January 2012
The Chartered Accountants Ireland has recently announced that the Chartered Accountants Voluntary Advice service (CAVA) will extend its free business advisory service nationwide. It will be rolled out at clinics held in Citizens Information Centres or MABS offices by appointment.
Speaking about the announcement, Tony McQuinn, Chief Executive, Citizens Information Board welcomed CAVA's move to go national. "Ireland's economic difficulties are now in their fourth year and the number of business people in distress who contact us continues to grow. The CISs and MABS receive hundreds of calls every year, from small businesses owners who find themselves unable to cope. In response, we are pleased to offer them access to a Chartered Accountant, who can provide expert advice. The feedback we have received from our clients referred to CAVA has been really positive. The Citizens Information Board looks forward to working with CAVA across the country in 2012."
Originally set up in the Leinster area in 2007, CAVA is a free, confidential, independent organisation that provides advice to business people who cannot afford to pay for an accountant, and draws upon a panel of almost 150 experienced chartered accountants. The service has since been rolled out in the South West and Mid West and will be rolled out nationwide in the coming months.
Orla Fisher, a chartered accountant employed with PwC in Dublin and the CAVA respresentative for Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society said: "The typical user of the service is a small business owner struggling to keep their business running. Often it's self-employed people in industries whose business has declined in the last number of years who are looking for business and tax advice, or trying to pull their accounts or cashflows together. It can often be very distressing for struggling business owners, and some guidance at a critical time can make a big difference."
Unlike the Citizens Information Service (CIS) or Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) which provide free and confidential information and advice on personal financial problems respectively, CAVA provides advice to business people in financial difficulty. It is the only charity service of its kind in Ireland that puts business people, who are in severe distress, in contact with a network of leading business advisors in Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Chartered Accountants Ireland president John Hannaway FCA said: "The CAVA service is rooted in the communities it serves. I congratulate the members of Chartered Accountants Ireland who give of their time and expertise, and would encourage any business person in genuine trouble to make contact with the service."
CAVA's volunteers come from a range of backgrounds including major accountancy practices, smaller regional practices and retired members. Volunteers give practical advice in a face-to-face consultation clinic, helping people to address their immediate problems and manage them into the future. The majority of requests for help come as referrals from services such as CIS or MABS.
Anyone wishing to contact CAVA for a consultation can do so in complete confidence by calling (01) 6377218 or by contacting their local Citizens Information Centre or MABS office. A full list of locations are available on www.citizensinformation.ie or www.mabs.ie.
