Bookkeeping

Closing the books for the year as a sole trader with several income streams can feel like juggling flaming torches while standing on a balance beam. I’ve helped many micro-business owners through this process, and the key is to break it down into manageable, repeatable steps. Below I share the practical, step-by-step workflow I use — including checks, common traps, and tools that make the job quicker and more accurate.Why a tidy year-end...

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Keeping VAT, payroll and invoices under control doesn’t have to be a quarterly scramble. Over the years I’ve seen too many small business owners treat bookkeeping as a fire‑fighting exercise — receipts in a shoebox, bank feeds ignored, VAT returns left until the deadline. A simple quarterly routine, done consistently, prevents cashflow surprises, reduces stress and leaves you time to focus on the business. Here’s a practical,...

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I work with a lot of small UK businesses—sole traders, micro‑teams and family‑run companies with fewer than ten staff—and one question comes up again and again: “Which bookkeeping tool will save me time, keep my bank transactions tidy and not break the bank?” I’ve tested, recommended and implemented accounting stacks for clients in retail, hospitality and professional services, so here’s a practical, cost‑conscious guide to...

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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 and, occasionally, to fraud. The good news is that basic internal controls are practical, low‑cost and easy to implement — even when you’re the only person wearing every hat.Below I’ll walk you...

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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 30‑minute routine with clean dashboards and reliable reports. If you’re still wrestling with multiple Excel files, inconsistent formulas, or a bookkeeping process that depends on memory and manual...

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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 for microbusinesses that routinely halves reconciliation time. It’s practical, repeatable and doesn’t rely on hiring a bookkeeper. Below I share the exact steps, tools and small habits that...

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