Financial Gym for Business

BUILD A BUFFER OF PERSONAL MONEY & STAY OUT OF DEBT

Risk Averse-Grow your Money Rules for Cautious Business People

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Entrepreneurship is going to have ups and downs, there is no way to avoid that. The following 5 rules will make your financial life more predictable and set you up to have a greater chance of reaching your financial goals. They apply to both your work and your private life.

Financial Gym Podcast

You will also hear

  • What separates a financially stressed business owner from one that embraces life with confidence and hope
  • What could be worse than losing your business
  • Why owners of seven and eight figure businesses may still not have financial peace of mind
  • How honest, hardworking people are getting involved in fast money making schemes every day despite the risks, and why they are tempting.
  • Why having debt should not stop you from doing things you want.
  • The difference between Guarantees and Guaranteed and why one is a con
  • A simple tip for affording the big purchases

Disclaimer

This show, or any resources mentioned, is not a substitute for obtaining proper financial and or legal advice from a qualified professional who is familiar with your specific situation. Also be aware that the information contained may not be suitable for every person or organisation.

[spp-tweet tweet=” Don’t wait until you are debt free to save-here’s why “]

Shine the Light

This is part of the show where I shine the light on great people and resources that you may find inspirational or helpful.

Today it is:

Get Rich Slowly It is actually a blog where people contribute the tips on what works financially. It was one of the first sites dedicated to personal finance that I kept up with. At that time the founder JD Roth was still the resident expert, but it was great for seeing how other people managed their money. Particularly when I was going through a rough patch, I was hungry for information.

It is a US site, so the products advertised won’t necessarily relate to you in the UK. But hey, you are not there to spend anyway, are you?

Show Links & Resources

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki

Get Rich Slowly former founder JD Roth

 

Download your 5 Tools to Freedom

Get the Book

Subscribe to Podcast by Email

http://serialpodcast.org/how-to-listen (This is brilliantly done)

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201991

VAT Debt Help Story – Sorting out a Couple in Financial Crisis

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What happens when you are late registering for VAT, you have no accounts, not enough money, your accountant is not interested and you are worn out from running your business around the clock?

VAT Debt help

Today I am going to share with you a story about a couple in crises, financial crisis that is. If you have ever been in the situation where you have been ticking along in your business for a while and trading for some time. You know you need to get your VAT Registration, your payroll taxes, in fact your accounts in general sorted.  In fact anything that will bring you into contact with The Revenue.

For whatever reason you just haven’t managed to get around to doing it yet and you are worried that the situation will come back to bite you on the “you know what”.

This is what happened to the man and woman I going to tell you about today. Their story illustrates what could happen if you don’t get on top of this.

I will tell you the situation and then I will give you my take on what they can do to put things right.

You will also hear

  • How your tax return for self-employment can trigger other tax departments and land you and your business in hot water for non-compliance
  • Why you should choose to be a limited company if you will struggle to keep on top of your accounts.
  • The importance of insisting on meeting with your accountant more than once a year
  • Minimum requirements for hiring an accountant
  • Why buying accounting software is not a problem solver for poor accounts and money management
  • Where to go to for more help and advice

Disclaimer

This show, or any resources mentioned, is not a substitute for obtaining proper financial and or legal advice from a qualified professional who is familiar with your specific situation. Also be aware that the information contained may not be suitable for every person or organisation.

[spp-tweet tweet=” Accounting software is not a destination it is merely a form of transport “]

Shine the Light

This is part of the show where I shine the light on great people and resources that you may find inspirational or helpful.

Today I want to highlight the fact that rather than a source to avoid, the Tax Office can be a source of valuable info and calling them up for general advice is not as daunting as it appears.

They are a much friendlier organisation than they once were, even if I believe they are less organised.

The links to some useful contacts points are below.

Show Links & Resources

Dealing with Tax Arrears pdf Giveaway

 

VAT General Enquiries – Call 0300 200 3700

Tax Office

VAT General Enquiry Online Form

Register for VAT

 

Download your 5 Tools to Freedom

Get the Book

How to Rate & Review a Podcast in iTunes

http://serialpodcast.org/how-to-listen (This is brilliantly done)

Confronting Your Financial Truth – Lessons from the 12 Week Year

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Do you fail at sticking to your financial goals year after year? Or just sticking to your goals in general? I know how that feels.

“The reason sports is so stimulating is because we keep score” from The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran & Michael Lennington.

Usain Bolt did not just concentrate on breaking world records. He recorded what he did along the way. He kept score.

Confronting Your Financial Truth Podcast

Today I am going to share with you some lessons that I learned from one of my favourite books of last year. I heard many entrepreneurs raving about how good it was so I invested in the Kindle and the audio. I have read it once and listened to it twice.

It is primarily a book about productivity, but it gave some fundamental principles that relate to how you approach your money that I had to share with you. This is my interpretation from the point of view of a business person. 

You will also hear

  • Far from being demoralising, tracking money can be motivating if done right
  • Why if you want to know how close to your financial goals you are, you must track cash
  • Why you need to take the emotion out of managing finances as much as you can
  • The areas of tracking that I am poor at and had to work to improve
  • Lead Indicators and Lag Indicators, what they are and why you need them
  • How fixating on an overall business or financial goal can keep you stuck
  • Why you can fail even with a great plan

Disclaimer

This show, or any resources mentioned, is not a substitute for obtaining proper financial and or legal advice from a qualified professional who is familiar with your specific situation. Also be aware that the information contained may not be suitable for every person or organisation.

[spp-tweet tweet=” Focussing only on an overall goal means you miss your incremental improvements “]

Shine the Light

This is part of the show where I shine the light on great people and resources that you may find inspirational or helpful.

You will not be surprised to know that today I recommend the The 12 Week Year Book. You can buy as a paperback, Kindle or audiobook.

It has had a great influence on how I approached my goals and that of my coaching & consulting clients over the last year or so.

There is also an official 12 Week Year website where you can buy training and coaching if you want to take things further. But not to do Brian Moran out of money, the book can take a long way on its own.

Show Links & Resources

The 12 Week Year Book

12 Week Year website

 

Download your 5 Tools to Freedom

Get the Book

How to Rate & Review a Podcast in iTunes

http://serialpodcast.org/how-to-listen (This is brilliantly done)

Achieving Maximum Sales with Minimum Risk w/ Rita Adams

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Credit Control is the antidote to Late Payment and problem customers. Are you fed up of people not paying you on time? Late payment is still a big obstacle to the survival of small businesses. Did the story about Tesco knowingly delaying payments to suppliers make your blood boil? Then today’s episode is for you.

Podcast with Rita Adams

Today I am lucky enough to have Rita Adams of ARM Credit Control as a guest on the show.

This lady travelled from her native Austria to make a mark as a business owner in the UK and she recounts how speaking German gave her an introduction into the world of finance, by accident.

She has set up credit control systems for international organisations but now concentrates on helping small to medium sized independent companies get better at collecting the money from their customers and keeping the cash coming in.

You will also hear

  • How she started her business from a spare bedroom with one client.
  • Why it is her focus on good customer relations that set her service apart from the competition.
  • The criticism she got for her softer method of dealing with customers
  • How simple flowcharts and tips sheets changed the game for lots of her clients
  • How she competes with the larger established players in the financial industry, when it would be easy to be intimidated
  • Why customers with bad experiences make great clients
  • Tips for getting the money in from difficult customers
  • Why focussing too much on selling is one of the biggest mistakes business owners make
  • The key question she asked a clients’ customers that recovered all their outstanding money
  • Why profit and cash flow is actually not the most important aspect of managing business finances, and what is.
  • Her launch of an online product for end users called “Payment Please” in the summer.

Disclaimer

This show, or any resources mentioned, is not a substitute for obtaining proper financial and or legal advice from a qualified professional who is familiar with your specific situation. Also be aware that the information contained may not be suitable for every person or organisation.

[spp-tweet tweet=” Credit Control doesn’t begin when an invoice is late. It begins when you make a sale “]

Guest Links

www.armcreditcontrol.co.uk

Rita Adams on LinkedIn

Show Links & Resources

How to avoid problem customers – video & blog post

Getting Your Customers to Pay You Quicker – video & blog post

 

Download your 5 Tools to Freedom

Get the Book

How to Rate & Review a Podcast in iTunes

http://serialpodcast.org/how-to-listen (This is brilliantly done)

12 Ways to Raise Business Funds without a Bank Loan

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12 Ways to Raise Funds without a Bank Loan

 

One of the big fall-outs of the 2007/2008 financial crisis was the way the banks stopped lending. If you imagine the banks as a castle, there were all these companies who had been waiting outside for the drawbridge to come down and rescue them, but instead they watched it get pulled up abruptly, without them on it. And at the very time they were at their most desperate.

Even with government bailouts, the banks did not appear to be any more inclined to start trusting business people with credit terms any time soon.

With the passage of time, the banking industry insists that that situation has changed, but I am still regularly meeting business people who say they still struggle to obtain a loan from their bank. And those that do get approved can find themselves on the receiving end of unfavourable terms. As well as not getting as much money as they need.

But what I am also experiencing is a growing number of business people who want to borrow, they may even be seen as eligible by a bank, but they have decided they do not want to go that route. If this is you or you are struggling to get a bank to take you seriously then there are other funding options you could consider.

 

Podcast Reviews & Thank Yous

Thank you to Timothy Lewis of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast. If you are one of the growing band of self-published authors, or you are thinking about it, check out his show at beginselfpublishing.com for some tips on self-publishing platforms, how to promote your book, Amazon tips and much more. That is beginselfpublishing.com

 

[spp-tweet tweet=” Why service-based business should take deposits or payments up front from customers “]

 

Show Links & Resources

http://www.financialgymforbusiness.com/BookATime  Book a 10 minute chat with me

beginselfpublishing.com

Horror Stories of Going into Business Partnership

4 Networking  and Brad Burton

GOV.UK Finance Support Finder

http://responsiblefinance.org.uk/

Kickstarter    Crowdcube    Patreon    Teespring  Seedrs

FreeAgent

 

Download your 5 Tools to Freedom

Get the Book

How to Rate & Review a Podcast in iTunes

http://serialpodcast.org/how-to-listen (This is brilliantly done)

Tips for Choosing a Business Premises

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Choosing a Business Premises podcast

Finding the right office or premises is one of the most important decisions a business owner ever makes. If you get it wrong, you can be left with a problem that can break your business. But the right premises can greatly improve how you are perceived by your customers, suppliers, investors, etc.

If you have a good working environment you will be able to get and keep good staff. And if your setup is well thought out you could see your productivity increase immensely.

Today I am going to give you:-
9 Things to think about before you start looking for a premises or workspace

You will also hear

  • How millionaire James Caan’s first office was practically a closet
  • Why outsiders, like clients and suppliers, make a difference to your choice of working location
  • Why staff needs are so important
  • How your location can affect your company’s culture
  • Why your personal needs are more important than you think
  • Understanding an introvert or extrovert environment
  • What type of addresses are available for virtual and bricks and mortar business owners
  • Apps that give you flexibility

[spp-tweet tweet=” Finding the right business premises is one of the most important decisions a business owner ever makes “]

Show Links & Resources

Business Set-up/Start-up Snapshot Mindmap
Mindmup
Productivity Apps – Dropbox, Evernote, Teamwork, Asana
Accounting Apps – FreeAgent, Quickbooks, Xero
Franchise episode
Licencing Episode
Pixar
Inside Pixar Documentary
Bloomberg News

Download your 5 Tools to Freedom
Get the Book
How to Rate & Review a Podcast in iTunes
http://serialpodcast.org/how-to-listen (This is brilliantly done)

Image courtesy of Flickr

9 Reasons Your Accountant May Be About to Fire You

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You're Fired

I am going to show you how, without possibly even realising it, you could actually be the reason you don’t have a better relationship with your accountant.

I am going to give you a little reality check, so you can decide whether it is your accountant you need to change or your attitude.



To download the audio file to your computer, please right click on this link and choose save link as, or save target as, depending on your browser.

If you would rather read while you listen or you prefer to just read without the audio or video, we have provided the full transcript further down the page for you.

Be a part of the Financial Gym Inner Circle for Free and be among the first to get:

  • Updates on ways to improve your day to day business money and productivity issues
  • Real life stories
  • Free video tips and tutorials
  • Downloads and templates to keep and use in your business

Click here to subscribe to my mailing list

Resources & Items Mentioned

Check out Resources – Georgette Recommends page

Transcript

If you watched my video “Is it Time to Fire Your Accountant?” I gave you some red flags to be aware of so you can move on with a clear conscience.

If you haven’t seen that one, make sure you do.

In this one I am going to show you how, without possibly even realising it, you could actually be the reason you don’t have a better relationship with your accountant.

Coming up, I am going to give you 9 tips you can use to decide whether it is time to change accountant.

Today I am going to give you a little reality check, so you can decide whether it is your accountant you need to change or your attitude.

How many times have we been dissatisfied with a supplier or service? Replaced them with another supplier and then in no time found we are dealing with the very same issues that caused you to change suppliers the last time.

Maybe the problems did not begin and end with the supplier. Because most people are professional, they are loathe to call us out on our crap, so we can continue on oblivious to the consequences of our actions.

Changing providers even for the better is a hassle, so if you have an opportunity to resolve, why not take it.

Some things to watch out for are:

1. Your accountant has to remind you over and over to provide your paperwork. And when you do, it is at the last minute and then there is a mad panic to meet tax or compliance deadlines.

2. You don’t do or have any proper bookkeeping or record keeping system so the accountant has to start from scratch or unravel a tangled unfinished mess.

3. You contact your accountant at all hours of the day and night and expect an immediate response.

4. You try and get services or advice over and above the initial agreement for free. If you catch yourself starting conversations or emails with the words “Just a quickie…” “Or I hope you don’t mind…”, check how often you do it. Are you taking the ……

5. You rarely pay your fees on time, even though you mean to. Maybe you need an instalment plan.

6. You have successfully negotiated a lower fee but still want to receive higher fee service.

7. Deep down you resent or don’t value accounting fees anyway so no matter who your accountant is, they have their work cut out trying to impress you.

8. You don’t follow advice, but still complain or stress that things are not working out.

9. You keep changing accountants and it is always “their fault”.

You can hold your head up now; lightning is not going to strike you where you sit.

I just wanted to highlight that there are 2 sides to every coin and it does us no harm to check our own perception, expectations and behaviour from time to time.

You are just caught up in your world, just like the rest of us.

Plus being an entrepreneur is no walk in the park, it is hard work.

If you recognised yourself in any of those, don’t despair, you are not a bad person.

Just promise me the next time you catch yourself cursing out your accountant; even if it is just in your head.

Maybe stop, count to ten and think about how you may be contributing to the situation.

And in the words of Dizzy Rascal “Fix Up, Look Sharp”

Is it Time to Fire Your Accountant?

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Fire Your Accountant

How do you know you are getting a good service from your accountant? If you are not happy with your current accountant:

Are you right about them? Are you misinformed? Or are you just plain picky.

Well I am going to give you 9 tips you can use to decide whether it is time to change accountant.



To download the audio file to your computer, please right click on this link and choose save link as, or save target as, depending on your browser.

If you would rather read while you listen or you prefer to just read without the audio or video, we have provided the full transcript further down the page for you.

Be a part of the Financial Gym Inner Circle for Free and be amongst the first to get:

  • Updates on ways to improve your day to day business money and productivity issues
  • Real life stories
  • Free video tips and tutorials
  • Downloads and templates to keep and use in your business

Click here to subscribe to my mailing list

Resources and Items Mentioned

Check out Resources – Georgette Recommends page

Transcript

How do you know you are getting a good service from your accountant? If you are not happy with your current accountant:

Are you right about them? Are you misinformed? Or are you just plain picky.

Coming up, I am going to give you 9 tips you can use to decide whether it is time to change accountant.

There are some amazing accountants and accountancy firms out there, but they are not all created equal. Forget whether they are experts in tax, or compliance or any other service for that matter.

What you need also need to be looking at is how they interact with you. Business person to business person.

Be aware that even if your accountant messes up, the buck still stops with you. So if your accountant files your returns late or there is later found to be an inaccuracy. It is you who are legally responsible. And any financial penalties or fines have to be paid by you, not them.

“It’s not my fault”

Just won’t wash with the authorities.

So you can’t afford to be complacent about the service you are getting.

But it is not just the practical things that should be red flags, there are more subtle things which you are probably aware of on some level; but do not feel are serious enough to make a fuss about.

See if any of these apply to you:

1. Your accounts, tax returns, benefit declarations etc are filed late despite the fact your accountant had everything they asked for ages ago.

(Though if you are the give information at the last minute in a shoebox person, then my friend, you only have yourself to blame).

2. You deal with different people each time, who have to familiarise themselves with your business before you can move on, so causing a delay in getting your questions answered.

3. If you deal with one particular accountant, they ask you the same questions again and again, showing they clearly are not interested in your business besides doing the paperwork.

4. You are charged on an hourly basis.

In a world where value for money is more important than ever, hourly rates promote inefficiency. Why should slower service cost you more?

5. You are quoted a fee for the year but you get additional bills that you were not expecting. So you avoid asking for help; in case it ends up costing you more money.

6. Your accountant doesn’t explain what your numbers mean in a language you understand.

And closely related

7. Your accountant makes you feel stupid.

8. If you do find yourself in hot water with the tax office your accountant doesn’t have your back and leaves you to it.

9. They are unaware or are unwilling to explore of new trends in business that could improve quality & efficiency e.g. cloud technology, virtual services. – This one is very common in the finance industry.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. You can probably come up with others that I haven’t mentioned here. I am just using the most common complaints that I get from the hundreds of businesses that I have dealt with over the years.

So if after that you think “You know what, I am getting a raw deal here”, do something about it. Even if it is just tactfully bringing any concerns you have to your accountant’s attention.

It could be that it is you who is actually not being a good client.

WHAT?!!

Go watch my video 9 Reasons Your Accountant May be About to Fire You……..If you dare

Successful Entrepreneurs talk about their money – Dan Andrews of Tropical MBA

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Tropical MBA (formerly Lifestyle Business) is hands down one of the best business and lifestyle podcasts out today!

Dan Andrews & Ian Schoen actually got me to stop dead while jogging, on more than one occasion; because of the awesome business tips they share that hit me like bolts of lightning. If you want to build a successful business, particularly if you yearn to be location independent then check out what they have to say. See Items Mentioned below for a link to the show.

Firstly though, listen to this segment from the Tropical MBA podcast where Dan answers questions about getting past $1000 per month quickly. In this excerpt he answers a question from a listener regarding how he deals with tracking money and what he advises others to do to keep it simple and stress free.
Dan & Ian TMBA

Be a part of the Financial Gym Inner Circle for free and be one of the first to get:

  • Updates on ways to improve your day to day business money and productivity issues
  • Insights into how other entrepreneurs handle money
  • Free video tips and tutorials
  • Downloads and templates to keep and use in your business

Click here to subscribe to my mailing list

Items Mentioned

Tropical MBA Podcast – Episode

QuickBooks (UK version)

QuickBooks (US & Worldwide)

Xero (UK)

Xero (US & Worldwide)

 

 

Business Record Checks – Would YOU Pass an Inspection

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What exactly is Business Record checking and how could it affect your business.

Please bear in mind that regulations and procedures change at the Revenue all the time, so the information here may change.

This video is for the people who should read their Tax and Government bulletins, but get a migraine just looking at them.

And for those of you that want to take action before action is taken against you. See below for a great tool to have in your business.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/OWMYvdLJqtA[/youtube]

 

Please bear in mind that regulations and procedures change at the Revenue all the time, so the information here may change.

Well the Revenue introduced the record checking in 2011 as a way of ensuring that small to medium sized business owners are keeping adequate records to support any returns they make, such as their tax returns. They already do these for VAT.

So what is different about these checks?

Well in the past when you were contacted by the revenue to arrange a visit to inspect your records it was usually triggered by something. For example if your VAT Return said you were entitled to a refund, the Revenue could request an inspection to verify your figures.

Business record checking however is based on businesses the Revenue think may be more risky than others, and so target – for want of a better word – those. Prime examples are heavily cash-based businesses, particularly the trades, consultants, restaurants and take-aways, to name a few.

A pilot was run in 2011 which brought up some concerns from industry experts, so the Revenue suspended the checks until late 2012 when they resumed them again. For those hoping it may fade away. During the pilot scheme the Revenue found issues with 36% of business owners visited and reported that of those 10% were serious enough to warrant a further visit. So they will not be going away any time soon.

How does it work and what happens?

FIRSTLY

  • HMRC contact you, usually in writing, to arrange a time to ask you questions over the telephone about your bookkeeping records. This interview is usually around 15 minutes
  • Based on the call the officer will come to one of three conclusions:

1) No further action is required

2) You could do with further guidance, so your details will be passed to their Education & Support Team to provide you with help on tidying up your records.

Or

3) They are sufficiently concerned that your records are at risk of being inadequate and you require a visit from an inspector.

Your details are then passed to their booking team to arrange a convenient time for this.

You will be told during the call which one of these actions applies to you.

What if you are told you need a visit?

THE VISIT

 The face to face inspections are usually around two hours, but I have had this estimated with visits in the past and it is not unheard of for an officer to be at a premises for many hours if they find enough cause to keep looking.

The officer will:

  • Ask you about your business and how it is run
  • Take a look how you do your bookkeeping in general
  • Inspect a period of bookkeeping, around  months to get a snapshot of actual records

From this they will make conclusions and decide whether further action is needed, and if so what that needs to be.

As with the introductory phone call you will be told during the visit what the next stage is, if any, and this is confirmed in writing.

What are the next stages?

OUTCOMES

  1. If all is well, that is the end of it and this is confirmed by letter
  2. If there is room for improvement you will be told what needs to be dealt with to bring your records up to scratch and given a deadline in which to do it, generally no more than 3 months. You may also be liable to pay a record keeping penalty.
  3. At the end of the deadline you get a follow up visit. If you have done as asked as your records pass scrutiny; your penalty will be removed and you no longer have to pay it.
  4. However if the officer still is not satisfied you can be fined anything between £250 and £3000, the higher penalty applies if you have destroyed records that you should still have.
  5. You are then put on the schedule for another visit in two years time.
  6. As if that is not enough, you may also be referred to the tax return investigation team to carry out their own checks because the lack of good records is a red flag that the Returns need looking at also.
  7. And they will also check whether you should be registered for VAT, PAYE and CIS if you have not already done so.

If this is daunting to you, speak to your advisers to make sure you are where you should be. Your accountant, if they are involved in your day to day. But this is really the forte of your trusty bookkeeper.

Thank you for spending time at the financial gym. Dedicated to helping you be the financial leader in your business without having to be a financial expert.

And why don’t you leave a comment, share with your contacts, customers and friends

Oh and of course here is the link for the tool I mentioned above. If you don’t use anything like this, or your current systems are not supporting you, give this a a try.  Click Here

If you question your accountant you won’t be sent to the gallows

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Remembering you’re the boss

 

A client of mine referred one of their business associates to me recently who was in the same business as them and was having no luck finding the right bookkeeper for their business.

Even the one employed by their accountant had not worked out. I had to conclude that this business was either very demanding and difficult to please or they were just not getting their needs met.

Even during the initial conversation on the telephone I could sense the desperation to get themselves sorted as they had no idea where they were financially other than what they saw in the bank.

I visited them at their premises and it is a lovely little business, offering a prestige service that has been held back by uncertainty and the director feeling overwhelmed.

The first thing the director did was get their accountant on the telephone to discuss what he believed they needed. As it turned out he felt they should have a part time bookkeeper that worked from their premises a few days a week.

I explained that my business was an outsource service and on site bookkeeping was a different type of service altogether but I was happy to have an informal chat about their situation, maybe I could give them some pointers they could use in the meantime.

As the discussion progressed, it turned out that they personally did not want to use up precious desk space, as office space was tight. The software they had was inadequate and they preferred to spend the money on software specific to the operations side of the business. Not to mention that they had never received regular updates on their financial situation. In addition they had a VAT Return due and they had no idea whether it had been done and if they were supposed to pay anything to the VAT man.

I was then introduced to the lady who ran the office and as we talked I knew they needed a service like mine and so did she. But even as they asked me when could I start sorting them out, charges, etc I could sniff the sense of disloyalty in the air brought on by doing something opposite to the instructions of their accountant.

It is amazing how we make crucial, often life changing decisions in our businesses all the time, but can be so susceptible to the opinions of others just because we believe we are out of our depth in an area.

As with any service or advice from professionals, listen to what they have to offer, respect their experience and then make your own decision. Ultimately all roads will lead back to you no matter what anybody else says.

If you are uncomfortable with a situation or do not think it is really meeting your needs; feel free to express it, you are the boss, you are the client.

We in professional services are sometimes so convinced of our expertise in an area that it can be easy to lose sight of the simple task of making a client happy and assume that a client does not know what is best. In fairness to the accountant I think he believed it was what they wanted because they had never expressed anything else. All it took was a conversation where they felt free to express themselves and a wealth of information came out.

Your accountant has much to offer, not just in compliance, but in expertise and guidance. And if you get a really good one they are worth their weight in gold as business advisors.

But remember you are an entrepreneur and while you may not be a tax expert, you are the expert when it comes to your business, trust yourself.

Have any of you found yourself feeling like the child in your business when dealing with professionals and consultants, how did you handle it?

Testimonials

  • Andy PetersonAndy PetersonIntuit UK QuickBooks

    "Thanks for being one of my favorite partners this year. As one of my US colleagues would say – ‘You’re awesome!’

  • Steve SweetloveSteve SweetloveDirector - Right Hand HR

    “Dear Georgette, further to the work you carried out for one of my clients; I am writing to express my gratitude. The client was the first to admit that since incorporation the bookkeeping had been close to non-existent.

    Compliance was causing him anxiety as the industry his company trades in is tightly regulated.

    I received a call in which he expressed how relaxed he felt now that he was in good hands. I will not hesitate to refer you to family, friends and colleagues, as well as passing future clients to Precision/Financial Gym.”

  • Lillian KyeiAccountant

    I have tapped into Georgette Rowland’s expert knowledge; especially in relation to Estate& Letting agency accounting procedures. She is very efficient and reliable, readily to offer advice and help.
    I would highly recommend Georgette & Precision Bookkeeping for all your bookkeeping requirements and you will not be disappointed

  • Michelle HolmesMichelle HolmesThe Energetic Activist

    Georgette Rowland Osborne!!! You ROCK ROCK ROCK!!! Thank you sooooooo much! I freaking LOOOOOOOOOOOVE you Mrs! You are freaking ridiculously awesome! I need to broadcast you to the world!

  • Suzannah Nichol MBESuzannah Nichol MBEChief Executive Build UK Group of Companies

    "Our growth as a business has been fantastic and I truly meant it when I said you played a major part in that growth. Many many thanks"

  • Shelly CollinsShelly CollinsDiveristy Expert & Director of Just Resources International

    "Thank you Georgette, you changed my business and turned my life around!” 

  • Judith HollowayJudith HollowayParenting Expert & Property Coach

    “Georgette doesn't mince her words and gets straight to the point, with lightness and love - so refreshing!"