Does HMRC object to putting family members on the payroll?

It’s said that more than half of small businesses in the UK are family-owned, mainly in the wholesale, real estate, construction and transport sectors.

They employ more than 12 million people and generate more than a quarter of UK GDP. In London, it is estimated that there are more than 800,000 family businesses.

Even if you are the single owner of your limited company or a sole proprietor, there may be situations where you need an extra pair of hands helping you with the running of your business. In most instances, you turn to your spouse or family members as you know you can trust them to help you out on short notice. As such, questions relating to ‘can you put family members on the payroll’ abound, which is why our payroll specialists at TaxAgility aim to explain the ins and outs of hiring family members.

If you're considering putting family members on the payroll, it's crucial to understand the rules, tax implications, and potential benefits.

Family ties are irrelevant

First of all, it must be explained that HMRC deems your family ties to be entirely irrelevant when it comes to who is placed on your payroll. You can definitely employ your spouse or any family members and put them on your payroll.

What HMRC is very much interested in is what your company gets out of the arrangement. In other words, the person who is being paid a wage appropriate to the job should actually be doing the job. There must be no special treatment paid to the family member through an inflated salary, reduced working hours, or anything that falls outside the ‘equal pay for equal value’ idea.

Unsure if you need to complete an SA100 Self Assessment tax return form? Checkout our full article that explains when you’ll likely need to complete an SA100.

Creating work for a family member

Many business owners incorrectly assume that they can only employ a family member within their company if they apply through the correct channels of communication for a job that is already available.

This isn’t the case at all. It’s entirely legal for you to create a job for your family member provided the work serves a necessary function in your company. For example, if you’ve been considering employing a receptionist for some time but haven’t got around to it, employing your spouse in this role would be perfectly acceptable. However, if you already have a receptionist who can currently handle their workload, to employ your spouse or any other family member as a second receptionist wouldn’t serve a necessary function in your company and could raise eyebrows at HMRC.

The same applies to employing your teenage son as your office cleaner, or your sister as an office administrator. So long as these extra bodies serve a necessary function, HMRC will have no issue with you employing them and placing them on your payroll, the same way you would any other employee in your company.

In general, the rules you must follow include:

  • The work must be real and your family members must be paid commercially viable wages. You can’t get away by paying them £2 an hour to do bookkeeping nor £100 an hour to answer telephone calls.
  • Payments must be made and records are kept.
  • You (the employer) and them (the employees) must pay National Insurance contributions if they earn more than £166 a week.
  • Obey child employment regulations if the family members involved are between 13-16-year-olds.

PAYE, NICs, and Payroll Requirements

When you employ family members, you must operate PAYE on their earnings, which includes deducting income tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs). However, there is an exception for family members who live in the family home and work for the family business – they are exempt from the national minimum wage. Those who don't live at home must be paid at least the national minimum wage.

  • Lower Earnings Limit (LEL): £123 per week. Employees earning below this limit do not pay NI contributions but may still qualify for certain benefits, such as the state pension, through NI credits​.
  • Primary Threshold (PT): £242 per week. This is the point at which employees start to pay NI contributions. Earnings between £242 and £967 per week are subject to an 8% NI rate, while earnings above £967 are taxed at 2%​.
  • Secondary Threshold (ST) for Employers: £175 per week. Employers must pay NI contributions on earnings above this threshold at a rate of 13.8%​

Don’t really understand your notice of coding letter or tax code? Here’s our article that explains all you need to know about your tax code.

Should you make your family members shareholders?

As tax on dividends is lower than on salary, you may consider making your spouse a shareholder and allowing them to receive dividend payments instead of salary.

Note that the Dividend Allowance - the tax-free dividend allowance has been reduced to £500 from 6 April 2024.

Here’s an example, assuming your spouse only receives £35,000 in dividend payments (no salary) in tax year 2023/24:

  • The first £12,570 is tax-free (personal allowance)
  • The first £500 of dividend is tax-free (director allowance)
  • Dividends up to £37,500 are taxed at 8.75%
  • This means the tax bill they are liable for is only £2,137.63

In comparison, if they receive £35,000 in salary in tax year 2023/24, then they are liable for £4,786.40 income tax (and £3,029.52 in National Insurance).

Staying Up-to-Date with Statutory Payments and Auto-Enrolment

As an employer, it's crucial to stay updated on changes to statutory payments. As of April 6, 2024, Statutory Sick Pay has increased to £116.75 per week, and from April, 2024, Statutory Maternity Pay, Paternity Pay, Shared Parental Pay, and Parental Bereavement Pay increased to £184.03 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to 39 weeks​. Incorporate these updates into your payroll calculations to remain compliant.

Additionally, changes to the auto-enrolment earnings threshold are under review, which may affect family members earning below the current threshold. The review aims to include more employees, particularly from underpensioned groups, into workplace pension schemes.

Tax advantages

The salaries, commissions and bonuses you pay to your employees are tax-deductible expenses because they incur wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the business.

Here’s an example, assuming you hire your sister to do filing for £50 a week (£2,500 a year), you can offset this amount against your profit for income tax purposes. If you’ve done the work yourself, then you would be spending more time in the office while not enjoying the tax benefits.

Thinking about putting family members on the payroll?

If you’re a London-based business in need of further advice about putting family members on the payroll or other small business tax tips, contact TaxAgility’s small business accountants on 020 8108 0090, or get in touch with us via our contact page to arrange a complimentary no obligation meeting.

We’re London’s local accountants serving clients throughout the city with particular focus on Putney, Wimbledon, Fulham, Richmond, Hammersmith and Central London.

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This blog is a general summary. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstance.

by Donovan

Business growth concept

Managing your business finance for success

Every business exists to make money and grow, and one of the essential ways is through good financial management.

Getting your business finance in order through good budgeting, accurate cash flow analysis and effective use of management accounting all share a single objective, which is to improve your business efficiency.

When your business is efficient, it can convert all the available resources to maximise output with ease, thereby delivering better products and/or quality services, increasing sales, improving staff morale, enhancing customer experience, to name but a few. As a result, your business will be in a good financial position to meet its financial obligations and have strong cash surplus to put back into your business for growth.

In this article, our small business management consultants at TaxAgility discuss how we can assist small business owners in London, Richmond and Putney to better manage their business finances for success.

Understanding your business and objectives

A client once commented that he quit his 40-hour a week job to launch a business that required him to work 80-hour a week. Highly driven, he was managing most tasks by himself apart from business finances which he turned to our small business consultants. His reason was simple – the best way to unlock any business potential is to get assistance from experts who can provide honest advice based on financial statements.

Essentially, he was looking for a management consultant who can help him to create accurate budgets and forecasts, giving him data that he needed to make informed decisions. Today, his financial performance is strong, allowing him to have an office with a team of staff. Growth is stable and consistent, adding value to his company and achieving success.

The path to success often starts with a realisation that you may be too overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks and diversions to look at your business objectively. This is why engaging a small business consultant makes sense, though the key is to find one who can take time to understand your business and aspirations.

At TaxAgility, we often kick-start a no-obligation meeting by listening to you first. It is only through listening, understanding, and looking at your business through a clear lens that will allow us to create strategic plans that can meet your financial goals accordingly.

Improving business finance

Every business is unique and consequently, there isn’t a standard recipe which every small business owner should apply when it comes to improving one’s business finance. Areas that we may discuss with you include:

  • Ways to eliminate redundancies
  • Ways to reach your cost and revenue targets
  • Improving return on investment
  • Using historical financial data to do forecasts and budgets
  • How to analyse budgeted versus actual results
  • Reviewing of management accounting
  • Reviewing of credit control and cash flow
  • Analysis of key trends in your business
  • Analysis of risk management

Key benefits of improved business finance

Regardless your areas of focus, our small business consultants always strive to deliver three key benefits to your business and they are:

1. Financial control

Knowing how to make money doesn’t necessarily mean knowing how to best manage the money you earn. Managing money requires disciplines and conscious choices. Take cash flow for example, not many small business owners have time to monitor the amount of cash the business has in the bank or check which customers have paid you on time. Yet when you need to make a purchase, you may not think twice. In this instance, our small business consultants help to reign in control by providing cash flow forecasts that can guide your decisions.

2. Informed decisions will spur growth

A series of good decisions equate to success. If your decisions are data-centric, they will create a positive impact on your business finances quickly, which will further strengthen your financial position. Here is an example – many entrepreneurs believe that borrowing is good, but borrowing without knowing your ability to pay it back is far from good and will quickly ruin your business reputation. Borrowing to spur growth, for example, is only good if you have a repairmen plan in advance, as well as knowing where else you can cut expenses and save.

3. Set, measure, optimise

At TaxAgility, we believe in setting KPIs and measuring performances that help your business to achieve its goals. Financial numbers from every week, every month, every quarter, every year should be tracked and measured. It is worth bearing in mind that even the best plan may lead to occasional bumps along the way, which is why optimisation is essential. Having our small business management consultants on hand to guide you can make all the difference.

Optimising business processes

While not the specific domain of TaxAgility, it is an essential part of improving your business's financial standing and something we strive to help our clients understand. Business owners and operators should routinely review their operations to ensure they are working at peak efficiency. A key consideration is whether some processes may be better served if they were outsourced or handled in a different manner. Consider the following scenarios:

1. Company bookkeeping and accounts.

Many small firms start out doing their own bookkeeping and accounts as a way to save money, not surprisingly. However, many continue to do so even after they have grown substantially, employing several staff to handle the multiple aspects of a company's financial operations. While this may make sense to a large firm, it can be come an expensive proposition for an SME. With the advent of cloud based accounting and outsourced accounting, it can make more sense to off load these functions to an external accounting firm. These firms have optimised around offering dedicated accounting support to small businesses. Cloud accounting tools such as Xero, enable company management to keep a firm grasp on financial matters, as the tools give immediate access to the companies financial data 24 x 7.

2. Financial management

There's been a trend in recent times to not only outsource the accounting function, but also, to outsource the financial management and oversight of a company too. There comes a point in a company's growth when the firm should really consider the appointment of a financial director or a CFO. This can be a big step to take and, of course, such positions are not cheap to fill. This is a function that can make sense to outsource for some companies. Alternatively, they can appoint an interim CFO, one that doesn't work full-time and is not an actual employee. There are obvious cost efficiencies to doing this, also some risks to consider too.

3. Specialist staff.

It can obviously make sense to keep certain specialists you depend upon on your payroll full-time. After all, they may hold the keys to your success within the skills they bring and you'll ant to protect that. However, businesses in search of efficiency, will want to look closely at this. Many of the more advanced skills, particularly in the creative and manufacturing sectors could effectively be outsourced, so long as the right levels of security and IP protection are put in place. Also, diversification of your base source of the key skills you need will allow you to develop resilience to change, both in skills required and protecting the business against the whims of specific individuals. Being able to draw upon a greater source of skills could also increase your competitiveness.

4.Employee base.

Recent global turmoil has been forced businesses to reconsider the basis upon which the employ staff. In times before the pandemic of 2020, employers kept pretty much to a straight forward 37 hour 9 to 5 type of working arrangement, particularly where more office based staff are concerned. Post pandemic though, things are markedly different. Power has shifted and employees now demand greater freedom to work from home (or wherever they consider home to be). Such demands prior to the pandemic were often inconceivable to some employers. However, thought through wisely and putting long standing work practice prejudices aside, such flexibility could also work in favour of the employer. In a lot of instances, employers could see this as an opportunity to restructure how they employ people and they type of employment they need. for instance, not having people in the office regularly not only saves costs but also allows the potential to employe people on a freelance basis, offering greater cost saving opportunities through more optimised processes - i.e. only employing somebody when they are actually needed.

TaxAgility can help to improve your business finance

At TaxAgility, we understand that small business owners have limited resources. Our aim is to help you transform the limited resources available to you into success by focusing on your business finances.

We believe in growing together with our clients – when you grow, we grow too. This is why our dedicated small business management consultants work cohesively with you to help build your business and take it to the next level. We use financial numbers and data to recommend changes, mitigate risk and improve profitability.

Most important, we provide fast, quality management support to small business owners without any hidden charges. Give us a call on 020 8108 0090 today because your business deserves the best opportunity to succeed.

Payroll consideration

A growing business requires staff with skills that can help your business expand further and faster. Your staff can consist of short-term contractors or permanent employees. Contractors are often cheaper, more flexible, and they tend to be specialists in niche areas like database development and network security which you only require from time to time. On the other hand, permanent employees are focused and loyal to your business; they are the people you can rely on to grow your business.

Employing permanent staff requires PAYE, National Insurance, a pension scheme, as well as other benefits your company provides. These are time-consuming administrative work. Instead of hiring a full-time payroll employee, a cost-effective option for many small business owners is to outsource the payroll function. At TaxAgility, our payroll services for small business are here to assist payroll preparation and compliance for you.

VAT

VAT is a complex subject and when a business experiences strong growth, it tends to involve international suppliers and customers. Trading internationally, meaning importing goods from and exporting goods to other countries, often leads to more questions about VAT.

If expanding internationally is on the card, the general guidelines for VAT are:

  • If you are VAT-registered, the suppliers from an EU country do not charge you VAT for goods that they sell to you. However, you must account for the VAT yourself.
  • Suppliers from a non-EU country do not charge you VAT for goods that they sell to you, but you will pay import VAT before customs release the goods to you.
  • If you are selling goods to customers in EU countries and they are not VAT-registered, you will be charging them the UK VAT. But if your customers are VAT-registered, you can then zero-rate (ie not charging VAT) on the goods you sell to them.
  • If you are selling goods to customers outside of the EU, you do not normally charge VAT.

For solid VAT advice, sector-specific VAT issues, completion of VAT returns, and other VAT concerns, talk to one of our VAT service team for small business today by calling 020 8108 0090.

 

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This blog is a general summary. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstance.

by Donovan

Accounting concept

How to find a good accountant in London

Vector image of money, receipt, calculator, pen and laptop screen

If you hadn’t noticed, the business landscape has fundamentally changed and the part your accountant plays in helping you cope is essential to this. Finding a London accountant that thinks about your business and how to improve it, as opposed to just crunching your numbers and filling VAT and tax  returns, should be a high priority for your business. After all, it’s another resource your obliged to pay for to meet regulatory demands, so why not get the best ‘bang-for-your-buck’ you can?

Recent time have seen significant changes in how businesses operate, driven by a pandemic and the need to adjust business models to suit new working practices and employee expectations. Also, supply chain uncertainties due to the pandemic have somewhat overshadowed the main protagonist that was expected to introduce business issues, i.e. Brexit. All in all, it’s been a pretty tough time for firms in the UK.

What should you be looking for in a good accountant?

Start by considering that it’s quite a competitive market in the finance and account space. It’s always been dominated by the larger accounting practices. However, these are not always suitable for small to medium sized businesses, as these benefit from a more personal touch.

Attitude is key. A truly great accountant is going to do two things when you begin to engage with them. The first is, they are going to initially access whether your business is a good fit for them and set out expectations on both sides. This is important, because some accountants may just take on your business, not really caring if they understand it or not. And that’s not good for you!

The second thing they will do, is to understand what is important to you. They will want to get to know your business - not a casual quick chat to try to reassure you, but arrange to sit down and dig a bit deeper.

By seeking to understand your business plan or even help you create a better one, is a sure sign that you’ve found a decent accounting firm. Central to this is being able to build a solid relationship with an accountant at the firm. However, like anything, the ‘proof of the pudding is in the eating’. Initial enthusiasm interest for your business should continue and not be a one off. You should arrange to have meetings on say a quarterly basis to help understand how your business is working and if there are efficiencies in your financial operations that can be made.

If you business is based in London or the greater London area, such as the outlying districts of Richmond, Putney, Wimbledon, Hammersmith, etc., you’ll likely benefit from finding a more personalised service from a local London accountant, like TaxAgility. They re also likely to be a bit cheaper that central London accountants, while still retaining a level of personalised service. TaxAgility are also well placed to assist businesses in Surrey too.

What services should a good accountant offer?

A well-rounded accountant offers services that can address the current and future needs of your business, which can include but not limited to:

  • Company secretary services
  • Corporate tax planning and advice
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Payroll services
  • VAT
  • Cash flow forecast
  • Short and long-term strategies

Essentially, you are looking for someone to take over the administrative work (like bookkeeping and PAYE) as well as someone who can help review your numbers and make sound recommendations so that your business has the best chance to succeed.

Every business is unique too. Perhaps you have just launched a start-up which is in need of funding, a contractor who struggles with IR35, a small business owner whose business is experiencing consistent growth, or you may be looking for an exit strategy – this is why the accountants at TaxAgility are divided to teams that specialise in companies,  small businesses and individuals in Central and Greater London and also in Surrey. Having expert knowledge in your area means we can provide relevant accounting and tax advice that help you manage and grow your business.

How do I check a London accounting firm's qualifications?

While most people find their business accountant through word-of-mouth referrals, it is always worth checking if they are ICAEW (Institute of Accountants in England and Wales) accountants.

Guided by strict codes of conduct, ICAEW accountants uphold the highest standards of professional conduct and business ethics. At TaxAgility, we are ICAEW Accountants and we follow these principles:

  • Integrity
  • Objectivity
  • Professional competence and due care
  • Confidentiality
  • Professional behaviour

This means that as our client, you will receive honest answers from our knowledgeable accountants who keep abreast with the latest developments in practice, legislation and techniques. We also act diligently and respect confidentiality. With us working alongside you, you know you are in good hands.

Top key traits of a good accountant

  • Attitude. It's amazing what a good set of interpersonal skills can do for a relationship and this starts with the attitude expressed towards you and your business.
  • Knowledge and skills – A good accountant should be able to assist you in areas that you need.
  • Listen to you – Only by understanding your situation first, then your accountant can come up with ideas that will make an impact to your business.
  • Excellent communication skills – Having the ability to interpret data and convey the information in a meaningful way to you.
  • Adaptable – Your needs evolve and how a good accountant assists you should evolve too.
  • Honesty – A good accountant should provide honest answers, as well as excellent work without any hidden charges.
  • Efficient – A good accountant will make sure that your financial records are managed efficiently, so you can concentrate in other aspects of your business.
  • Transparency of fees.

At TaxAgility, our fees are transparent – most of our clients pay a fixed monthly fee with no hidden charges. In the event that you have additional projects that need our attention, we will discuss the work and cost with you upfront.

What can TaxAgility do?

At TaxAgility, our accountants specialise in companies, small businesses and individuals across London and Surrey.

Our standard accounting services include but not limited to:

  • Annual compliance with Companies House
  • Maintenance of statutory books
  • Bookkeeping
  • Management accounts
  • Accounts payable and receivable
  • Cash flow
  • Sales reporting
  • Tax returns
  • Tax planning
  • VAT returns
  • PAYE registration
  • PAYE administration
  • Pensions

We have offices in three locations – Putney, Cavendish Square (Central London) and Richmond. We are also well placed to assist businesses in the county of Surrey.

For more information on our services, talk to us on 020 8108 0090 today or use our enquiry form to get in touch.

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This post is intended to provide information of general interest about current business/ accounting issues. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances.

This post was updated on Jan 11 2022

by Donovan

Small Business: 5 ways to get new customers

For many small business owners, the top priority is always this: how do I get more customers?

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Every small business owner knows that it is risky to rely on a regular base of clients, particularly when customers today tend to change their product or service providers often. The most desired outcome is to have a continuous stream of new customers, with some of them becoming loyal customers and thereby allowing the company to grow and expand organically.

Yet the task of finding new clients is easier said than done.

Traditional approaches to finding new customers – such as cold-calling and door-to-door marketing – require excellent communication and people skills, which not everyone possesses. On the other hand, modern marketing techniques can also be challenging for small business owners who struggle to keep up with the rapid evolution of technology, not to mention that some techniques like email marketing are also restricted by GDPR regulations. With this in mind, our small business accountants aim to discuss and explore a few tips which can hopefully help entrepreneurs like you gain new customers and generate new sales.

1. Finding new customers online

If you are running an eCommerce business, chances are, you have explored many online opportunities and now reap the benefits from your website, social media, online reviews, plus other eCommerce platforms and content tools at your disposal.

But if you run a traditional business, one that doesn’t sell online or has a small digital footprint, can you still gain new customers online? The answer is yes. Technology has indeed created a level playing field for companies big and small. Take a client of ours for example – this is a dedicated transport provider who relies on local business and has a simple website, yet thanks to the internet, he can now identify other local groups and associations that match the profile of his target customers. In addition, he also runs an online pay-per-click campaign targeting people in his immediate vicinity. As a result, he is able to get new clients and can keep building his customer base.

2. Finding new customers through networking

There are thousands of networking groups across the UK, many of which are eager to help business owners build relationships and explore new opportunities among their members.

Networking, at its core, is about building relationships that could produce mutually-beneficial opportunities, including quality leads. As one of our clients put it, “Effective networking is like having a good sales team but without carrying the overhead.” This is so well-said because when you make a new contact, you can potentially reach out to all the friends and business associates whom the individual has made.

Despite its benefits, you must also be prepared to reciprocate, meaning you must be willing to introduce your contacts to people in your network and help them to grow their business, just as they would help you to expand yours.

Recently, there has been a move from traditional greet-and-meet to ‘video-centric’ networking, where members meet and discuss opportunities via video conference calls. Some small business owners find this less stressful than meeting in person and if this suits you better, do give it a go.

3. Finding new customers through engagements

Raising your profile through a series of speaking engagements or getting featured in the news is fast becoming a popular option among small business owners.

Undoubtedly, speaking at a conference or an event – ideally one that is attended by your target audience – is likely to boost your credibility and help to reinforce your position as an expert in your industry. When your prospects see you as an expert, they are more likely to do business with you and become your clients. However, beware that most speaking engagements do not allow you to do the hard sell. Rather, you are expected to share your expert knowledge with the audience, preferably in a fun and engaging way.

Getting featured in the news (which can be newspapers, magazines, on radio or TV) is another way to raise your profile and build influence. While you can certainly contact journalists directly, there are also many PR sites that allow journalists to reach out to the small business owners and get their story across to a wider group of audience.

In addition to sharing serious business insights, you are welcome to pitch light-hearted stories. For example, a client of ours once helped to direct traffic and rescue a swan that was trapped on a central reservation a short distance away from his store – his story was featured in the local news and in the weeks that followed, he had more visitors to his store than ever before.

4. Partnering for success

Teaming up with another business that offers complementary services is a proven strategy that can help you and the partner to broaden product awareness, increase brand recognition and expand customer base, while saving costs for both parties.

The trick, however, is to find a partner who is on the same wavelength as you – having similar work ethics, believing in fairness, respecting and accepting each other’s shortcomings and sharing same goals, which are just some essential elements of a powerful partnership. Before any collaboration, it also pays to conduct due diligence on the other partner, and establish clear agreements and boundaries.

5. Give (some) stuff for free

Everyone loves a good bargain, which is why many of us look for discounts, sign up for a free trial, love a free sample, and shop with companies that provide free shipping, to name but a few. The objective of this is to encourage the prospects (who have received some free stuff), to take up your main services or purchase your products.

At TaxAgility, we also give a free introductory consultation session to new customers who are considering our accounting and bookkeeping service, as well as offering free quotes to customers needing tax or payroll management services. What we do is not unlike an optician giving you a free eye test or a car salesperson allowing you to take the car out for a test drive.

It is widely believed that your prospects respond more positively (albeit unconsciously) when they get something for nothing. For instance, they may believe that you are very generous and they are more inclined to reciprocate your generosity by becoming your customers.

TaxAgility is here for small business owners

At TaxAgility, our small business accountants work in tandem with entrepreneurs across London, Putney and Richmond. Our aim is to help entrepreneurs like you get the business account in order, so you can use the financial data to make informed decisions and grow from strength to strength.

Our services include:

  • Accounting & Bookkeeping: leave your day-to-day finances to us. We will also provide monthly management accounts, prepare statements and help you set-up cloud accounting.
  • Tax: if you are tax-efficient, you will have more money to invest, expand and create jobs in your community. Let us help you with tax planning, tax computation and tax returns.
  • VAT: from VAT returns to manging VAT on import and export goods, we take care of them so you don’t have to.
  • Payroll: As your team grows, outsource your payroll administration to us so that you and your team can continue to enjoy accurate and on-time payslips every month.
  • Management consultancy: take your business forward with practical advice based on financial data and benchmark analysis.

Call our small business accountants today on 020 8108 0090.

Alternatively, you can use the contact us form to get in touch.

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This blog is a general summary. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstance.

by Donovan

A concept image of starting a business

Starting a part-time business

Not ready to take the leap, consider a business on the side while keeping your main employment.

A concept image of starting a business

Having a full-time job is, for many people, the path to job security and financial security. While employment is a more comfortable choice when compared to setting up, owning and running one’s own business, the pace of technology growth and a less than stable economy in recent times have threatened this supposed ‘safe-haven’.

Many working adults have come to realise that relying on full-time employment as their only source of income is potentially risky, as jobs can be outsourced or replaced, plus changes in business fortunes can leave them facing the stark reality of unemployment. Accordingly, more and more working people are considering starting a business on the side and seeking additional income streams. If you’re facing a similar situation, this post may make a great read.

Benefits of starting a business on the side

Starting your own business on the side while working full-time can seem quite a hill to climb, but the benefits often far outlay the early pains soon. For instance, after getting a business going and experiencing your first success, a side-line business could soon:

  • Provide a second income that supports the payment of your rent or mortgage, or ideally, help to pay down the mortgage more quickly than your main job could do on its own.
  • Lessens the impact of losing your job. In many cases, people who have started their own businesses on the side often quit their jobs to focus on the business full time later. This comes once they are confident that the business has overcome any initial teething problems and can continue to support their dreams.
  • The second income, or additional disposable income, could also help to afford a few extra luxuries in life.
  • Running your own business often brings you into contact with people in a similar situation. These interactions will broaden your circle of acquaintances, leading perhaps to greater opportunities.

While there are many benefits, it pays to be clear about what you want to achieve before setting up a part-time business though. Do you want it to be just a part-time or seasonal thing, or do you see it as a potential replacement for your main job? Setting realistic expectations is critical, and can help you to be better prepared too.

Things to prepare before starting your part-time business

While there are few businesses that just followed an idea and been successful right out of the gate, in reality most entrepreneurs spend a fair amount of time on planning and preparation. The main reason is that even the best and most innovative ideas may not turn into great business concepts, unless there is a nurturing environment to help them flourish.

Write a business plan

The first advice most seasoned business people give to budding entrepreneurs is to write a business plan. While there are no rules on what you should include in your business plan, standard items like stating your goals, highlighting market research, operation plan and financial strategy will help you see your business more thoroughly.

A concept image of resaerchConduct research

At the very least, you should know:

  • The needs and preferences of your target market
  • How are you going to find your customers?
  • Your competitors
  • Their price points versus your pricing strategy
  • Do they have any gaps in their product or service you can exploit?
  • What makes you different from them?

Know your responsibilities

If this is your first attempt at starting a business, you may not be familiar with all the responsibilities and duties of running a business. For example, if you are selling toys, your products need to comply with the provisions of the Toys Regulations 2011, meaning they must bear the CE mark, satisfy the ‘essential safety requirements’ in the regulations, be properly marked to ensure traceability, and be accompanied by instructions for use, along with warnings where necessary.

Crunch some numbers

The first number-crunching exercise you do should be about cost, revenue and profitability – because everyone wants to run a profitable business. Be sensible in how you plan your costs – especially marketing costs, as they are essential to get your products or services to the right people. Equally, be realistic about how much you can make over a period of time. Create a pricing strategy and calculate your break-even point. Find out about the risks you are exposed to and ways to mitigate them.

The second part of finance relates to funding. In essence, your plan to get the funds needed to launch and support the business until it turns a profit. There are a few types of funding – self-funding, funding through debt (borrowing money to start your business), equity (trading away ownership of your company to receive funding), and mezzanine (a combination of debt and equity). Most part-time businesses are either self-funded or through borrowing from friends and family members. Both approaches are helpful, albeit risky, so it is wise to have a back-up plan and know when to source for additional funding later. If you’d like to know more, follow the link to the article The complete guide to business funding.

Choose a company structure

Choosing to start your business as a sole proprietorship or as a limited company can impact how much tax you pay, how far you want to protect your personal liability, how much you want to pay to maintain the company, and how much administrative work you want to do it yourself. At TaxAgility, we help entrepreneurs to set-up a structure that works for them. If you’d like to talk to us about setting up a company, call us on 020 8108 0090 today.

Beware of pitfalls

Working fulltime can be exhausting, and by the end of a long work week, you probably do not have the time and energy to work on your part-time business. Add to that family obligations, and you may quickly find yourself defeated. One way to overcome this is to outsource the work you aren’t good at, if you have the initial investment funds ready. For instance, if you need a website, hire a good web company. If you need advice on company structure, talk to a qualified accountant like us.

Also, beware that those around you may not be as enthusiastic as you are. It goes without saying that to start and run your own business, you need to believe firmly in yourself and know what you want to achieve. Having a clear set of goals and milestones is critical. And, don’t forget to reward yourself a little along the way too.

Once your business takes off, you will soon find yourself spending more time with your clients. The challenge of juggling your time with the new venture may start affecting your day job, leading to undesirable consequences like making mistakes on your job and losing your job before you’re ready to quit.

Popular part-time businesses

Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

  • Selling products on an e-Commerce platform
  • Creating creative products – videos, pictures, jewellery etc
  • Providing handyman services
  • Becoming virtual assistants
  • Becoming a freelance designer
  • Writing for websites

TaxAgility is here to help small business owners

As leading small business accountants in London, Putney and Richmond, we have gladly worked with many entrepreneurs who started small and grew organically over the years. In the process, we become their trusted go-to accountants as well as business advisors.

Our services include:

  • Accounting & Bookkeeping: leave your day-to-day finances to us. We will also provide monthly management accounts, prepare statements and help you set-up cloud accounting.
  • Tax: if you are tax-efficient, you will have more money to invest, expand and create jobs in your community. Let us help you with tax planning, tax computation and tax returns.
  • VAT: from VAT returns to manging VAT on import and export goods, we take care of them so you don’t have to.
  • Payroll: as your team grows, outsource your payroll administration to us so that you and your team can continue to enjoy accurate and on-time payslips every month.
  • Management consultancy: take your business forward with practical advice based on financial data and benchmark analysis.

The beauty of working with us is that you have the freedom to choose the level of engagement you want from us – for instance, you may need us to manage bookkeeping for now, give you tax advice when you need money to invest, add payroll when your team expands, and use our management consultancy service when you are ready to grow. All of our services are competitively priced with no hidden charges, and our small business accountants are always here to assist.

Call us today on 020 8108 0090. Alternatively, you can use the contact us form to get in touch.

You may also like:

This blog is a general summary. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstance.

by Donovan

A concept image of a fraudster working on a laptop

Small Business: Protect your business against fraud

Learn how to recognise common fraud and protect your business.

A concept image of a fraudster working on a laptop
According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), the estimated annual cost of fraud in the UK is about £190 billion. Victims of fraud are varied – they could be individuals, major corporations, public sectors, and of course, small businesses, which make up 99.9% of the business population.

The NCA believes that private sector is hit the hardest, losing around £140 billion a year to fraudsters – this shouldn’t come as a surprise as many small business owners are regularly targeted by fraudsters who could be internal staff, customers, suppliers, or professional criminals.

Some examples of fraud committed by internal staff include an employee stealing and passing sensitive company data to third parties or a contractor deliberately fiddling their expenses. On the other hand, fraud involves external parties may include scammers selling counterfeit products to your company, requesting your business to pay fake invoices, or tricking you and your staff into installing software that allows criminals to access your files to steal information or lock your systems on purpose – which they then demand ransom from you.

Fraud affects us all, and when small business owners like you and I are being hit, we may see our profits being wiped out and reputations crumble, and the ripple effect may sadly lead to business closure.

An overview of fraud

The Fraud Act 2006 defines the three ways of committing fraud by:

  • False representation
  • Failing to disclose information
  • Abuse of position

The Act also covers a number of other offences relating to fraud, including:

  • Possession of articles for use in fraud
  • Making or supplying articles for use in frauds
  • Participation by a sole trader in fraudulent business
  • Obtaining services dishonestly
  • Liability of company officers for offences by company

Fraud covers every form of deception and it won’t disappear because there are always individuals looking to take advantage and make quick gains. There is no one solution to prevent all types of fraud too, and some also evolve quicker than the others. So let’s take a look at a few common types of fraud and discuss how we can protect our small business against them.

Fraud committed by internal staff

No business owner likes to think that they are being targeted by their trusted employees, but the sad truth is that fraud committed by internal staff is more common than we’d like to believe and many such cases have never been made public. In addition, research has shown that employees who hold positions of trust tend to be more dangerous as they can commit the crime longer and use various schemes to cover their tracks.

As Accountants for small businesses in London, Putney and Richmond, we do our best to help our clients uncover fraud committed by internal staff. For instance, when you’ve been tricked into signing off duplicate payments, especially on reoccurring charges, then we can spot and alert you when we go through the accounts. However, we must admit that sometimes it is impossible to tell if the transactions are genuine (or not) by looking at them alone.

Here’s an example – a business owner hires seasonal staff during busy periods, so when a manager authorises payments to temp staff, one can’t tell, without digging deeper, if these temp staffs are genuine or if the manager has committed payroll fraud, which is rather widespread.

Fraud committed by internal staff is often uncovered during an audit of a company’s annual accounts, which is burdensome and costly to most small businesses. In comparison, entrepreneurs may find it easier (and cheaper) to establish tighter internal controls and perform random checks.

It is also important to understand why an employee may choose to commit fraud against your company – usually it is driven by personal greed, to fund an expensive addiction like gambling or drug use, or in some case, they simply want to abuse the trust the company has placed on them. And after a while, the staff who has been defrauding the company is likely to show a change in their lifestyle habits, such as taking frequent holidays or showing off their knowledge about high-end brands.

Fraud committed by customers

If you run an eCommerce site or a retail shop, you may be familiar with card-not-present fraud committed by some customers. It happens when someone uses a fraudulent card to pay for goods over the phone or online, and the goods are picked up by courier to the customer right away. In the UK, which party should be responsible for the amount lost in a fraud case depends on the payment method. If the customer gives their fraudulent credit card over the phone or online (without using 3-D secure like Verified by Visa), then the merchant is often liable. But if the merchant uses 3-D secure for all online payment, then they are not liable.

On the other hand, if a customer walks into the shop and uses contactless or Chip & Pin to defraud the owner, in this case the owner is not liable. To minimise customer fraud, banks and credit card companies often encourage business owners to deploy 3-D secure online or have the customers pay in person.

Fraud committed by suppliers

Most small business owners tend to be careful when they first select their suppliers but after a while, they tend to let their guard down and do not notice if the supplier is over-changing them. Sometimes, business owners also comply when the supplier asks to be paid in cash and avoid VAT on a sale, which is also a type of fraud.

If you believe your supply chain is vulnerable to fraud, then it is good to review the process and conduct due diligence when necessary.

When seeking out a supplier like an accountant or a cybersecurity specialist, it is also worth checking their credentials. For example, we are ICAEW (Institute of Accountants in England and Wales) Accountants and this means we follow a set of principles such as integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality, and professional behaviour. In other words, as our client, you will receive honest answers from our knowledgeable teams who keep abreast with the latest developments in practice, legislation and techniques. We also act diligently and respect confidentiality.

Fraud committed by criminals

Out of all the cases mentioned in this article, fraud committed by criminals is perhaps most widely encountered and reported, and phishing and malware (or ransomware) remain high on the agenda.

Phishing happens when scammers pretend to be from a trusted company and they trick you into giving out personal information, such as bank details. They often appear helpful, like alerting you to suspicious activity on your bank account, offering you financial rewards (including tax refunds from HMRC), or helping to verify and restore your records after a technical error. They are also good at manipulating your emotions, using words that can make you panic, fearful, or even curious and hopeful, so that you can divulge information quickly. The best thing to protect yourself against phishing is to take a step back and don’t respond to their requests. If you think the message could be genuine, then seek to verify the message yourself – by calling the authority or the company from a number listed on the website. Under no circumstances, you should use the contact you have been given over the phone or email.

Malware or ransomware, on the other hand, is about scammers trying to trick you into installing software that allows them to access your files or lock your systems unless you pay the ransom. It may come in an email or is attached to a file you have downloaded online. Sometimes it also involves a scammer impersonating as your IT provider and informing you that something isn’t working (like your software is compromised, broadband speed is reduced, etc). Their goal is to get you to install something so they can take over your system later. To protect yourself, be vigilant when you click on attachments, links in email, or access breaking news through an unknown link. Also, keep a back-up of your data offline.

Don’t let fraud ruin your business

Many small business owners work hard to create a successful business, so it is very unfortunate that fraud can cause a serious reputation and financial damage to businesses.

While prevention is key, entrepreneurs also know that the cost of fighting fraud can spiral out of control quickly and have a direct impact on your profit margin. If operating costs and profitability are a concern, perhaps you can talk to one of our small business accountants.

When we review your business finance, we can also help you with accounting & bookkeeping, tax, as well as payroll management.

Our approach is flexible and entirely depends on your business needs. You can hire our bookkeeping and tax services now, add payroll when your team grows, then use our management consultancy service when you are ready to take your business to new heights.

All of our services are competitively priced with no hidden charges. Call us today on 020 8108 0090, or use the contact us form to get in touch.

 

You may also like:

This blog is a general summary. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstance.

by Donovan

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from TaxAgility

Happy Holidays
2020 has been a challenging year to say the least, but there are also positive moments where we witness strength and resilience. We also would like to thank all of our clients who have continued to work with us this year.

From everyone at TaxAgility to you and your family, may joy and peace fill your heart this holiday season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Donovan

Social media icons concept

Small Business: Adapting to changes in social media

Many small businesses view social media as an important component in the marketing mix, but have you kept up with the changes?

Social media icons concept

Many social media services that we are familiar with today are well over a decade old, with some approaching 20 years soon. Yet many of them don’t remain still – they continue to evolve and adapt, pushing out new features that aim to make communication easier. In view of this, small business owners like you and I are wondering what does it all mean? Do we have to continue using social media as part of our marketing mix? And if so, how do we adapt? Questions like these deserve honest answers, so we think it is time to create a post that can help us – and also our clients – to understand social media better.

Before we start, it must be said that we are not social media experts – our expertise lies in accounting & bookkeeping, tax, payroll and management consultancy for small businesses across London. We work with clients and help them become efficient, meet regulatory compliance, and confidently rely on accurate financial data to make informed decisions. When our clients grow, we grow too, which is why we are always keen to share ideas that can benefit small business owners, including how all of us can harness the power of social media better.

Social media for small businesses

Social media refers to internet services and mobile applications that allow users, including individuals and companies, to share content and interact with others. As these services are free and easy to use, they can attract millions of users in a short space of time, and with that many people congregating on any one of the platforms, companies big and small soon realise the potential of social media.

Nowadays, most companies spend time crafting social media posts and share them on popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Those with a bigger budget also create videos and post them on YouTube and TikTok. Essentially, they all hope that their content is viewed and shared rapidly, thereby broadening their reach.

But social media isn’t all rosy and full of promise. It has given unhappy customers, jealous competitors, disgruntled ex-employees and even trolls a platform to complain, provoke, with some choose to hurt your brand on purpose simply because they can.

Big companies respond to these negativities by hiring a team to investigate, monitor and talk to customers directly. But small business owners tend not to have such luxury, leaving many question the benefits of social media. With this in mind, let’s look at a few areas which can help small businesses.

Take another look at your social media strategy

If your small business has been posting on social media for a while, chances are, you will continue to do the same without giving it much thought.

A good place to start is to take another look at your social media strategy and ask what social media can do for your business. To get the answer, you need to look at your customers, your competitors, and also your financial data. In other words, you are examining several key factors, including but not limited to:

  • What is the purpose of your social media strategy?
  • Where does your target audience congregate online?
  • What information is relevant to your target audience?
  • What are your competitors doing on social media?
  • What social media inspiration can you draw from industry leaders?
  • How much do you intend to spend?
  • How do you evaluate the process?
  • How do you measure success?

Once you have reviewed your social media strategy, the next step is to understand the risks of social media so you can actively avoid them. Some common risks include:

There may not be any tangible return

While social media can help to amplify your brand, often it may not contribute to tangible return. For example, a person seeing a short video clip of your service may not call you and become your client. Sometimes, it can be hard to measure the return on investment too.

Undesired information may go out of control

You may make a mistake in one of your social media posts, a troll may decide to inflict hurt, or a customer’s complaint may have gone viral, when this happens, it is hard to control the spread of undesired information.

Making a situation worse

When a small business owner responds in anger, or when a company’s social media team cannot adequately handle customer complaints, things can go out of hand quickly and the domino effect can undo a company’s years of hard work in just a few hours (or less).

Legal issues

Every content you use online must adhere to the appropriate policies like copyright law and privacy legislation. Otherwise, you are putting yourself and your business at risk.

A few tips

Every business uses social media somewhat differently, depending on their strategy, however, there are a few common tips that we believe can benefit small businesses.

Local versus international

It is said that there are now 3.5 billion social media users worldwide, but if you are a brick and mortar company relying on local footfall, this astronomical number probably doesn’t mean much to you. Instead, you may choose to advertise locally (through local targeting or using selected hash-tags).

Show personality with care

Everything you post on social media is a reflection of your company – this is why sticking to the script is safe. You can, of course, show some personality by using emojis to inject some fun. At TaxAgility, we choose to share an inspiration quote once a week to encourage fellow small business owners.

Don’t respond when you’re angry

Social media gives many unhappy people (customers, competitors and trolls) a platform to vent, but it doesn’t mean that you need to act when you’re angry. Stay calm and remain professional. Also, don’t confuse angry customers with trolls who simply want to provoke and hurt.

Plan your posts

Many popular social media posts today are carefully crafted, accompanied by an appropriate picture or a video. So it is worth planning out your posts and making sure they are suitable for your audience.

TaxAgility is here for small businesses in London

Like many small businesses, we are still working on how to better engage our target audience – and also our customers – on social media. While we may not be able to assist your day-to-day management of social media, we certainly can help small business owners rest easy, knowing that their accounting & bookkeeping, tax, as well as payroll management are in our capable hands.

Our approach is flexible and entirely depends on your business needs. You can hire our bookkeeping and tax services now, add payroll when your team grows, then use our management consultancy service when you are ready to take your business to new heights.

All of our services are competitively priced with no hidden charges. Call us today on 020 8108 0090, or use the contact us form to get in touch.

 

You may also like:

This blog is a general summary. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstance.

by Donovan

A concept image of outsourcing

Small business: Gain competitive advantage through outsourcing

Outsourcing allows small business owners to optimise the use of resources and achieve maximum customer value.

A concept image of outsourcing
In today’s business ecosystem, small business owners are familiar with the concept of outsourcing, which is to use third parties to perform work that is normally done within a company, as the third parties can provide a better service at a lower cost.

At TaxAgility, we have a team that is dedicated to serving companies’ outsourcing needs in accounting and bookkeeping, as well as payroll. Over the years, we have built up strong relationships with our clients and witnessed the advantages of outsourcing brought to them. If you are a small business owner looking to outsource your bookkeeping and payroll, give us a call on 020 8108 0090.

The eight benefits of outsourcing

1. Lower costs

The true costs of hiring a full-time staff can be substantial once you add National Insurance, pensions, benefits, as well as office facilities and equipment which you need to provide for the person to work. Outsourcing is often a cheaper alternative.

2. Increase efficiency

Companies that focus on core competencies and outsource activities they aren’t good at tend to be lean and efficiently-managed. For example, if you rely on third parties who have the economy of scale to perform the same tasks inexpensively, you can pass the savings to your customers and remain competitive.

3. Improve flexibility

Outsourcing allows you to pick and choose the level of engagement that suits your business at a particular moment in time. For instance, you can select the bookkeeping service from us when you first launch your business, add payroll when your team expands, then engage our management consultancy service when you are ready to grow and take your business to new heights.

4. Access to specialists

Outsourcing allows small businesses to access the same level of expertise enjoyed by big companies. For instance, a small business may not afford to hire a full-time CFO, but by outsourcing and becoming our client, you now have a team of Accountants who are ready to assist.

5. Reduce risk

Our Accountants and payroll specialists help to reduce your financial and compliance risks by managing every task accurately, including sending the right documents to HMRC on time.

6. Not affected by staff holiday or sickness

The companies that you outsource the work to often have a big team that can provide year-round cover; therefore, your tasks and deadlines are not affected by staff holidays or sickness.

7. Increase confidentiality

Most offices today have an open-plan layout with limited storage space. Confidential data such as salary information may be left on a table or stored in an unlocked cabinet that can be accessed by all employees. When you outsource a business function that contains confidential data, you essentially increase confidentiality within your office.

8. Support your wellbeing

It is no secret that small business owners take on a lot, with some work so hard that they experience stress and anxiety. Outsourcing is a cost-effective way to help busy entrepreneurs reduce workload, giving them time to focus on their strengths and their mental wellbeing.

Five popular business functions to outsource

Small business owners tend to outsource niche business functions that require specialists who know what they are doing and can generally do the tasks cheaper and better. These functions include but not limited to:

  • IT support – covering network, wireless, cyber-security, database management, web development, and digital transformation.
  • Accounting & bookkeeping – from day-to-day bookkeeping to filing the right documents with HMRC and Companies House.
  • Marketing – evolving quickly, marketing today has a sharper focus on email, social media, video, search advertising, native content advertising, and apps.
  • Customer support – having first-level customer support that can provide quick answers to customers and keep them happy is valuable.
  • Payroll – every payslip in the UK must be calculated accurately and delivered on time, this complicated process is best left with the professionals.

Choose TaxAgility’s accounting and bookkeeping service

TaxAgility has worked with small businesses in London, Putney, and Richmond-upon-Thames since 2008. We have worked with entrepreneurs from all walks of life and different companies with varying business models.

Our accounting and bookkeeping services specific to small businesses cover everything from basic data entry to high-level management reporting and analysis. Accurate financial data that we provide, such as management accounts, budgets, cash-flow forecasts, can also help you to:

  • Improve profit margins
  • Reduce costs
  • Compare performance
  • Make informed decisions
  • Unlock business potential
  • Ensure regulatory compliance

Call us today on 020 8108 0090.

Choose TaxAgility’s payroll services

Payroll demands absolute accuracy, and each payslip must be calculated individually and delivered on time. Our payroll team has worked with all types of industries, including companies that offer commissions, ad-hoc bonuses, as well as restaurants, bars and hotels that use the TRONC scheme.

By outsourcing your payroll administration to us, you can keep your costs down while maintaining accuracy and efficiency. Our team also provides year-round covers, so your Full Payment Submission to HMRC is always on time, undisturbed by staff holidays or sickness.

Call us today on 020 8108 0090.

Other services

Apart from bookkeeping and payroll, we also provide tax and VAT services, along with management consultancy to small businesses across London.

Our aim is to assist entrepreneurs in becoming tax-efficient, so you have more money to invest, expand and create jobs in your community.

Management consultancy also puts a sharper focus on using financial data and benchmark analysis to improve efficiency, increase profitability and grow sustainably.

The challenges of outsourcing and how to address them

Outsourcing has indeed helped many small businesses to grow from strength to strength, but it is not without some challenges. It is useful to discuss a few tips that can help you navigate around common pitfalls.

Choose a reputable company

Only outsource your selected business functions to a reputable company that belongs to a trade organisation with a defined code of ethics. For example, we are ICAEW (Institute of Accountants in England and Wales) Accountants, and we follow a set of principles, including integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality, and professional behaviour. This means that as our client, you will receive honest answers from our knowledgeable teams who keep abreast with the latest developments in practice, legislation and techniques. We also act diligently and respect confidentiality.

Formalise processes

Formalise a set of guidelines which you want the outsourced company to follow and communicate your expectations clearly. This way, you have greater control over the quality of services rendered.

Check their data security commitment

If the tasks you outsource involved confidential information, like customer information or personal data from your employees, ask the provider what steps they have to keep the data secure, and what happens if there is a breach.

Local versus overseas

Outsourcing to local companies may also work better for some businesses, as they don’t have to manage time differences and cultural barriers. At TaxAgility, our offices are in Central London, Putney and Richmond-upon-Thames, so clients could pop in to ask a question at any time, without having to worry about time differences.

Outsourcing has indeed helped many small businesses to scale, remain efficient and competitive, so are you ready to enjoy the benefits of outsourcing?

You may also like:

This blog is a general summary. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstance.

by Donovan

A concept image of a happy businessman

Small Business: Delivering excellent customer service

Customer service is a skill which all of us can learn and improve upon.

A concept image of a happy businessman

It is said that the main reason for customer churn is not price, but bad customer service. Many unhappy customers simply don’t return, especially in today’s world where there are plenty of alternatives and choices available. On the other hand, happy customers can help your business grow, as they tend to purchase more and refer others through valuable word-of-mouth referrals.

At TaxAgility, we are small business accountants in London and we help other small businesses to grow through exceptional accounting services. If you have worked with us, you know that we diligently take care of the accounting and bookkeeping duties, along with providing solid tax advice and payroll administration, leaving you time to focus on running the business.

We are also keen to share tips that can help small business owners like us. So in this article, we shall take a look at the principles that underpin customer service and discuss how to deliver excellent customer service.

Principles of good customer service

Every business has some ideas on how to provide good customer service. Generally, they centre around:

  • Listening to your customers – finding out what they consider to be good customer service and what they expect from you.
  • Understanding that customer service is a process – it exists in all aspects of your business and every interaction is an opportunity to show your professionalism.
  • Following up with both positive and negative feedback – resolving the issues quickly and amicably, without getting emotional, will win you respect.
  • Being honest – if you don’t understand how a product works or if you can’t troubleshoot, let them know and find another solution for them.
  • Practising empathy – putting yourself in their shoes when addressing their concerns.

Delivering good customer service

After speaking to small business owners who excel at customer service, we are able to categorise the three aspects needed to deliver good customer service. They are commitment from you the business owners, a good understanding of how your customers expect you to meet their needs, and an effective customer service program to help you deliver. When all the three aspects are working cohesively, you will create a virtuous cycle that can yield a string of positive outcomes.

Commitment from you

If you are fully committed to customer service, you will hire like-minded individuals, foster a service culture, empower your staff to take ownership, recognise and reward their work, and provide adequate training. You want happy staff who will go out of their way to give the customers what they want and deliver when they want it, in the best possible way.

Having a positive attitude goes a long way too. Remember to:

  • Smile: Someone said that a smile alone doesn’t guarantee good customer service, but good customer service almost always starts with a smile.
  • Take initiatives: Go up to the customers and ask if they need assistance or suggest complementary products, if you run a brick and mortar business.
  • Be patience: Some customers may require more time to convey what they want or what is wrong with the product purchased. Take time to understand, clarify if needed, and always offer genuine help.
  • Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’: When you say please, you are showing respect; and when you say thank you, you are showing gratitude. Small business owners who value their customers use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ regularly.

Know what your customers expect from you

Every customer has a unique perception as to what customer service means to them. The level of service they expect also varies from one provider to another. For example, they may expect a no-frill service from a discount store, but more personalised service from a close-contact provider like a hairdresser, a sports therapist and a tailor. If you don’t yet know what your customers want from you (and your business), it is time to start talking to them and gathering feedback.

Creating a customer service program

An effective customer service program should contain three things – it should define the level of customers service your business wants to provide at every interaction, describe the necessary steps to achieve it, and methods to sustain the program.

Here are a few examples:

  • Your business receives a fair amount of calls and you want your staff to answer them within the first three rings, use a greeting message, and remain professional throughout.
  • You want your staff to take the initiative and suggest complementary products to customers – like a pack of rechargeable batteries to go with an electronic gadget.
  • Your business may receive a bad review on social media from time to time. When it happens, your staff will contact the unhappy customer quickly (hopefully within the same business day). The process will see them investigate the issue, acknowledge when there is a mistake, and seek to resolve the issue with the customer amicably.

Don’t forget your staff

As a small business owner, you know the importance of hiring and retaining staff who are as committed as you. So it makes sense to invest in training and equip them with the appropriate skills and knowledge to help you meet your business goals.

It is equally important to recognise and reward staff who put in the hard work. Some recognition could be spontaneous – whenever you see them do a good job, thank them personally. On the other hand, planned recognition could involve a monetary or non-cash incentive when they reach certain targets, or when they consistently offer a high level of service to your customers.

Data protection and your business

If your business collects and stores customer information, you must understand the legal requirements regarding what you can do with the information. The data protection rules state that you must make sure the information is kept secure, accurate and up-to-date. When you collect their personal data, you must also tell them who you are and how you will use their information (and if you intend to share the information with another organisation). You must also inform them that they have a right to:

  • See any information you hold about them and correct if it is wrong
  • Request to have their data deleted
  • Request their data is not used for certain purposes

Good customer service will help you grow

Your happy customers will undoubtedly come back to buy more and recommend others to you through word of mouth referrals. They can generate more sales for you, which in turn will feed a positive loop and produce more favourable results.

At TaxAgility, we know the importance of good customer service because most of our clients come through referrals, from other small business owners who are very happy with our accounting, bookkeeping, tax and payroll services. If you are a new client, you will know that our approach is to understand you first – including your business objectives and financial circumstances – only then we can suggest how to assist you.

You also have the freedom to choose the level of engagement you want from us – for instance, you may need us to manage bookkeeping for now, give you tax advice when you need money to invest, add payroll when your team expands, and use our management consultancy service when you are ready to grow. All of our services are competitively priced with no hidden charges, and our small business accountants are always here to assist.

Call us today on 020 8108 0090.

Alternatively, you can use the contact us form to get in touch.

Our services:

  • Accounting & Bookkeeping: leave your day-to-day finances to us. We will also provide monthly management accounts, prepare statements and help you set-up cloud accounting.
  • Tax: if you are tax-efficient, you will have more money to invest, expand and create jobs in your community. Let us help you with tax planning, tax computation and tax returns.
  • VAT: from VAT returns to manging VAT on import and export goods, we take care of them so you don’t have to.
  • Payroll: as your team grows, outsource your payroll administration to us so that you and your team can continue to enjoy accurate and on-time payslips every month.
  • Management consultancy: take your business forward with practical advice based on financial data and benchmark analysis.

 

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This blog is a general summary. It should not replace professional advice tailored to your specific circumstance.

by Donovan