W&F Issue 12 2018

www.wealthandfinance-news.com 8 Wealth & Finance International - Issue 12 - 2018 “I was delighted to win Best Accountancy Practice 2018 – Kent and be recognised for our growth and innovation. Winning an award is fantastic for any business but for us, it enables us to share the news with our clients, extending our credibility and reputation with them as an award-winning practice. As a practice we can share it not only with our clients but also with our wider audiences on social media and through our website blog, to highlight our success and our desire to keep achieving. It’s also something which will last for the whole year and in 2019 we will be entering other awards as part of a wider marketing plan, so to have this one already is a great motivator. Part of our success is down to our very personal and bespoke service. Everything about Total Accounting Kent is ‘totally’… Totally flexible – we’ll work where the client needs us; remotely or in their office. Totally in-tune – we learn the business needs and the owners’ skills so for example, we’re not giving detailed reports to someone who doesn’t understand or want them. Totally bespoke – We make sure each client has the service they need, even down to the detail of delivering boxes of paperwork or collecting it on certain dates. Totally technical – We love technology and embrace it both for our business and our clients too. We offer a free app, which people can download from our website and use to track mileage, log expenses and keep an eye on the business finances. We aren’t just signed up as your bookkeeper – we do much more than that, bringing extra business support services to our clients from us and also through our partners and trusted contacts. Our services include: Accountancy – tailored and bespoke around what each client needs. Accounts Software – finding the right software and system to meet your needs. Bookkeeping – having someone else taking care of the bookkeeping means you can get on with running your business. Business start-up/support – Structure, support, cashflow, forecasting, projections and bank relations. Payroll & CIS – All aspects of payroll and CIS administration and compliance. Personal Tax Planning – Tax returns, income tax advice and inheritance planning strategies. Self-assessment – Filing and completing your paperwork on time. We know that businesses need a lot of help and guidance, not just at the start but throughout their lifetime and we are here not only to keep the books but also to give guidance when businesses need it. We are also educators – helping our clients to understand the changes around them, for example Making Tax Digital which starts for VAT-registered businesses in April 2019. We know that many business owners shy away from technology but once we show them how easy it is, how accurate and the time savings involved, not to mention the help it gives to cashflow, they are fully on-board and ready. But this can only be achieved because Technology is fast-moving, but Rochester-based bookkeeper Ann Spickett is not only keeping up but driving the change. She’s just won the Best Accountancy Practice 2018 – Kent and has technology and bespoke service as her ace cards to grow the business and become the go-to in Kent and London. The Rochester Bookkeeper Keeping Technology at the Heart of her Growth WR180064 of the relationship we have with them and being able to show them new things and teach them to use them. When we begin working with a new client, we teach them what they need to know for the accounting software they’d like to use, plus we update them throughout the year so they know the latest and most efficient processes. We launched an app last year; our TaxApp which gives businesses the ability to keep track of their expenses, mileage and an eye on key dates so that their bookkeeping isn’t collected in a bag, or box, or on the car dashboard – we really have seen it all. But actually, a bag of paperwork is OK for us – we can sort through it and make sense of it but for the business owner, knowing every day or week that your accounts are up to date really is a weight off their shoulders and the TaxApp allows this. In 2019 we’ll be holding free workshops to help businesses get ready for Making Tax Digital. It’ll be around using Xero, the accounting software we prefer, to show them how to run their business digitally and operate within the new guidelines. The future for Total Accounting Kent is to grow and become more well known in both our industry, county and across London. We have a very clear marketing plan and with our new London office, can build our client base in the capital. Technology is key to our growth – we are always on top of the latest developments that improve both our internal practices and also our client offering. We want to be known as the bookkeepers who embrace the latest changes and be able to share this with our clients to help them to run their businesses efficiently and smoothly.”