Seahorse joins up with Nichola Ross Martin's virtual tax network!
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As you will no doubt be aware, Chancellor George Osbourne delivered his “pro growth, pro jobs” budget on 23 March 2011.
The budget continues to offer accountants and advisers an opportunity to add real value to their clients by keeping them armed with up to date advice to make informed decisions. It also brings an opportunity to offer additional services to clients resulting in increased profits for you.
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You have decided that an accountancy or bookkeeping business is for you. You will be your own boss, make your own decisions, make a heap of cash and work less hours.
The reality, of course, can often be somewhat different!
There are many factors to consider when starting a business and not everyone is cut out to work for themselves.
On a trip last week to an accountants seminar in Cornwall I met the accountant and author Hugh Williams FCA, of the award winning firm HM Williams, an accountancy firm recognised for it’s customer focused approach.
After discussing our views on fixed fees, value pricing and time based billing, it became apparent that Hugh was a man after my own heart. Hugh kindly gave me a copy of his book ‘Life without Timesheets’ in exchange for my promise to review it on a leading accountancy website.
Seahorse (UK) Ltd are delighted to announce that we have teamed up with Nichola Ross Martin to offer our members discounted rates for her virtual tax network. Nichola is a highly respected tax consultant whose expertise is advising on typical OMB and SME tax issues. Nichola, a chartered accountant with over 20 years experience, has created a tax know-how website for accountants and advisers.
Mark Lee talks to accounting consultant Jason Dormer about the key areas where small firms of accountants and bookkeepers consistently fail.
Having founded his own award winning accountancy firm in 2005 – starting as a sole practitioner working from home, and growing it to a company of six trading from its own purchased premises – Jason Dormer knows a thing or two about making it in practice. His latest project, Seahorse (UK) Ltd, is an advisory service aimed at helping start ups and existing small firms of accountants and bookkeepers through the difficult first stages of establishing themselves, right through to growing and developing their client base.
There has been much written about the credit crunch. There can be no doubting that this has been a very challenging time for small businesses and many have not managed to survive the current economic downturn. Many firms that have continued to trade are only breaking even, or trading at a loss.
Whilst this climate has many negative implications, there have been some positives too. Many owner managed businesses who have not had the resources to allocate to every area of their business (which they have previously overlooked) are being forced to ensure that every area of their business is now being given sufficient attention:
Ask any business owners what the one single biggest challenge they face at the moment is and the answer will more often than not be: ‘getting paid’.
Lack of credit management systems and credit control procedures, combined with previous good payers holding onto their money longer, has created a real problem for many businesses. This problem is compounded by the obvious difficulties businesses are facing in obtaining credit to bridge the gap between doing the work and getting paid.
Baiju Solanki is a Performance Coach and is Managing Director of Performance Coaching and Training Limited. The company was formed with the objective of helping local businesses and individuals to fulfil their potential through understating what they CAN do to be able to perform at the best more often. Performance Coaching and Training act for numerous businesses in the Essex area including Southend Council – Teachers, BRS Associate, Southend Hospital, Liberty Hygiene and South East Essex College