Agricultural business adviser has farming in his blood

A new agricultural business expert appointed by chartered accountants and business advisers Westcotts brings with him a wealth of experience of Devon’s farming industry.

Will Fisher, who joins the firm’s agricultural consultancy, has been working in the sector for more than eight years and will be acting for clients across East Devon and Somerset providing advice and support on a wide range of financial matters.

He specialises in helping farming clients with business performance, financing, budgeting, and monitoring cashflow. In addition, he is well versed in applications for government grants, stewardships, and farming subsidies.

As well as working for Westcotts, Will runs a farm with his partner near Newton Abbot and manages around 200 beef cattle. He also holds a degree in agricultural management, having studied at the University of Plymouth’s Bridgwater campus and graduated last year.

Will is currently based at Westcotts’ Holsworthy office but will move to the firm’s Bridgwater base once he has completed his training. He will also represent Westcotts at many of the South West’s agricultural shows next year.

He said: “In my role as an agricultural business adviser with Westcotts, I hope to help grow the consultancy side of the firm.

“I will be heavily involved in all aspects of assisting clients to navigate their way through the often-complicated process of financing their businesses and their access to grant funding, particularly as the industry makes the transition from EU to UK funding over the next few years. I deal with many of the grant and stewardship enquiries that come through.”

“We’re always working towards the following financial year and so accurate forecasting and making the appropriate budgetary considerations is often a large part of the job.

“Farming can be very challenging and my experience in the industry has certainly helped me to have a real understanding of the pressures and priorities facing clients in this sector, so you could say that I have farming in my blood.”

Westcotts offers a full agricultural consultancy service. With 17 offices across Devon and Somerset, the agricultural team provides specialist knowledge of tax, financial planning and succession and estate planning, helping farming clients to meet their regulatory obligations and achieve their goals.

Will is able to draw on the specialist expertise of his colleagues at Westcotts when it comes to dealing with taxation and other accountancy-related matters, providing a full-service business package for farming clients.

Peter Brown, agricultural director for Westcotts said: “We are delighted to welcome Will to the agricultural team here at Westcotts. I’ve no doubt that his experience and expert working knowledge of the sector will be invaluable in helping our clients with the diverse range of financial issues they encounter when running their farming businesses.

“We understand that farming is more than a business; it’s a way of life and we have been supporting farmers with business and accountancy advice for over 30 years. I’m confident that Will can further strengthen our existing specialist team to meet the future needs of our clients.”