was just the two of us,” explained Wayne. We had dozens of clients between us and no premises.

“After this relatively short amount of time, we now serve hundreds of people – predominantly within our region, but nationwide as well. We’ve also increased our employee base from two to eight people.

“We’d like to think this rapid growth is a reflection of our commitment to doing things differently, and the fact that we’re continuing to offer something which is increasingly rare on the high street.”

The purchase of their Lairgate offices is particularly symbolic for the team. “This is a really significant step for us,” explained Wayne. “Because it’s a prominent site within our ‘hometown’, and a symbol of everything we want to stand for – including our commitment to our clients and the community we’re based in.

They have ambitious plans for the future, too – including looking to grow their advisor team. “We’ve expanded our team, with the addition of financial planner Andrew Blissett and compliance director Nyree Ceesay, who ensures we not only meet regulatory requirements, but aim to exceed them by offering the very best possible customer experience.

“We intend to continue growing, at a pace which enables us to remain true to our company values, and are currently looking to recruit more qualified financial advisors to our expanding team,” concluded Wayne