Setting up family business proved to be a capital idea

Like many people Polly Geraghty gets on the train to make the trip to work each week, but while most of her fellow commuters are travelling from Newark to London she is making the opposite journey.

Polly and her father, Tom, both chartered accountants, run their own business, Tom Geraghty Associates, based at the Northgate Business Centre, Newark.

Tom Geraghty, 66, of Rolleston, set up the firm in the summer after more than 30 years as a partner/director at Barker Maule & Co chartered accountants, Newark.

Polly, 28, co-director, lives with her husband in London and travels to Newark on Tuesdays, returning home two days later. She then works from home on Mondays and Fridays.

“It works well,” she said. “The trains are lovely and quiet because everyone is going the other way.”

The father-and-daughter business relationship is working well too.

“Dad always helped as a tutor with my professional exams,” Polly said. “We complement each other.”

Polly, a former pupil at The Minster School, Southwell, studied finance and business economics at Newcastle University, including a placement year at the Bank of England.

After graduating, she trained at EY in London, specialising in VAT and corporation tax, and then worked as a tax manager at a London property company.

Earlier this year Polly decided to leave because she wanted to be more client focused and move away from sitting behind a desk working on a computer screen, so when the new business was mooted it seemed the perfect solution.

Tom started as a chemistry teacher in Leeds, but quickly decided to train as an accountant.

He learnt his trade with a London firm and then worked in Nottingham before moving to Newark.

Their new venture provides the full range of accountancy and business services with Polly specialising in work-placed pension schemes.

They were helped to set up the business by Polly’s sister, Annie, a management consultant, who shared her expertise and helped with the development and design of the website.

Tom said: “We are committed to the recruitment, training and career development of our staff, ensuring they are valued and supported in a friendly environment.

“We believe this is key to providing an excellent and responsive service to old and new clients.”

The business has grown steadily and recently moved to larger offices, where it will be taking on extra staff to deal with the increasing workload.

More information is at www.tgeraghty.co.uk