Pictured above: Guest speaker Mark Rhodes with Dyke Yaxley's James Gibbons and managing director, Helen Thomas, at the company's annual staff conference

Staff at a Shropshire accountancy firm have been working with a renowned business mentor to help develop their business.

The team at Dyke Yaxley Chartered Accountants, in Shrewsbury, holds an annual staff conference to inspire and motivate directors and employees, and a special guest speaker is invited.

This year's event was attended by more than 70 staff, and they heard from Mark Rhodes - an entrepreneur, business mentor, international speaker and trainer in success.

Helen Thomas, managing director at Dyke Yaxley, said: "We wanted a speaker who would bring a real zest for business to the conference, and Mark was an excellent choice.

"He helps businesses to win more sales, get more clients and customers, and achieve their business goals.

"But the good thing about his approach to sales and business development is that it's not aggressive, so it works very well for professional firms such as accountants and lawyers, who need to strike a careful balance."

Mark knows how the world of business works - he started his own internet software company from scratch, built and ran it, and then sold it on to a USA Silicon Valley organisation ten years' ago.

His clients have included many major brands such as The Body Shop at Home, Virgin Cosmetics, and Dorling Kindersley Publishers, and since selling his company, he now helps others to fulfil their business ambitions.

"It was a real pleasure to work with the team at Dyke Yaxley - they are a dynamic and lively group of directors and staff, and we had an incredibly productive time at the conference," said Mark.

"Their forward-thinking approach will prove invaluable as their business develops further, and I hope my experience and knowledge will have inspired them to set even more ambitious goals."