There are many reasons why businesses employ external accountants to take care of the book-keeping and accounting needs, not least that it relieves the owners of the business the burden of having to do it in-house.

Our policy is to spend time to understand you and your business and your systems and your requirements in order to suggest a solution for you.

Combined with the normal book-keeping services we can also maintain your VAT records.

However, probably the most important part of this service is the preparation of management accounts. These are vital to the continued success of your business. As with all facets of our services, we will discuss with you your individual requirements and tailor our service to meet your need

We can save your valuable time and resources spent ensuring that your business complies with the legalities and requirements of the Companies Act.

Legislation changes with amazing regularity and by subscribing directly with our Institute and other professional partners, we are kept fully informed of any changes which would affect your business.

We can offer you peace of mind by offering company secretarial duties for you.

These include:

• Company Formations

• Preparation and filing of statutory returns

• Preparation of all documentation relating to minutes and resolutions

• Maintenance of statutory books

• General advice on company law

Regardless of your size, most businesses at some stage need finance.  This finance needs to be the most effective form of finance for your business.  Inadequate or badly structured finance can have a detrimental effect on the business, at worst contributing to ultimate failure.

We can help you:

• Conduct a feasibility study of your projects

• Decide on the most suitable “cocktail” of finance, including personal capital, Overdrafts, commercial loans and mortgages, venture capital, equity capital and availability of regional or national grants

• Prepare Business Plans, Profit Projections and Cash Flow Forecasts (with Sensitivity Analysis)

• Present your proposals to the finance source(s) most favoured by yourselves

• Arrange a disposal, merger/acquisition or management buyout/in

It has been our experience that a well-prepared plan, professionally produced and presented, with all relevant ratios examined, have a higher success rate at obtaining the necessary finance than an ill-prepared application

The growing complexity of taxation and employment legislation and the accompanying regime of penalties for non-compliance can be at the very least burdensome and daunting to the inexperienced business-person(s)

Devoting time to these issues diverts your energies away from your area of expertise.

We can relieve you of this burden by providing a comprehensive and confidential payroll service, including:

• Customised payslips

• Administration of PAYE, National Insurance, Statutory Sick Pay, Statutory Maternity Pay etc.

• Completion of statutory forms, including year end returns, to issue to your employees and now submitting to the Inland Revenue from April 2013 every time the payroll is run – RTI (Real Time Information)

• Summaries and analyses of staff costs

• Administration of incentive schemes, bonuses, and ex-gratia and termination payments

• Administration of pension schemes

Directors who ignore the signs of a failing business run the risk of committing offences under the Insolvency Act such as fraudulent trading, misfeasance, wrongful trading and preferential or undervalue transactions – for which the penalty might be disqualification – or worse!

Many business failures can be avoided if the owners take the right advice at the right time.

Some of the commonest causes of company collapse are bad debts, reduced demand, excessive borrowing etc. All too often owners do not face up to these problems until it’s too late.

The key is to seek professional help as soon as the first signs of difficulty appear. With timely advice a company may be saved from liquidation or receivership, particularly if there is genuinely profitable core to the business.

We have connections to highly trained professionals who can help you identify the cause of your problems and recommend solutions to improve profitability and cashflow.

Various options are available along with legislative assistance, and with our involvement can often assist in providing a satisfactory outcome to your problems.

Everyone knows that a successful business must plan ahead, but all too often the pressures of keeping the business going on a daily basis mean that strategic planning is not given the attention it needs. The result is often rushed judgements, over or under capacity, or missed opportunities.

Planning reviews with someone independent can often be beneficial in that sometimes being too close to something adds credibility to the expression Can’t see the wood for the trees

We can offer to act as the independent body listening, absorbing and offering comments as a result of working with many businesses over the years.