Fresh Perspectives

Cross-border trade between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland has grown from £4.5 billion to £17.5 billion over the past decade. That number tells you something important about the Ireland-UK business relationship – and huge commercial opportunity.

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, Rob Brown talks with Neil Hughes, Ireland CEO at Azets, about the SME market on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Neil draws on a career that began working weekends in his father's practice in the southeast of Ireland and has grown into leading a 325-person business spanning Dublin, Belfast and beyond. He knows this market from the ground up.

Neil and Rob cover the shift from number-crunching to trusted advice, the all-island commercial opportunity that Azets' Belfast expansion has created, the sectors holding up well in an uncertain environment and the practical case for UK businesses looking west. Neil's advice to any SME owner who hasn't yet explored a cross-border proposition is direct: price gets you in the game, service wins it, and the first step is simpler than you think.

Connect with Neil Hughes on LinkedIn.

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Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence.

Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology.

Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community.

This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts.

Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it.

Find more about Azets at www.azets.com.

Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

This episode of Fresh Perspectives goes behind the numbers of the latest Azets Barometer to explore how SME leaders are navigating uncertainty, resilience, investment and growth in 2026.

Rob Brown is joined by Peter Gallanagh, UK&I CEO at Azets, to unpack the findings from Azets’ quarterly business sentiment survey and explain what they reveal about the mindset of UK business owners right now.

We explore why many SMEs remain cautious about the wider economy while still backing their own businesses to grow, how leaders are responding to geopolitical and economic uncertainty and why agility and fast decision-making are becoming more important than ever.

Peter explains why resilience is no longer only about cash reserves, how succession planning is moving higher up the agenda and why businesses are still struggling to turn AI ambition into practical implementation.

We also discuss labour costs, foreign investment, leadership confidence and the growing need for accountants and advisers to act as true strategic partners rather than compliance providers.

This episode offers practical insight for SME owners trying to stay resilient, move faster and make smarter decisions in an increasingly volatile business environment.

You can connect with Peter Gallanagh on LinkedIn.

Download the latest Azets Barometer here: Azets Barometer Q1 2026.

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Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence.

Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology.

Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community.

This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts.

Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it.

Find more about Azets at www.azets.com.

Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and what it means for business owners, landlords and the self-employed as the biggest change to the UK tax system in decades comes into effect.

Rob Brown is joined by Anita Holmes, MTD Client Services Director at Azets, and Stuart Miller, Director of Product Compliance and Industry Engagement at Xero, to explain what the new rules mean in practice and who is impacted.

We cover the key dates, what quarterly reporting involves and whether this marks the end of the traditional self-assessment process.

The discussion highlights how prepared businesses really are, with recent data showing that most people have yet to take meaningful steps towards compliance. Anita shares insights from Azets’ involvement in the HMRC beta programme, including common client concerns and where businesses are already facing challenges.

We also look at the potential benefits of this shift, including improved visibility, better decision making and fewer last-minute surprises, as well as how the rules may evolve in the coming years.

You can connect with Anita Holmes and Stuart Miller on LinkedIn

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Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence.

Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology.

Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community.

This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts.

Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it.

Find more about Azets at www.azets.com.

Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores what UK SMEs need to consider as they expand internationally and why global growth is often more complex than expected.

Rob Brown is joined by Michael Holland and Annie Hughes from Blick Rothenberg to discuss the practical realities of international expansion. We explore why businesses often underestimate the complexity involved, where things tend to go wrong and the risks of moving too quickly without the right structure or advice in place.

Michael shares what a typical expansion journey looks like for SMEs and where businesses most commonly get caught out, from tax and compliance to operational planning. Annie brings the personal perspective, highlighting the impact on founders, leadership teams and individuals working across borders, and the implications many overlook.

We also discuss how businesses can approach international growth more effectively, what to focus on early and how joined-up advice across Azets and Blick Rothenberg helps clients navigate cross-border challenges with greater confidence.

You can connect with Michael Holland and Annie Hughes on LinkedIn.

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Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence.

Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology.

Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community.

This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts.

Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it.

Find more about Azets at www.azets.com.

Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores the financial challenges facing charities and not-for-profits, why the sector is under more pressure than most people realise, and what trustees and business leaders need to know right now.

Rob Brown is joined by Siobhan Holmes, Partner at Azets and specialist in charity and NFP work, who brings a rare perspective from both sides of the table. She audits and advises charities in her day job and serves as a trustee and treasurer on a voluntary basis, including at the hospice where she started her career 14 years ago.

Siobhan explains the scale of the charity sector, the financial pressures bearing down on it, and why 60% of hospices are already cutting services. She talks about what charity boards often miss when it comes to financial governance, why cash flow matters more than most trustees realise, and how to understand the difference between income on paper and cash in the bank.

You can connect with Siobhan Holmes on LinkedIn.

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Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence.

Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology.

Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community.

This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts.

Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it.

Find more about Azets at www.azets.com.

Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.