Many of our small business clients make a reasonable profit but still get into financial difficulty because they don’t thoroughly track their DLA (directors’ loan account) throughout the year. Well,…
What skills does a modern accountant need?
With AI taking over the duller bits of our jobs, what skills does a modern accountant need? Communication – reading between the lines as to what clients (and HMRC) actually…
£15,000 of bookkeeping errors! £3k of tax errors!
That’s what happened when a small business client set themselves up on software and let the AI and their own inexperience guide them. Usually we set up the software and…
Building a business that works for you
When I take on a new client, whether for Minerva Accountants or for coaching, I always start with WHY they started their own business. They usually fall into one of…
How I won my first clients and what I’d do differently today
Looking back on when I first set up my first business I didn’t have a clue about marketing. I’d read all the books (okay, maybe not ALL of them) and…
The 7 Biggest Mistakes New Practice Owners Make
Most of the mistakes come down to a lack of confidence and uncertainty. Undercharging – you don’t know how much to charge and aren’t confident of your value Taking any client with a pulse – you’re desperate to…
Borrowed years
Most business owners set up with a purpose, with an end in mind. Whether that is a £million business or a particular income or just a decent work-life balance. They…
MTD. Achievement unlocked
After years of preparation we have finally completed our first live MTD submissions. We’ve also helped several clients to do their bookkeeping and MTD for the first time. As accountants this is the sort…
I love you, I love you, I love you…
I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve come off a call or received an email and commented ‘that’s one of my favourite clients’. And it’s no accident that…
Key metrics for a startup business
Every business needs to keep a track of their numbers otherwise you end up being a busy fool. With the business trinity of software, bookkeeper and accountant this is relatively…