Ian is the founder and managing director of Pinches Medical & Wellbeing based in the heart of Macclesfield. Initially a Chartered Accountant for the National Health Service and KPMG, Ian then went on to work for GE Capital becoming a Lean Six Sigma Leader before setting up his own business consultancy.

Ian is passionate about all things Macclesfield and is very well known within the town, often hosting events at his base in one of Macclesfield’s most iconic and important heritage buildings, the Grade II* listed Charles Roe House.

Tell us a bit about your business?
We offer private primary care services led by six GPs. Services include routine and ad hoc GP appointments, nursing appointments, travel vaccinations and immunisations, occupational health and even aesthetics. Memberships are just £20 per month including a health assessment, check up every six months and access to two further GP appointments each year at members’ convenience.

Tell Us About Your Role Within The Business?
I am a founder and co-owner of Pinches with my wife Stephanie. I am the Managing Director and Steph is the Chief Medical Officer. We had the vision for Pinches in the Autumn of 2015.

We combined our skills to create an additional option for GP services as Steph is an experienced GP and Consultant Pharmaceutical Physician and I am a specialist Lean Six Sigma Management Consultant and a Chartered Accountant. We formed Pinches Ltd in May 2016 and opened the practice in July 2017. We have some other businesses that are well established, so we have put most of our effort into Pinches over the last two and a half years.

In your opinion, what is the most interesting/high profile/exciting project you or your business has worked on?
There have been a huge number of exciting aspects as we have been setting up this completely new business. It is ground-breaking as, within the UK, private GP practices are almost exclusively the domain of city centre locations and serve transient populations of tourists or business visitors.

Our practice is instead focused on a long-term relationship founded on trust where there is time and resource available to undertake unpressurised consultations. For me the best part of providing these services is when we get unsolicited feedback thanking us for the positive impact that we’ve made to people’s lives.

How long has the business been operating and how long have you been based in Macclesfield?
After being established in May 2016, the business was opened in July 2017 by the Mayor of Macclesfield but only operated a full range of services from January 2018 as the building works in other parts of Charles Roe House were not completed until then. The business has only ever been based in Macclesfield and is beginning to operate a hub and spoke model with part-time satellite clinics, one of which is now established in the Tytherington club.

What made you choose Macclesfield as a place to base your business?
We have been basing our businesses out of Macclesfield since 2014, initially because our six children (we do indeed have a TV) have all been or still are at King’s School. We came to Macclesfield in the first place because we needed a school that would support, Jennifer (now 24), in her ambition to become an Olympic gymnast which was achieved in 2012.

Having discovered Macclesfield, we would not move our businesses anywhere else! Although there is a lot of unfulfilled potential which has is directly led to this group, it’s a lovely place to work already due to the close networks, services, geography / logistics and surrounding countryside. We live in Whaley Bridge and thoroughly enjoy the Peak District and music scene (I am a musician in my ‘spare’ time).

What’s the best thing about working in Macclesfield?
The fantastic other businesses!! It makes a huge difference to have like-minded, capable, professionals to network with who will share their time and experiences. You can get everything you need here; as a result of our networks we use local providers for IT, construction, café supplies, and have found a truly excellent local workforce for our businesses.

Do You Have Any Specific Future Goals For The Business That You Would Like To Share?
Our 2019 goal is to sign up 20 more local businesses to our group scheme. For £20 a month, each member of an organisation benefits from a private health assessment, 6 monthly check-ups. In addition, the organisation benefits from two further GP appointments per member enrolled to use as and when needed, and these can be shared amongst the team as required. We also provide flu jabs and health promotion within the membership for this price.

Any other comments?
Macclesfield Means Business has developed into a great forum for sharing ideas, plans and possibilities, and we plan to offer its members preferential prices for our forthcoming 2019 Lean Six Sigma courses, held in Charles Roe House’s Copper Room.