The Accountant’s Best Friend

The Accountant’s Best Friend Book-keeping, accounts, tax returns, training, advice on software, all things accountancy!
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Business Basics Nobody Taught You #5Your accountant can only work with the information they receive.This one catches a ...
23/06/2026

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #5

Your accountant can only work with the information they receive.

This one catches a lot of business owners out.

When something gets missed, it’s easy to assume the accountant should have spotted it.

Sometimes they should.

Sometimes they can’t.

If an invoice hasn’t been provided, a receipt has gone missing, or a bank account hasn’t been disclosed, there is a good chance your accountant doesn’t know it exists.

Accountants aren’t mind readers.

As much as some clients seem to think we are. 😆

The quality of your accounts is only ever going to be as good as the information that goes into them.

That’s why good systems matter.

The easier it is to capture information as you go, the less chance there is of something being forgotten six months later.

A few minutes spent keeping records organised can save hours of stress at year end.

It can also help avoid:

✅ Missing expenses

✅ Incorrect tax calculations

✅ Last-minute panic

✅ Delays in filing deadlines

The best accountant in the world still needs the right information to work with.

Have you ever found a receipt or invoice months later and realised it should have been included?

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #4Your bookkeeping shouldn’t be something you do once a year.I’ve lost count of the n...
18/06/2026

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #4

Your bookkeeping shouldn’t be something you do once a year.

I’ve lost count of the number of business owners who tell me:

“I’ll sort it all out at year end.”

The problem is that by the time you discover something has gone wrong, it’s often months too late to do anything about it.

You might have:

• Prices that are too low

• Costs that have crept up

• Customers paying late

• A cash flow problem developing

• A tax bill you weren’t expecting

When your bookkeeping is kept up to date, you can spot issues early and make decisions before they become problems.

Think of it like driving a car.

You wouldn’t cover the windscreen and only look where you’ve been once a year.

You need to see what’s happening now if you want to know where you’re heading.

Good bookkeeping isn’t about keeping HMRC happy.

It’s about helping you run a better business.

The businesses that tend to grow fastest aren’t always the ones working the hardest.

They’re often the ones with the best information.

How often do you look at your business figures?

Daily, weekly, monthly… or only when someone asks for them?

One of the biggest mistakes I see self-employed people make isn’t tax related.It’s forgetting about their future.A recen...
16/06/2026

One of the biggest mistakes I see self-employed people make isn’t tax related.

It’s forgetting about their future.

A recent report found that 75% of people stop paying into a pension when they become self-employed.

Think about that.

Many people spend years paying into a workplace pension, then finally take the leap into running their own business and pension saving disappears almost overnight.

I get it.

When you’re self-employed there always seems to be something more urgent:

📌 A tax bill
📌 New equipment
📌 Marketing
📌 Rising costs
📌 Cash flow worries

Your future often ends up at the bottom of the list.

The worrying part is that younger business owners are the least likely to save, with many under 30 contributing nothing at all towards retirement.

The challenge is that nobody automatically enrols you when you’re your own boss.

You have to make the decision yourself.

Even if it’s only a small amount each month, starting is usually better than waiting until “things settle down” because, let’s be honest, running a business never really settles down!

If you’re self-employed, when was the last time you reviewed your pension provision?

Or is it sitting on the “I’ll sort that out later” list?

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #3Your profit and your bank balance are not the same thing.One of the biggest surpris...
09/06/2026

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #3

Your profit and your bank balance are not the same thing.

One of the biggest surprises for new business owners is discovering that a profitable business can still run out of cash.

You look at your bank account and think:

“I’ve got £10,000 in there. I’m doing great.”

The problem is some of that money might already belong to:

• HMRC
• VAT
• Suppliers
• Staff wages
• Pension contributions
• Corporation tax

Suddenly that £10,000 isn’t really £10,000.

This is why so many businesses get caught out by tax bills.

The money was there.

It just wasn’t theirs to spend.

A healthy business doesn’t just make a profit.

It manages cash flow too.

That’s why it’s worth regularly asking:

“How much of the money in my account actually belongs to my business?”

Not just:

“How much money have I got?”

Understanding that one difference can save a lot of sleepless nights.

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #2You don’t need to keep every paper receipt.I still meet business owners with glove ...
03/06/2026

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #2

You don’t need to keep every paper receipt.

I still meet business owners with glove boxes, kitchen drawers and carrier bags full of receipts.

Just in case.

The good news is that bookkeeping has moved on a bit since then.

Apps such as Dext, Hubdoc and similar tools allow you to take a photo of a receipt on your phone and store it digitally.

Many can even read the information automatically and send it straight into your accounting software.

That means:

✅ No more faded receipts

✅ No more piles of paperwork

✅ Less time spent sorting documents

✅ Easier bookkeeping

✅ Everything stored in one place

The best part?

You can deal with a receipt in seconds whilst you’re standing at the till, rather than trying to remember what it was for six months later.

Most business owners don’t enjoy bookkeeping.

The trick is making it as quick and painless as possible.

How many receipts do you currently have sitting in your wallet, handbag, van or desk drawer waiting to be dealt with?

I’d love to ask a small favour.Nominations for this year’s Eastbourne Business Awards are now open and I would be incred...
02/06/2026

I’d love to ask a small favour.

Nominations for this year’s Eastbourne Business Awards are now open and I would be incredibly grateful if you would consider nominating The Accountant’s Best Friend in the Professional Services category.

You can nominate here:

https://www.eastbournebusinessawards.co.uk/login.php

Last year I was absolutely blown away to be recognised as Highly Commended in the Professional Services category at the Eastbourne Business Awards.

When I launched The Accountant’s Best Friend, I simply wanted to help business owners and fellow practitioners feel supported, understood and a little less overwhelmed by the world of finance and compliance.

To have that recognised by the local business community was something I never expected.

If I’ve helped you, supported your business, solved a problem, answered a panicked phone call, translated accountant-speak into plain English, or simply been there when you needed advice, I would be incredibly grateful if you would consider submitting a nomination.

Every nomination means a huge amount to a small business like mine.

Thank you to every client, colleague, referral partner and supporter who has been part of the journey so far. Your support means more than you know ❤️

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #1Your bank account can talk directly to your accounting software.Sounds obvious when...
01/06/2026

Business Basics Nobody Taught You #1

Your bank account can talk directly to your accounting software.

Sounds obvious when you think about it.

Yet I’m still surprised by how many business owners are manually typing transactions into spreadsheets, emailing bank statements backwards and forwards, or trying to remember what that £27.49 payment from three weeks ago was for.

A bank feed is simply a secure connection between your bank account and your accounting software.

Once connected, your transactions automatically flow into your bookkeeping records.

That means:

✅ Less manual data entry

✅ Fewer mistakes

✅ More up-to-date records

✅ Less paperwork

✅ Less time spent on admin

It doesn’t replace good bookkeeping.

It doesn’t replace your accountant or bookkeeper.

It simply removes a lot of the repetitive work so everyone can spend more time focusing on what actually matters.

If you’re still sending bank statements every month or manually entering transactions, it might be worth asking whether there’s a more efficient way.

Technology should make running your business easier, not create more work.

Do you know if your accounting software has a bank feed connected?

Waiting until year end to look at your numbers is a bit like driving with your eyes closed and hoping the sat nav sorts ...
22/05/2026

Waiting until year end to look at your numbers is a bit like driving with your eyes closed and hoping the sat nav sorts it out.

Bold strategy.

Not one I would recommend.

So many business owners only really look at their accounts when the tax return is due, the accounts need filing, or the accountant starts asking awkward questions like:

“Do you have the receipts for this?”

“Was this business or personal?”

“Can you explain this £437 payment from last June?”

The problem is, by the time you get to year end, the year has already happened.

If your prices were too low, the damage is done.

If your costs crept up, the money has already gone.

If a client stopped being profitable, you have already spent months working for less than you thought.

If cash flow was tight, you have probably already had the sleepless nights.

Your accounts should not just be a history lesson.

They should help you make decisions while there is still time to do something about it.

That might mean checking:

• what you have sold this month
• what profit you are actually making
• which costs have increased
• who still owes you money
• what tax you may need to put aside
• whether your bank balance matches the story your profit is telling
• whether the business is moving in the direction you want

You do not need to become obsessed with spreadsheets.

You do not need to spend every Friday night whispering sweet nothings to your profit and loss report.

Unless that is your thing. No judgement.

You just need to stop treating your numbers like something you only look at when there is a deadline.

Because your numbers are not there to make you feel bad.

They are there to give you information.

Information gives you choices.

Choices give you control.

So if you have not looked at your numbers properly for a while, this is your nudge.

Not at year end.

Not when HMRC asks.

Not when the bank balance starts sweating.

Now.

Profit does not always disappear in one big dramatic moment.It usually leaks out quietly.A subscription you forgot you w...
21/05/2026

Profit does not always disappear in one big dramatic moment.

It usually leaks out quietly.

A subscription you forgot you were paying for.

A job that took “just an extra half hour” five times over.

A client who was quoted for one thing but somehow ended up getting three.

Software you signed up for during a free trial and never cancelled.

Stock sitting on a shelf.

Materials not recharged.

Mileage not claimed.

Bank charges ignored.

Small expenses paid personally and never put through the business.

A price increase you meant to do six months ago but kept putting off because it felt awkward.

None of these things feel massive on their own.

That is the problem.

Because £10 here, £25 there, an extra hour here, a missed recharge there… suddenly your profit has quietly packed a suitcase and left without even saying goodbye.

Rude, frankly.

This is why it is worth reviewing your business regularly, not just when the tax return is due or when the bank balance starts looking a bit dramatic.

Look at what you are paying for.

Look at what you are giving away.

Look at what you are forgetting to charge.

Look at what is taking longer than expected.

Look at what is being absorbed by the business because “it is only small”.

Small leaks sink boats.

They also sink profits.

The good news is, you do not always need more sales to make more money.

Sometimes you just need to stop the money you already earned from quietly escaping out the back door.

Start there.

Being busy is not the same as being profitable.That one stings a bit, doesn’t it?Because being busy feels productive.A f...
20/05/2026

Being busy is not the same as being profitable.

That one stings a bit, doesn’t it?

Because being busy feels productive.

A full diary.
Messages coming in.
Jobs booked.
Clients waiting.
Invoices going out.

It can look like success from the outside.

The problem is, busy can also mean:

• low margin work
• too many tiny jobs
• clients who drain your time
• constant interruptions
• no breathing space
• no proper planning
• no time to improve the business
• lots of activity but not enough profit

You can be fully booked and still not earning enough.

You can be working evenings and weekends and still not building the life you wanted.

You can have loads of clients and still feel permanently skint.

That’s why the question should not just be:

“How do I get more work?”

Sometimes the better question is:

“Is the work I already have actually worth it?”

Because more work is not always the answer.

Sometimes the answer is better priced work.
Better clients.
Better boundaries.
Better systems.
Better profit.

A busy business can still be a broken business.

The goal is not to be run off your feet.

The goal is to build something that actually works.

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Pevensey

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441323925001

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