Bookkeeping firms: problems we solve
28 problems bookkeeping firms bring us, each with the cause, what it costs and what we build to fix it.
Bookkeeping firms problems
28 articlesHow Do I Know Which of My Bookkeepers Can Take On Another Client?
Bookkeeping firm workload is guessed from client counts, so some staff drown while others coast. We build a capacity view from real effort per client file.
How Can I See Which Clients' Books Are Actually Closed for the Month?
Bookkeeping month-end status lives in staff heads, so you learn a client is behind when they ask. We build one board showing each client file's real state.
How Do I Spot Bookkeeping Clients Whose Workload Has Grown Past What They Pay?
Bookkeeping clients outgrow their fee as volume creeps up, and nobody notices until the file loses money. We build a monthly check of volume against the fee.
Why Do Our Bookkeeping Quotes Depend on Which Partner Prices the Job?
Bookkeeping firm quotes vary with whoever prices them, so similar clients pay different fees. We build a pricing tool from your own rules and real client data.
How Do We Stop Doing Extra Work for Bookkeeping Clients and Never Charging for It?
Bookkeeping firm out-of-scope requests get done as favours and never billed. We build a log of extras against each client's scope and turn them into charges.
How Do We Find Out a Client's Bank Feed Has Stopped Before Month End?
Bookkeeping bank feeds stop silently across client files and you find out at month end. We build a nightly check of every feed that alerts the right bookkeeper.
How Do We Make Sure Every Bookkeeper's Work Is Reviewed Before a VAT Return Is Filed?
Bookkeeping firm review before filing depends on who remembers to ask. We build a review queue with checks run on the ledger and a recorded sign-off per client.
How Do We Keep Track of Staggered VAT Deadlines for Every Client?
Bookkeeping firm VAT quarters fall on three staggers plus monthly filers, kept in a spreadsheet. We build a deadline view fed from HMRC and client files.
How Do We Get Clients to Answer 'What Is This Payment?' Without Endless Emails?
Bookkeeping firm client queries sit in spreadsheets and emails while suspense grows. We build a query page per client, fed from the ledger, answered by phone.
What Happens to Our Clients When the Bookkeeper Who Knows Them Leaves?
Bookkeeping firm client knowledge sits in one head, so a resignation leaves files nobody understands. We build client notes captured as the work is done.
How Do We Run a Bookkeeping Firm When Clients Use Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and More?
Bookkeeping firm clients on different ledgers mean every process has five versions. We build one working layer across Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreeAgent.
How Do We Stop Client Emails Getting Lost in Individual Bookkeepers' Inboxes?
Bookkeeping firm client emails land in personal inboxes, unseen when staff are away. We build automatic filing of every thread to the right client.
How Do We Stop Doing Bookkeeping for Clients Who Have Not Paid Us?
Bookkeeping firm monthly fees go unpaid while the work carries on. We build fee collection that shows payment status in the work queue for each client.
How Do We Keep Engagement Letters in Line With What We Actually Do for Each Client?
Bookkeeping firm engagement letters stop matching the service as clients add VAT or payroll. We build a service register that flags letters to update.
How Do We Price Bookkeeping Clean-Up Jobs Without Losing Money on Them?
Bookkeeping catch-up and clean-up jobs overrun because nobody knows how bad the books are. We build a diagnostic that scans the ledger before you quote.
Why Does Producing Each Client's Monthly Management Pack Take Our Bookkeepers So Long?
Bookkeeping firm monthly client reports are pasted from the ledger into Excel one by one. We build packs generated from each file, with draft commentary.
How Do We Keep Client ID Checks and Risk Assessments Up to Date Across the Whole Firm?
Bookkeeping firm AML checks are done at onboarding and then forgotten. We build a register that tracks review dates, updated ID and each assessment.
How Do We Stop Every Client's Login Code Going to the Partner's Mobile?
Bookkeeping firm client logins rely on codes sent to one partner's phone and passwords in a spreadsheet. We set up access that is shared safely and logged.
How Can We Handle Monthly CIS Returns for Lots of Builder Clients Without a Scramble?
Bookkeeping firm CIS returns for construction clients mean chasing invoices, verifications and statements. We build one CIS workflow across all your builders.
How Will Our Bookkeeping Firm Cope With Quarterly Updates for Every Sole Trader and Landlord?
Bookkeeping firm MTD income tax quarterly updates turn yearly sole trader work into four deadlines. We build collection, tracking and a status view per client.
Why Is the Same Supplier Coded Differently Depending on Who Did the Month?
Bookkeeping firm coding shifts with each bookkeeper, so a client's accounts move about month to month. We build coding rules per client and a check for drift.
How Do We Hand a Client's Year to Their Accountant Without Weeks of Follow-Up Questions?
Bookkeeping firm year-end handovers to an outside accountant trigger rounds of questions. We build a pack from the ledger with every query in one place.
What Should Happen When a Client Leaves Our Bookkeeping Firm, and Why Do We Keep Missing Steps?
Bookkeeping firm offboarding is done from memory, so access, fees and handover steps get missed. We build a leaving checklist that runs across all your systems.
How Do We Keep Track of the Ledger and App Subscriptions We Pay for and Recharge to Clients?
Bookkeeping firm software rebilling drifts as clients change plans and add apps. We build a monthly match of what the firm pays against what it recharges.
How Do We Stop Clients Ringing Our Bookkeepers to Ask How Much VAT They Owe?
Bookkeeping firm clients phone to ask about VAT due and who owes them, interrupting the team. We build a client view that answers from the ledger.
How Do We Keep Intercompany Balances Agreeing for Clients With Several Companies?
Bookkeeping firm group clients need intercompany recharges posted in each company and balances that agree. We build monthly recharges and a mismatch check.
How Do We Prepare Supplier Payment Runs for Clients and Get Them Approved Without Email Ping-Pong?
Bookkeeping firm supplier payment runs for clients stall waiting for approval by email. We build a weekly run per client, approved on a phone.
Why Are Our Client Records Wrong About Year Ends, VAT Numbers and Contacts?
Bookkeeping firm client records go stale as clients change year ends, contacts and schemes. We build checks against Companies House, HMRC and the ledger itself.