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New businesses grow from ideas, the challenge is knowing how to harness these ideas to develop a viable company and a functional business.

The Challenge

How can you start a bank?

By Warrener Stewart’s standards this is not a common question asked by clients, but true to form they guided entrepreneur Jonathan Rowland through the initial phase of establishing the company that would ultimately become Redwood Bank. From just an embryonic idea, Warrener Stewart assisted with the formation of the company that would become a credible bank for SMEs.

The Solution

‘Colin became like a member of my company and was always available as a sounding board.’

Senior Principal Colin Edney was instrumental in outlining the framework necessary to ensure the company had solid foundations. He and director of tax Ryan Lane took the ‘blank piece’ of paper that was initially Redwood Financial Partners (Redwood Bank) and set to work constructing the company from the ground up.

Together Colin and Ryan advised Jonathan about regulatory tax and incorporation structure, they established the company’s accounting framework and undertook the necessary filing to create the company. To help the company reach the next level, Warrener Stewart also advised on how to structure their fund raising and was instrumental in coordinating and processing the pre-launch investment round from receipt of funds through to the issue of shares to the company’s wide investor base.

The Result

In just 18 months Warrener Stewart took Redwood Financial Partners to the point where they needed to apply for a banking licence and moved to Ernst & Young to do this. Colin and his team’s strategic approach to this start-up business helped ensure that the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority agreed to issue a banking licence in due course. Since their launch in 2017 Redwood Bank has lent approximately £50m to SME’s and now has 1,000 customers.

Client's View

“One of Warrener Stewart’s key strengths is that they do not take on hundreds of clients and they are very approachable. The senior team are always easy to get hold of and the advice they offer is clear, it is a very cost-effective service.”

 

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Customer Profile

  • Entrepeneurs
  • Business start ups

Business Advice

  • Start Up Business planning
  • How to raise finance
  • Strategic Overview
  • Tax planning and structuring 

 

“Warrener Stewart understands our business; they give us more than any other Accountancy service we have ever received in the past. They are extremely commercially aware and very current when it comes to changes in tax policy. ”
Diana Hoare - Anderson Hoare