ICAS and RBS collaborate to help small businesses

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is collaborating with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) to help small businesses in Scotland grow.

RBS staff will be working with members of ICAS to improve the services that both the bank and the accountants provide to SMEs in the country, and the staff will be working closely with the Practice Community of the ICAS.

Economy boost

As part of its new strategy to forge mutually beneficial partnerships, ICAS believes that the association will give a boost to Scotland’s economy.

RBS Chairman of the Scotland Board, Malcolm Buchanan, said that accountants are increasingly open to collaborating with advisory services and that the support they offer to their customers is integral to their core responsibilities. Hence, accountants are more open nowadays to building relationships within the industry. This was the primary reason why RBS has joined forces with ICAS.

Buchanan also added that the partnership would provide more opportunities to members of ICAS while putting Scotland on the world map as one of the key global providers of accountancy.

Roadshows

ICAS Chief Executive, Anton Colella, said that the partnership with RBS will benefit ICAS members as well as the banks. He also believes that the two would work to improve the SME sector in Scotland.

The partners will be organising several roadshows later in the year that highlight the challenges that small businesses face in today’s global business environment, and will attempt to come up with the solutions to these issues.