Most self-employed bookkeepers will quote you an hourly rate.  We think that's unfair.  Firstly, an hourly rate means you have no idea how long the job will take and therefore how much it will cost you until after the work is completed.  Secondly, if we make mistakes or take longer you pay more.  That doesn't seem right to us... it's certainly not fair.  So what we do is give a fixed price (based on your particular circumstances and what you want).  That way you can budget and plan.  And if we are slow and the work takes longer that's our problem not yours.

How you benefit

For a fixed monthly investment, you will benefit from each of the following:

Your real time information system

This is one of the features our clients find most valuable.  We will set you up and support you every month with our real time accounting system.  This system will put you in complete control of your numbers.  
  1. 24/7 access to up-to-date financial information and reports from any device with an internet connection (you can access your numbers with your smartphone or tablet).
  2. Up to date - Real time accounting means your records are always completely up to date making it easier for you to make the right decisions.
  3. Business support - since we can access your data 24/7 you get more value from us - we can help you run and grow your business rather than just add up the numbers.  We can support you with your key decisions.
  4. Easier invoicing - Fast, simple customised sales invoicing will make your life simpler.  And the facility for emailing of invoices makes it so easy to manage your sales and get paid quicker.
  5. Financial dashboard - One of the most popular features is the "Financial Dashboard"; a fully customisable screen showing you the key financial information you need to run your business.  You'll come to rely on this Financial Dashboard just as much as you rely of the dashboard in your car when driving.
  6. Instant reports - At the touch of a button you can get instant reports on your business.
  7. Security - Being able to sleep at night knowing your sensitive financial data is always secure and backed-up automatically.
  8. Maintenance free - No system downtime because all software upgrades are automatically installed.  This worry-free maintenance saves you time and hassle.
  9. Lower professional fees - Reduced accountancy fees because it makes it easier for us to produce end of year accounts.​

Management reporting every quarter

The real power of a cloud accounting system is having important management information to hand.  Information such as, who owes me money, what are my sales this month and am I making a profit?  As part of our cloud accounting service we will help you set up the key reports you need so that the most important information is always a click away.  Having your finger on the pulse of your business is critical for making the right business decision.  You need to know the key numbers.  Each quarter we will supply you with:
  • A quarterly view of your reconciled account summary that will include a year to date total for each category of income and expense, and most importantly, your profit for the year to date.
  • A quarterly sales ledger report showing you exactly how much money your customers owe you and how long those debts have been outstanding.  This report will help you to keep on top of your debtors and put more cash into your bank account.
  • A quarterly purchase ledger report showing you how much money you owe to your suppliers..

Posting of all financial transactions

We will post all of the following financial transaction on a weekly basis:
  • Posting all business bank transactions - we will post all receipts and payments for all business bank accounts including any PayPal accounts.
  • Posting purchase invoices and expenses - we will post expenses to the correct expense codes enabling you to obtain relevant financial information and comply with HM Revenue and Customs requirements.
  • Recording cash transactions - we will post all cash transactions where you have proper cash receipts.
  • Credit card transactions and reconciliations - we will post all transactions on your business credit card and reconcile the closing balance each month.
  • Completing payroll journals - if you run a payroll we will post the correct journals each month.
  • Making adjustments for any foreign currency transactions - Foreign transactions are complicated because you either have to deal with exchange rate conversions or accounting for finance fees on each foreign currency receipt or expense.  But don't worry; we'll sort all that out for you.
​These postings will ensure that everything is posted to the correct place, which means your financial records will always be accurate enabling you to make important financial decisions about your business.  And of course, you can sleep at night knowing your financial records comply with HM Revenue and Customs requirements.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can charge you a penalty if your records aren't accurate, complete and readable.  You may have to pay interest and penalties if your figures turn out to be wrong and you haven't paid enough tax.  HMRC may check your records to make sure you're paying the right amount of tax.

Carrying out monthly reconciliations

Reconciling your bank account on a regular basis is critical.  When you get to the year-end, if this doesn't reconcile your accounts will be wrong.  You could end up paying too much tax because you've missed allowable expenses.  Or you risk fines and penalties from HMRC because you've missed taxable income.  Or you have to pay higher accountancy fees for the accountant to sort it out.
So what we do is reconcile your bank account every month.  We will also carry out the following reconciliations for you every month to make sure everything is accurate:
  • Your monthly purchase ledger reconciliations so youu know exactly what you owe at any point in time to your suppliers.
  • Your monthly sales ledger reconciliations so you know exactly who owes you and how much they owe you at any point in time.
  • Your monthly VAT reconciliation to make sure your VAT records are compliant.
​At the end of your financial year, as soon as we have completed your reconciliations we will provide you with an annual trial balance, which can then be exported and used to complete your year-end financial statements.

Paperless expense and receipt processing system

We recommend a system that will remove the admin burden that bills, invoices and receipts place on small businesses.  It makes the gathering, storage and processing of receipts and invoices as easy and cost effective as possible.  The system will make your life easier and remove clutter by filing paperwork in the cloud.  Let me explain one of the most popular features of this system...
Every time you get an invoice or cash receipts (for example, a car parking ticket or train ticket) all you need to do is take a photo with your smartphone.  You can then throw that piece of paper away!  The system will store the image of your invoice and, when you're connected to the internet, it will be sent from the system into our cloud accounting system for us to post it to the correct place.
And best of all, we will supply you with the software free of charge​ and show you how to use it.