I'm sure there are many a good accountant out there Peter, but unfortunately and maybe unfairly, experience tends to taint opinion. After the last debacle of the "local" guy who wasn't, I decided to add an in house accountant to my office staff for weekly reporting rather than rely on the monthly management figures I was getting from my long time association with my auditors. This proved a valuable asset (if you can afford it) and far more accurate than a monthly visit from an external account manager who couldn't wait to finish up and get on her bike back to her office. However, and here I get back on the personality bit, when he started talking to me daily explaining the spreadsheets he was producing, I started to lose the will to live........ Thanks for the reply and the comment from one of your fellow posters Chazz seems to fit the bill as far as you're concerned. Bet he doesn't think the same about me though..........
A good employee would be better than an external accountant at management reporting. The problem is that usually they would be expensive over a full year so it can be better to have an external accountant to come in for a few hours once a month. You can always try online accounting which would enable a bookkeeper to do the work inhouse and the external accountant could review it and make any adjustments. Xero is considered the best online accounting software right now. www.xero.com
Thanks for the thought and information Peter, but all too late my friend. Sounds a bit uncaring, but he's now gone with all the rest as a result of me putting my family and me first for a change. I was always going to be 55 years old last year (something to do with the year I was born I think), and I'd determined to pack it in at that age and start enjoying myself rather than worrying about everybody else. I did just that - ran the businesses down slowly from 2008 through the most atrocious 4 years of my business life that I can remember, and got out with what I could. I crystallised some personal pensions early on my 55th, pocketed the TFLS's and invested the residues in SIPPs. Still do some work from home on a consultancy basis, but do not miss the daily slog up and down the motorways one little bit. In fact, now I've packed up, I'm actually enjoying myself in a way I haven't experienced for years. My bankers/accountants hang up thing may go away one day, but at the moment they're still a bit fresh in the mind. Still, I can always come on here to have a go at anyone who has a go at me..........
I've worked from home a long time and it's got me lazy but I get up a lot earlier. When I was an employee I would stay in bed as long as possible before going to work but now I get up as soon as I wake up and walk downstairs to my office with ensuite shower room. If I feel tired I just go back to bed. I still have deadlines and have to get the work done but I can do the work when it suits me. Not like footballers who have to turn up for training and matches!
