Service
Records that are up to date, not reconstructed in a hurry.
Regular categorisation, bank reconciliation and receipt matching, so your reporting is reliable all year and the year end stops being an event.
- Monthly or quarterly cycles
- Bank and card reconciliation
- A monthly summary you can read
Overview
Why the routine matters more than the software
Bookkeeping is the foundation everything else sits on. VAT returns, management figures, your year-end accounts and your tax bill all inherit whatever quality the underlying records have. Records assembled in a rush at the end of a period tend to produce numbers that need re-checking later.
Handing the routine over usually costs less than people expect, largely because doing it consistently is faster than doing it retrospectively. It also removes the job most business owners like least.
What you get
What is included
The regular cycle that keeps your records in a usable state.
Transaction processing
Income and expenditure categorised consistently, so comparisons between periods actually mean something.
Bank reconciliation
Every account reconciled to its statements, with unmatched items chased rather than left sitting.
Receipt and invoice matching
Supporting documents attached to the transactions they relate to, which matters if a return is ever reviewed.
Monthly summary
A short summary showing income, costs and how the period compares with the previous one, written in plain terms.
Outstanding items list
A running list of what we still need from you, so nothing waits three months to be discovered.
More detail
How much bookkeeping do you actually need?
Not every business needs a monthly cycle. A freelancer with twenty transactions a month and no VAT registration may be perfectly served by a quarterly tidy-up. A VAT-registered business with staff and stock generally needs monthly attention.
We will tell you honestly which category you fall into. Paying for a monthly service you do not need is a waste, and we would rather have you on the right arrangement than the larger one.
Working with what you already have
We can work from most common cloud bookkeeping systems, bank exports, receipt capture apps or a well-organised spreadsheet. If you are starting from scratch we will suggest something proportionate to your size rather than the most feature-heavy option available.
Habits that keep costs down
- Use one bank account consistently for business transactions
- Add a short reference when transferring money between accounts
- Photograph receipts when you receive them rather than at the quarter end
- Keep a note of anything unusual while you still remember the context
- Send us records at the agreed point in the cycle rather than in one annual batch
Process
A typical monthly cycle
Predictable, so you know what is expected of you and when.
Step 01: Records shared
Statements and receipts arrive through the secure portal or your bookkeeping system.
Step 02: Processed
Transactions are categorised and accounts reconciled to statements.
Step 03: Queries raised
Anything unclear comes to you as a single short list, not a stream of messages.
Step 04: Summary issued
You receive the month closed off, with a summary and any items still outstanding.
Questions
Common questions
If something is not covered here, ask us directly and we will give you a straight answer.
Absolutely, and many clients do. We will tell you what standard the records need to reach for the year-end work to run smoothly, and review them periodically if you would like us to.
Yes. We assess how many periods need rebuilding, quote the catch-up work separately and then move you onto a regular cycle once you are current.
It depends on your obligations. VAT-registered businesses need software that meets Making Tax Digital requirements. Below that threshold, simpler and cheaper arrangements are often perfectly adequate.
You should keep supporting records for business expenses, and for VAT-registered businesses the evidence requirements are stricter. Using a receipt capture app makes this far less painful than keeping paper in a drawer.
Hand over the part you like least.
Tell us roughly how many transactions you have each month and see an indicative figure straight away.