I’m going to walk you through how I build a practical 13-week rolling cashflow model that helps you time seasonal stock purchases and avoid emergency borrowing. I use variations of this with my small retail and hospitality clients because it’s short-term, action-focused and forces decisions around when to buy stock so you aren’t surprised by a cash shortfall in week 10.Why 13 weeks?Thirteen...
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Supplier refunds can be one of those small bookkeeping headaches that quietly cause VAT errors and reconciliation...
I work with small businesses every week and one recurring worry is always the same: “Have we missed something in...
I want to share a practical, no-nonsense process for setting up a retainer invoicing system that keeps your cashflow...
I rely on accounting software every day to keep tabs on cashflow, and one thing I see time and again is that the earlier you spot slow payers, the easier (and cheaper) it is to fix the problem. QuickBooks is a common choice, but the principles below apply to Xero, Sage and other cloud packages....
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I remember the first time a new client asked me to recommend a bookkeeper. They were overwhelmed—but also relieved to hand over day-to-day bookkeeping. What many small business owners don’t realise is that finding someone who’s technically capable is only part of the job. The other...
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I work with a lot of businesses that rely on machinery, vehicles or specialist kit — cafés with espresso machines, small manufacturers with CNCs, builders with vans and diggers. One question I get asked more than any other is: how can I plan capital purchases so I don’t pay more tax than I...
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I’ve spent years helping retail shops, cafés and small restaurants tidy up their books, and one lesson keeps repeating: small bookkeeping errors quietly eat into profit until a sudden review reveals a worrying hole. In this post I’ll walk you through the most common, sneaky mistakes I see in...
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Running a small business means living with a certain amount of uncertainty — seasonal demand, late-paying customers, sudden repairs, or an unexpected tax bill can all knock your cashflow off balance. I always recommend building an emergency cash reserve: a dedicated pot of money that keeps you...
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Running a café means cash moves fast — cups of coffee, sandwiches, stock deliveries and wages all need to be tracked closely. I often recommend a simple, free spreadsheet as the first line of defence for weekly cashflow management. It’s flexible, quick to set up and gives immediate visibility...
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Choosing between cash and accruals accounting is one of the first practical decisions every service business faces — and it’s one that affects how you see your cash position, how you manage tax, and how you talk about performance. I help lots of small service businesses make this choice, so...
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I’m often asked by small limited company owners which tax reliefs they should be claiming and, more importantly, how to make sure they aren’t leaving money on the table. Over the years I’ve helped dozens of micro and small companies identify and apply for reliefs that are simple to claim yet...
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Getting your payroll ready for its first PAYE submission can feel like standing at the edge of a cliff — one small slip and HMRC will certainly let you know. I’ve run payroll setups for dozens of small businesses, and the difference between a smooth first Full Payment Submission (FPS) and a...
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I work with a lot of small, seasonal businesses — market stalls, tourist accommodation, pop‑up cafés, Christmas shops and online sellers whose turnover spikes for a few months and trickles for the rest of the year. VAT is one of the most common sources of cashflow shocks for them: a busy...
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