Many SMEs, and even some larger businesses, still operate without a dedicated financial controller, often to save on salary costs. In fact, over a quarter (27%) of UK business owners handle all their accounting alone, with no professional support. However, not having a financial controller (whether in-house or outsourced) can lead to hidden costs that far outweigh the apparent savings. We discuss five key areas where lacking this financial oversight can hurt your business.

Your bookkeeper was perfect when your business was simpler. But things have changed. Growth means more transactions, tougher compliance, and financial decisions that demand experience beyond basic record-keeping. If your current finance setup feels stretched, now might be the right moment to consider switching to an outsourced finance department.

More growth? More numbers. More complexity. And definitely more decisions. If you’re one of the 73% of UK small businesses feeling hopeful about 2025, now’s the time to strengthen your finance function so your business can keep up. The challenge is turning that positive outlook into tangible progress, and that’s where a well-built finance function comes in. It’s what connects your ambition to real, data-driven decisions. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what a strong finance function really looks like, and how to build one that grows with your business.

Missed receipts, misclassified expenses, and unbalanced books can lead to a cascade of issues, from costly tax penalties to cash flow crises that could cripple your operations. In this blog post, we’ll pull back the curtain on the true price of poor bookkeeping, highlighting why accuracy is more than just a numbers game - it’s a key factor in long-term success.

Time management is an essential skill for business owners, often dictating the success or failure of their ventures. With a number of tasks demanding attention, from strategic planning to client meetings, it's easy for administrative duties to become overwhelming. In this blog post, we’ll dive into seven ways business owners save time with outsourced bookkeeping to see how it can help you reclaim your time.

Running a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) successfully requires a strong grasp of accounting principles. It's not just about crunching numbers; accounting provides valuable insights into your financial health, helps you make informed decisions, and ensures compliance with regulations. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the anatomy of accounting for SMEs, uncovering key elements and best practices to help your businesses thrive.

In 2022, the lingering pandemic, socio-political events, rising energy prices and economic downturn have all presented challenges to every company owner in the UK and throughout the world. As companies reinvented themselves, they quickly realised they needed to foolproof their core operations to continue fighting through turbulent times. Here are the seven SME accounting trends and challenges every entrepreneur should be ready for in 2023.

No doubt that as a small business owner you will want to know the headline figures but you may also have to do the bulk of the bookkeeping to keep costs down. “How hard can bookkeeping be? I’ll just do it myself.” This isn't an unusual thought for some small business owners but the reality can be quite different.

One challenging aspect of business is keeping the books up to date and getting it right. A simple accounting mistake can seriously damage your business. Many business owners rely on their accountants in helping their business comply with taxes, payroll, bookkeeping and other accounting issues.