Change – Not everyone’s favourite word…

Increasingly in every part of our lives we trust our data to the cloud. In the workplace, cloud-based smart software is replacing manual office-based processes, empowering business owners and managers. These apps can be accessed from anywhere on any device – invaluable in the busy lives we all lead. So over the last few years the accounting profession has seen huge changes, in what we do, how we engage with our clients – and in what clients expect.

With all of this going on what can we as accountants do for you, our clients?

Ask yourself some questions: Do you know – really know – how your business is performing? Do you get what you want from your existing systems? Are you frustrated by time-consuming manual data transfers between different software which don’t talk to each other? Using spreadsheets to track data? Heard of MTD, PSD2, GDPR? Are you aware of the changes taking place which will directly impact on how you report, for example, to HMRC? And finally, depending on your answers – is your current system really doing what it needs to do – and if not, where on earth do you start?

That’s where the cloud comes into its own – the cloud and your tech-loving accountant.

AAB have recently appointed Xero and Sage specialist Hilary Dyson to their Accounting Services team as Cloud Accounting Manager. Hilary has specialised in working with accounting software for over 20 years now, and was known to say (some years ago of course!) that people would never trust their financial data to the cloud, that cloud-based systems would never replace the desktop solutions we had grown to know and sometimes (but not always) love. How wrong she was – and she’s happy to admit it – and to admit how excited she gets talking about the difference working in the cloud makes!

At AAB we approach every client engagement with the Plus Factor at the core – focusing on delivering benefits to you, the client, in a way that suits you best. So by combining the power of the cloud with that Plus Factor vision we aim to deliver:

• advice, implementation and support on the best accounting and associated apps which will work for you
• training on how to use the apps effectively
• a system which gives up to date information at your fingertips to inform your decision making
• a system robust enough to stand up to whatever regulatory and economic challenges the likes of MTD, PSD2, Brexit may throw at the unsuspecting business manager

In addition to accounting and reporting you might need inventory, CRM, EPOS, time tracking, e-commerce, document management. Or a combination of some of these. The list is endless but remember, if you have a need – there will be an app for that!

Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting blogs on case studies as well as on apps which we believe will enhance – maybe even revolutionise how you work. In the meantime if you would like to learn more about what AAB can do for you please get in touch.

 

 Would you like to spend less time bookkeeping and more time growing your business?

At AAB, we are always looking for ways to make our clients’ lives easier.

As a result, we have partnered with Receipt Bank, the award-winning Xero and QuickBooks add-on that automatically converts all your invoices and receipts into data, making it easy for you to keep control of your financial information or send it straight to us so that we can manage the bookkeeping for you.

With Receipt Bank’s easy submission methods you’ll never lose another receipt of invoice. There’s a whole range of ways to submit and you can choose whichever methods that suit your businesses workflow:

• Receipt Bank App (iPhone and Android)
• Email
• Post
• Dropbox

… and many more

Using Receipt Bank’s easy submission methods means that:

• You save time processing invoices and receipts and on sending in your paperwork to us, time that you can spend on core business services
• You save space as there is no need to retain your physical documents, documents can instead be easily searchable and securely stored in the cloud
• You now have real time information flowing into your accounting package, providing you with insights to improve your business decisions

If you would like to find out more or get started submitting with Receipt Bank, please contact your Accounting Services Manager, your usual AAB contact or call us on 01224 625111.