Tag: FreeAgent

FreeAgent training that’s just right for your business

We see many small business owners adopt and then struggle with bookkeeping software which is why we offer our bespoke FreeAgent training sessions.

We make FreeAgent work for you and your business with a practical injection of FreeAgent training.

FreeAgent is simple bookkeeping software that’s ideal for freelancers, contractors, creatives and microbusiness owners.

It’s also ideal for private landlords.

Used well, FreeAgent will give you a clear view of the financial performance of your businesses as well as help you take care of compliance issues such as VAT, payroll and year-end accounts and tax.

The key phrase being “used well“.

We see many small business owners adopt and then struggle with bookkeeping software which is why we offer our bespoke FreeAgent training sessions.

FreeAgent training – just for you

In our FreeAgent training sessions we work on your live bookkeeping transactions to make sure you are using FreeAgent in the right way to get what you need to run your business.

We cover:

  • linking FreeAgent to your business bank account
  • accounting for bank receipts and payments in your bank feed
  • sales invoicing
  • processing suppliers’ bills and receipts
  • financial reports
  • VAT

Our training sessions are half-day sessions costing £360 plus VAT and take place at your business or ours.

As a free follow-up to each training session we offer a small number of Teams / Zoom calls to make sure you’re using FreeAgent comfortably on your own.

“You’ve helped us move away from outdated, clunky desktop software to a far more efficient cloud-based accounting system.  

Our business has a few niche aspects, and Michael and his team understood that, guiding us through the transition with confidence and clarity”

FreeAgent and your business

Running your business will throw up a number of questions as you go and some of thes have a financial effect that needs to be dealt with in FreeAgent.

So, where we can, we help you deal with such issues as how do I:

  • move to FreeAgent from other software?
  • deal with business mileage?
  • know how much my customers owe me?
  • pay myself
  • understand what a Director’s Loan Account is?

I’m sure there are other questions that will come up and we’ll ty to deal with them from a business point of view as well as a bookkeeping perspective.

Sounds like what you need to get the most out of FreeAgent for your business? – If so, call Michael Austin on 020 7125 0270 or email info@bluedotconsulting.co.uk and we can set up a FreeAgent training session with you.

Michael

FreeAgent FAQs

Can I use FreeAgent to deal with Making Tax Digital?

Very much so. Our advice is to set up separate bank accounts for your business and for any property activities and set up FreeAgent for both. Get the Digital bookkeeping going as soon as you can and, by and large, the Tax will take care of itself.

What is the relationship between NatWest and FreeAgent?

NatWest owns FreeAgent and one of the benefits of this is that if your business has a NatWest business account then you get FreeAgent for free!

I’m a landlord – is FreeAgent any good for me?

Absolutely! There is a landlord module that’s just for you.

Related links:

Making tax digital – the useful bits have little to do with tax!

Profit Margins: Make more money with every sale

Technology is the servant not the master

© Blue Dot Consulting Limited

Chartered Accountants – Bedford House, Fulham Green, London, SW6 3JW

Are the accounting software companies building the equivalent of 3D television?

Despite all the marketing hype and investment by the media companies and the TV manufacturers, 3D TV has never caught on.

Are the accounting software companies creating their own equivalent of 3D TV?

If they are, do we need it and do we want it?

Over the years there have been several attempts to get 3D into cinemas and living rooms but, by and large, there’s been no great appetite for it.

No one needed it and few people wanted it.

Despite all the marketing hype and investment by the media companies and the TV manufacturers, 3D TV has never caught on.

Is there a similar story brewing these days with AI and accounting software?

AI in accounting software – it’s coming whether you like it or not!

The hype is there and will only get louder. The investment is there and has been for a while and some of the AI has already made its way into some of the software.

Big launches and announcements are planned.

And as we wait for the product launches, if you’re an accountant or bookkeeper, in a firm, working for yourself or in a finance department, start to ask yourself:

  • will accounting software infused with AI be substantially more useful?
  • will AI-infused accounting software help make my clients / my employer more profitable?
  • will I be able to switch it off if I think it gets in the way?
  • will my business and /or my clients be prepared to pay more for the software?
  • if I can’t see appreciable benefits can I buy a version of the product without the AI?

We’ve yet to see what the next wave of AI in accounting software will look like, so it’s too soon to reach any conclusions.

It might be something that most of us can’t live without and we’re prepared to pay more for it.

But it may be the equivalent of 3D TV.

If so, then be prepared to push back.

Can Blue Dot Consulting help your business with its bookkeeping?

Bookkeeping is the DNA of every business and, however much technology you use, your bookkeeping needs to be done well and kept up to date.

We do a lot of training with businesses to help them get going in the right way or transition away from how they’ve always done things to how they should be doing things.

We help businesses get what they need from their numbers and we can help you with:

Our training uses your accounting software and your live data so it really is bespoke for your business.

We work with start-ups and we also work with long-established businesses.

We take you through the whole spectrum from data entry at one end to financial reports at the other end, pausing to look at workflows and financial controls along the way.

Perhaps most importantly of all – we show you how to use the software in a way that’s right for your business, not in a way that the accounting software companies would have you believe is right for your business.

Let’s have a free-of-charge chat about your business – call Michael Austin on 020 7125 0270 or email info@bluedotconsulting.co.uk

Michael

Related links:

Bookkeeping in the 21st century

Technology is the servant, not the master

Accounting software training

Blue Dot Consulting provides accounting and business advisory services to clients across Central London, West London and South West London, with particular focus on Fulham, Hammersmith, Richmond, Putney, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea. We help local business owners make better financial decisions and plan confidently for the future.

© Blue Dot Consulting Limited, Chartered Accountants, Bedford House, Fulham Green, London, SW6 3JW

You can’t run a £1m business and only have your bookkeeping updated every three months!

Fair play – the two of them had got in touch because they knew something wasn’t right and were reaching out for help.

“You can’t run a £1m business and only have your bookkeeping updated every three months!”

There are things you say in meetings that you can’t quite believe needed saying, and that was one of them.

The context was a Xero training session with two people from the business and we were looking at their Xero file alongside a couple of other software applications.

Several common problems crawled out of the woodwork:

  • the bookkeeping was way out of date
  • historical balance sheets in Xero didn’t agree to Companies House
  • no customised reports (who wants an alphabetical list of overheads!)
  • the business was hemmed-in by mainly using the accounts in the standard chart of accounts

We all knew there would be more if we dug a little deeper.

And we all knew that this business was not alone in having great software used poorly.

Your accounting records are not up to date – why this matters

If you have incomplete or inaccurate bookkeeping data you’re flying blind and your business will under-perform.

  • Decision-making will be delayed or based on faulty information
  • Cashflow and tax shocks are more likely to happen
  • Profitability will suffer
  • It’s often more expensive to do this work badly
  • Running your business will be less enjoyable and more stressful

Fair play to the two people who had got in touch because they knew something wasn’t right and were reaching out for help.

And help was at hand.

Blue Dot Consulting can help you get more from your accounting software

You’re already using decent accounting software, such as Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent. We want to make it come alive for you and here’s how:

  • Bespoke training for your team using your actual data and transactions (Xero, QuickBooks)
  • Review and fix your current bookkeeping so it accurately reflects your business
  • Create custom reports so you see the numbers that matter
  • Offer ongoing help and advice so you’re not left alone

Our goal is simple: transform your accounting software into a decision-making tool, not just a digital filing cabinet.

And the real benefits for your business will include:

  • Decision-making based on facts, not guesswork
  • Profitability insights by product, service, or client
  • Better cashflow visibility and planning
  • Reduced stress and greater control

Can we help your business get more from its accounting software?

If you suspect your business isn’t getting the full benefit of its accounting software, let’s have a chat.

We’ll take a look at what’s working (and what isn’t), and give you practical, jargon-free advice to move things forward.

We run great bespoke training sessions for businesses which might be an ideal starting point

Call Michael Austin on 020 7125 0270 or email info@bluedotconsulting.co.uk and let’s begin to get your business to a better place.

Michael

People also asked:

Do we need to change our software?

No. The goal is to show your team how to make the best use of what you already have in place.

What about additional software and apps?

If you have bookkeeping issues that can be solved more efficiently by linking apps to your accounting software then we’ll look at that with you.

Do we need to change accountants?

Not at all. In fact they may have a part to play in the work that needs to be done.

Who are Blue Dot Consulting?

We’re London-based Chartered Accountants with a long and successful history of helping owner-managed SME business in London with their financial management..

Related links:

Overview of financial management for a business with sales approaching and passing £1m

Why don’t businesses make better use of accounting software?

Finance transformation

© Blue Dot Consulting Limited

Chartered Accountants – Bedford House, Fulham Green, London, SW6 3JW