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 want to share a practical, no-nonsense process for setting up a retainer invoicing system that keeps your cashflow healthy while avoiding unexpected VAT bills or creating employment-like risks. I work with lots of freelancers and small service businesses who want the predictability of retainers...
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Over the last decade, French schools have experienced a quiet but important transformation. Among the most visible changes is the rapid growth of international sections, programs designed to offer students a bilingual or multilingual education while keeping the structure and academic standards of...
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I’ve run credit control for dozens of small clients and advised even more on how to get paid without damaging relationships. Over the years I’ve found that a simple, predictable, weekly script — used consistently by you or your receptionist/bookkeeper — is the single biggest behaviour...
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Duplicate supplier invoices and miscategorised bank transactions are two of the most common, quietly expensive problems I see when I step into a micro or small business’ bookkeeping. They inflate costs, distort margins and, over time, erode trust in your financial reports. Xero’s bank rules and...
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I woke up one morning to a message from my client: "We just had to write off a large chunk of our seasonal stock after water damage — our bank balance looks awful and we can't borrow. Can we rebuild cashflow in 30 days?" I get that panic. I’ve helped several small businesses bounce back from...
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When you’re the director of a limited company and you’re getting ready to hire your first employee, one of the trickiest questions is: how much should I pay myself as salary and how much as dividends? Too little salary and you might put yourself in a position where you can’t build National...
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I often see directors surprised by an unexpected tax bill because their dividend withdrawals weren’t planned to match their personal allowance and dividend allowance. It’s avoidable with a simple dividend schedule. Below I explain how I plan one for clients, the rules to watch, and a practical...
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When you split a property into a home part and a commercial part, VAT can quickly feel like a maze. I see this a lot with small business owners who run a client-facing part of their work from a converted ground floor or have a self-contained studio next to their own living space. The rules depend...
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Renegotiating payment terms with a major client can feel like walking a tightrope: you need to protect your cashflow without damaging a relationship you’ve built. I’ve done this several times for clients and for my own practice, and I find the best approach combines preparation, clear...
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Petty cash and loose receipts are a perennial headache for small businesses. They’re small amounts, but they create disproportionate admin and — if handled badly — a mess for your audit trail. Over the last decade I’ve helped many UK micro and small firms move from shoeboxes and random...
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