I started using Xero and GoCardless together because late payments were eating into cashflow and my clients with subscription or retainer invoices hated chasing. If you’re billing the same clients regularly — think monthly retainers, memberships, or recurring services — automating dunning and...
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Tax Tips
I’ve lost count of the number of shop owners and small retailers who’ve...
Small Business Advice
I often see small business owners tell me they want to reinvest profits for...
Compliance
Running a one‑person payroll feels simple—until HMRC pokes around and you...
Bookkeeping
When a supplier sends a single invoice that needs to be split across different...
Hello — I’m writing from Muressaccounts Co (https://www.muressaccounts.co.uk), where I help UK micro‑businesses and SMEs get their bookkeeping and tax sorted without the panic. Over the years I’ve supported clients through HMRC compliance...
I work with a lot of small agencies and freelancers who operate through personal service companies (PSCs), and one question comes up more than any other: “Will IR35 affect me — and if so, how do I deal with it without losing sleep or all my...
I run a one‑person business and, like many solo entrepreneurs, I used to think internal controls were only for larger companies with finance teams. Over time I learned the hard way that even tiny operations can be vulnerable to simple mistakes...
Working weekends as a sole trader is often part of running a small business — especially in retail, creative services or hospitality. I regularly help clients reclaim the extra costs that come with weekend work, but I also see patterns that...
I’ve seen plenty of panicked messages from business owners who spot a VAT mistake after submitting a return — and before you stress, most errors can be corrected without triggering heavy penalties if you act promptly and sensibly. Below I’ll...
I often get asked by clients and readers: “Which home-office costs can I actually claim, and how do I work out the amounts?” Working from home has become commonplace, but the rules for claiming home-related business expenses — and the...
I made the switch from spreadsheet bookkeeping to QuickBooks for one of my clients last year and it instantly changed how we spent our week. What used to be a few hours every Friday reconciling bank transactions and chasing down invoices became a...
I’ve helped dozens of small business owners prepare for lending conversations, and one thing becomes clear fast: lenders don’t approve loans based on hope or good intentions. They read your accounts like a detective — and they’re looking for...
Running payroll as a micro‑employer can feel like juggling while walking a tightrope — one missed deadline and HMRC will let you know about it. Over the years I’ve helped dozens of sole‑traders and tiny teams get payroll right without...
Reconciliation used to be the part of the month I dreaded most. Three hours staring at bank lines, looking for missing receipts and trying to remember which card purchase relates to which client — sound familiar? Over the years I built a workflow...