Howard Hackney

Family business succession is more than passing the baton. It’s about preparing the next runner, not just the race. Too many legacies fail due to poor planning, not poor potential.

Really good when working with compliance accountants and there is mutual respect of what you both bring to the table which expedites the process for the client. Best ways of working for clients to deliver the best solutions too. #Collaboration #FamilyBusiness

Dinner with a colleague from Leeds in Manchester but she had to leave by 8.30pm in order to get the last train home. Another example of how business activity across the North is hindered by the lack of infrastructure. #GrowthAgenda

Planning permission and how long it takes to come through causes plenty of challenges for family firms, especially for those looking for growth and business critical decisions being delayed. Red tape continues to get in the way. Needs to be sorted. #FamilyBusiness

This is the first in a series of amusing anecdotes from real-life cases I've come across in #familybusinesses over the years linkedin.com/pulse/curious-c…

If you are trading with a mixed partnership (with a LTD company in the membership) you cannot claim first year allowances on your capital spend in the partnership. #SeekAdvice

2025 was a bad harvest. 2026 seems to have been the poorest harvest ever. Together with the inheritance tax raid, how long can they remain in farming? Perhaps that is the intention of the Government policy of creative disruption... We need our farmers.

Behind every successful family business is a story of grit, love, and a vision that unites generations. What’s your favourite family business story? #FamilyBusiness

Customer service from family firms is so much better than large, publicly owned businesses, where people care, values are real and they want to serve you well. #FamilyBusinessMatters

Big businesses seem to be passing more admin and hassle on to their customers. Dislike for big business customer service when it sends you round in circles and ultimately doesn't work.

Another cost to doing business due to @AvantiWestCoast. If they were reliable would travel south for a mid-morning meeting but so unreliable have to stay overnight and incur the cost of doing so! Still a lack of catering on too many trains too!

Legacy is a double-edged sword in family businesses. It creates pride and purposebut it can also trap future generations in outdated visions. The real challenge? Balancing tradition with transformation. #FamilyBusiness

Remember in any transaction, for value or not, to take into account Capital Gains Tax, where exemptions are available for a trading company or going into a trust but complex rules that need to be understood.

Family farms are the heart of agriculture. They grow more than crops. They grow communities, traditions, and sustainability. #FamilyBusiness #SupportFarmers

Nepotism can lead to appointing unqualified family members to key positions, risking the business's growth and success. #FamilyBusiness #Nepotism

Generational gaps can result in differing visions and approaches, causing friction and hindering business innovation. #FamilyBusiness

Increasingly prefer, in spite of cash flow disadvantages, for family firms to pay directors market rates through payroll, as real costs recorded, no need to save funds to pay tax later, better at higher rates than dividends (not in Scotland) & paperwork helps obtain a mortgage.

Currently there is no Capital Gains Tax on death so an elderly, frail individual is unlikely to want to make any gifts that crystallise a CGT liability.