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Every November someone sits across a desk from me, or on the other end of a video call, and tells me the plan for next year. It is always a single number. "I want to do £200,000." I ask what it costs to open the doors each month and what they need to take home. There is a pause, then a guess, then a promise to look it up. A turnover target is a wish. A budget is twelve columns showing what the business expects to bring in, what it has committed to spend and what is left for t

Every October I have a version of the same phone call. A client has opened the accounts I sent over, seen a profit figure bigger than last year's, then logged into the bank to pay a supplier and found less than a month's wages sitting there. The question that follows is always polite and always slightly accusing. "If I made all that, where is it?" Nobody has made a mistake. The report is right and so is the bank balance. They measure different things, and most small businesse

Growing companies rarely fail because the team isn’t working hard. They fail because decisions are made with partial information. Your numbers move quickly. A couple of pricing decisions, a hiring change, or a client delay can shift profit and cash within weeks. A monthly finance pack gives you a repeatable view of performance, without digging through spreadsheets or waiting for year-end accounts. What a monthly finance pack is (and what it isn’t) A monthly finance pack is a

There’s a big change coming to UK tax in 2026, and if you’re a small business owner or landlord , it might shake up how you do your bookkeeping. It’s called Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax , and it kicks in from 6 April 2026 for certain taxpayers. Instead of a single yearly tax return rush, MTD will require more frequent, digital reporting of your income and expenses. Sounds daunting? Don’t worry – this post breaks down what’s happening, who’s affected, and how you c

New year, tight deadline. January 31st is the UK’s Self-Assessment tax return deadline – and if you’re a busy small business owner or sole trader, it’s coming up fast. Missing the deadline isn’t an option unless you fancy a £100 late filing penalty (and more penalties as time goes on). The good news? There’s still time to get your tax return sorted if you act now. This guide will help you survive the last-minute rush and avoid being one of the 1.1 million taxpayers who miss

January can be a challenging month for many service based small businesses. Sales dip, client activity slows down, and cashflow can feel tighter than usual after the rush of Q4. But the January slump doesn’t have to knock your business off course. With the right financial habits in place, you can protect your cash, plan confidently, and start the year on steady ground. In this post, I’m sharing practical steps small business owners can take to manage cashflow in January, plus