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Many small business owners tend to handle their own accounting and bookkeeping, especially when they’ve just started out. However, keeping track of the finance-side of the business– everything from income to expenses to tax compliance– can be overwhelming. Mistakes can happen quite easily and can have costly consequences to your business. Below are five of the most common DIY accounting errors that you should avoid. Unorganised Records It takes excellent…  Read more

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. England’s COVID-19 Restrictions to be lifted by 19 July The final easing of lockdown measures in England is still set for 19 July. According to the new health secretary, ministers see no reason to go beyond the target date. Although there is still an increase in cases, the number…  Read more

If you’ve just started working with Xero, it is normal to make a few mistakes while you’re learning. We see mistakes that are quite common – and unfortunately costly – so you should be aware of them if you want to get the most out of Xero’s powerful cloud accounting system. 1. Not connecting all the bank and credit card accounts dedicated for your business Make sure that you keep…  Read more

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Plan to Come in a Few Weeks Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that plans for a COVID-19 booster jab programme in autumn will be set out in the next few weeks. Trials for combinations of vaccines are currently being trialled to determine which is the most…  Read more

For some people, early retirement is a choice. For others, it’s a necessity. Regardless of which group you fall into, there are some steps you can take to help make early retirement a reality and live the life you dream about. 1. Know your goals Before you know exactly how much money you need to save, you need to know your goals for retirement. Do you want to live in…  Read more

Preparing your End of Financial Year (EOFY) information often feels stressful—there are receipts to sort out and reports to review, and you need to make sure you have all the necessary information about your income and expenses. It can be overwhelming, and it can make the EOFY feel daunting. The end of the financial year isn’t just a time to collect receipts and find invoices, however. It’s also a time…  Read more

The question of motivating employees is often on a business owner’s mind. It can be difficult to find ways to genuinely motivate employees at work, and often the old standards—performance-based bonuses, increased rewards and commissions—only work in the short-term, if they work at all. In fact, some tests have shown that the usual motivational tactics aren’t always effective. So how can you authentically motivate workers? 1. Share positive feedback Too…  Read more

Financial management is a vital part of running a successful business, but often entrepreneurs start their business with little understanding of how to make solid financial decisions. Managing your finances is about more than bookkeeping and paying taxes—although those are also important to a sustainable business. It’s about managing cash flow, preparing for income fluctuations, and having the resources to take advantage of opportunities. Here are 6 money management tips…  Read more

We’ve heard this before: the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global health and financial crisis that has caught many off guard. While the threats to human life are very real, the damage to the health of businesses is really just starting to show. The seriousness of the disease and the lack of a vaccine (at the time of writing this) have prompted governments around the world to impose strict measures…  Read more

A director has been injured in a car accident. This has made it difficult for him to commute to the office. The company is paying to provide special equipment at home so he can work. Will this count as a taxable benefit in kind? Working from home Working from home is increasingly common these days, and despite the tax system being slow to react to change, there are a few…  Read more

To release capital tied up in a let property you have remortgaged it. In the past HMRC accepted that the interest paid on this type of loan was tax deductible, but it seems to be changing its view. What’s the full story? A matter of interest A change in HMRC’s internal guidance has left tax experts baffled. The trouble relates to a paragraph in HMRC’s business income manual ( BIM45700 ), which…  Read more

As your estate grows so does the potential inheritance tax bill. What steps can you take to minimise tax while keeping hold of your underlying wealth? IHT-effective gifts The simplest way for someone to reduce their estate for IHT purposes is for them to pass their wealth to their beneficiaries by making gifts during their lifetime. However, the maximum that an individual can give away to others entirely exempt from…  Read more

The taxation of dividends and benefits in kind has changed significantly in recent times. So if you’re considering taking more income from your company, which should you choose for maximum tax efficiency? Topping up your income Choosing tax and NI-efficient types of income to draw from your company can make a big difference to its worth to you. As a rule of thumb, salary in excess of the NI threshold…  Read more

The new Tax-Free Childcare Scheme (TFCS) is now available to the first tranche of working parents. The scheme has initially been made available to working parents of children who will be aged under 4 on 31 August 2017. The TFCS will help support working families with their childcare costs. The new scheme will eventually replace the salary sacrifice scheme and will be open to all qualifying parents including the self-employed…  Read more

Quick and efficient payment options benefit both small business owners and their customers. Consumers are used to flexibility – cash, check or charge? – when buying from large retailers. If you’re a cash-or-check only operation, consider how many sales you may be losing – and how your business would grow if your customers could pay with debit or credit cards. If one of your goals is to start selling online,…  Read more

Most small business owners who use accounting software quickly master the basics. They automate processes like invoicing and payroll, track expenses and view real time financial reports to manage cash flow and make better business decisions. But what many business owners don’t take advantage of are key insights that can improve customer care and increase sales. Here are some smart ways you can use your accounting software to help boost…  Read more

If you’re like most small business owners, there are never enough hours in the day to complete every task on your list. Often you’re faced with prioritizing what you need to do right now – deal with a customer, meet a deadline, attend an event – and the things you know you should do for the ongoing growth of your business. Scheduling time to attend to these business activities on…  Read more

On average, small business owners spend 10 hours each week recording, organizing, and processing financial transactions – everything from accounts receivable and payable, to employee payments, expense receipts and supplier invoices. While the process may be time-consuming (and tedious!), effective bookkeeping is the foundation of sound financial management – which in turn, is the lifeblood of your business. Feeling overwhelmed by mountains of paperwork and complex calculations? Here are three…  Read more