Category: Startups

The word innovation can conjure up images of disruptive developments such as online streaming services or companies such as Uber, but you can still be an innovation champion. Fortunately, innovation doesn’t have to happen on a grand scale to make an impact in your business.

Driving innovation in any business begins with creating and encouraging an innovative and forward-thinking culture to allow your employees to bring new and interesting ideas to the table, and put them into effect. Your employees need to feel free to contribute, to feel their contribution is acknowledged, appreciated and taken into consideration.

You need to break down barriers between management and employees and ensure that there is regular two-way communication. Creating a team of innovation champions can help. Instead of putting innovation on the backburner until an opportunity presents itself (which it might not), task the right people in your business with driving innovation in a proactive manner. If your innovation champions have a particularly heavy workload, perhaps re-allocate some of their roles to allow them time to devote to driving innovation.

When things go well, it is good to celebrate success. However, your innovation champions shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes. Managers need to help employees to feel comfortable and ready to share.

Good ideas should be recognised but equally, ones that don’t get off the ground should be applauded as something to learn from for the future.

Driving innovation involves focusing on what you do and what products or services you sell to your customers. Customer feedback can be used to drive innovation. Your customers are generally happy to tell you what it is they want from your firm. Perhaps they want flexibility or they really value quick turnaround times. Spend time gathering feedback from your customers and share this with your innovation champions.

From your perspective you don’t ever want to give your customers a reason to go elsewhere. Make this the central focus of your innovation strategy and task your innovation champions with finding new and better ways to keep your customers coming back again and again. Perhaps the solution to the problem lies in doing simple things a little bit better or perhaps you can utilise technology to make your product / service delivery more efficient. Focus on your customers, listen to their feedback and let that feedback drive your innovation strategy and the activity of your innovation champions.

Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors and love nothing more than helping you and your business. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your businesses who are just getting going!

If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.

Having a good strategy is one thing, executing it well can be a huge challenge.

Many business owners and managers are familiar with the scenario – you arrange a strategy day with your team, capture the outputs and create a strategic plan. Everyone goes back to the office, the strategy paper gets filed and that is the last you see of it until next year’s strategy day. The hardest part of any business strategy is implementationOnce you have created your strategy, you need to start engaging with your organisation. The communication process is key and needs to be two-way. You need to create a mechanism for people in your firm to feed back their view.

Once you have your feedback and have finalised your strategic plan, the next step is to start creating tangible objectives.

Each objective should have a dedicated owner (who is responsible and accountable), a deadline and regular updates on progress towards each goal should be provided at, for example, a monthly meeting.

Tracking and reporting are key components of executing any strategy. Monthly updates should be provided by the people responsible for each objective and should include a quantitative measure of progress and a short commentary to add background information about progress to date, expected timeline for delivery, resources required for the next stage, and so on.

Performance management is also key to successfully implementing your strategy. Your team need to be accountable and you need to create a connection between the strategic objectives of the business and your team member’s day jobs. Each person on your team should have a set of objectives which cascade from the overall company objectives that are set out in your strategy document. Aligning the objectives of each individual with the overall goals of your business ensures that your whole team is working towards the same common goal. You should measure and reward people for their contribution to achieving the firm’s strategy. This encourages the right behaviours among your team.

Executing your strategy isn’t a process. It is about developing a culture in your firm where everyone is working towards a common set of goals. At the end of each year, you should evaluate your strategy, keep the bits that are working well and update those parts that haven’t been so successful.

Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector, and above all are here for you and your business. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.

Office space is expensive. Do you really need to have a dedicated desk for each and every employee?

Recent years have brought a lot of changes to the office environment, particularly as technology develops and the next generation of employees has come through to management. This new generation of managers brings new thinking about the modern office environment and what it should be.

For example, if a workforce of 100 has, on average, only 80 people in the office on a given day, those 20 empty desks take up space and are not being efficiently utilised. A hefty portion of business overhead is dedicated to office building space and maintenance. By trimming furniture and hardware costs, some of that wasted space can be better used as a meeting or project development space, saving money and benefiting the bottom line.

If your employees hot-desk, they tend to socialise more. Employees who sit beside someone different every day interact more, converse with a greater number of departments, and can find inspiration where it wasn’t possible to before. More interaction with a wider variety of people can lead to greater company cohesion and increased collaboration.

Employees will tend to optimise the space around them for productivity and might select a space that meets their needs for any given day. If they have conference calls on their schedule, they may gravitate towards a small meeting room or less-crowded alcove. If they are collaborating with colleagues on a specific project, they may choose to work in a room with presentation software and large screens, rather than huddling around a single desk.

When your office design allows for employee flexibility, your workers who thrive on mobility and independence are happier and more productive. They will find a way to optimise their office set-up for each and every day.

So, perhaps modern businesses are better off having flexible, open and collaborative offices rather than relying on the more old fashioned approach of assigning each employee a fixed desk. As an added bonus, the business may be able to reduce office overhead costs as office space can be used more efficiently.

We are proud of our offices here at A&C Chartered Accountants. Each team member has a standing desk which also gives staff the option to sit too. If you would like to come into the offices to check it out please feel free to pop in at any time. We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.

The zero-waste lifestyle does not need to end when you arrive to your office. For office employees, the time spent in the office may be significantly more than the time spent on other activities. This will directly influence the amount of waste you produce from office activities.

Other than bringing a reusable bag, reusable water bottle, dining kit and recycling the waste you’ve produced, there are many other things that you can do to be more proactive in reducing waste from your office activities. From reducing paper usage to determining the right office supplies, your decision in the office can be part of a zero-waste lifestyle.

In reality, the paper is only one amongst other types of waste produced in the office. This means there are still other types of materials that could’ve been saved from landfills, including plastic, metal and food waste. To prevent excessive waste generation, responsible waste management and good habit from the staff members are critical.

1. Have recyclable bins in the office. This is so important and so easy to do. Especially if you use a lot of paper. If you have to use plastic for any reason make sure you recycle it.
2. Reduce the use of paper. In the digital era we can print less. As chartered Accountants we now get our clients to e-sign their documents. It saves a lot of paper and encourage our clients to do the same.
3. Use recyclable, compostable and reusable office supplies. There is so much available online nowadays. Why not check out this great website here.
4. When bringing in your food from home don’t forget your reusable water bottle and lunch box.
5. Avoid wasting food. Try not to make more than you can eat to avoid this as much as possible.

We welcome anybody into our offices to see how we are living a zero waste lifestyle here. We love sharing our best practice with clients and look forward to sharing with more new cleints.  Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.

In today’s “always-on” society, business owners and managers are under more pressure than ever so it is important to avoid burnout and follow our simple steps.

Stress related workplace burnout is now recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an official medical diagnosis. Here are some tips to help to avoid burnout.

Manage your time

It’s impossible to sustain long-term happiness without appropriately balancing your professional and personal time. Avoiding burnout means using that time wisely, both now and in the future. Use an Outlook calendar or scheduling tool to keep close tabs on how you’re spending your time. Regularly assess your week: How much time are you spending in the office? How much work do you do at home? How much time do you have fully to yourself? If any of those numbers look out of line, that’s a sign that something needs to change.

Use your full holiday entitlement

A high proportion of business professionals don’t use all of their annual leave days and they’re paying the price for it. Time off work can provide a big boost to your productivity, creativity and overall job satisfaction. Working through your holiday might feel like the right thing to do for your career, but only increases the likelihood of burnout in the long run. Take holidays that will be good for your overall mental health – go somewhere relaxing and new. Even if it’s just to a nearby destination, a change of scenery can go a long way toward helping you gain perspective on where you’re at in life.

Separate work and home life

One of the most common ways burnout occurs is through work creep. When professional responsibilities start to creep into your out-of-office life, whether it’s in the evening, over the weekends or on holiday, that’s a sign that burnout is approaching. People who work from home are most susceptible as the dividing line between work and family time is merely a closed door. One way of avoiding creep is by disconnecting. If your phone and laptop are always on and at the ready while you’re at home, then you’ve never really left the office at all. Make an effort to fully unplug from the job when you’re on your own time, and you’ll notice a shift in how much you get from your time at home. Also, focusing your attention on different aspects of your life will help you feel more invigorated and creative when it’s time to work again.

Embrace remote working

On the same note, you can get a change of scenery without fully leaving work behind. While it’s important to completely disconnect during holiday time, working remotely can give your work the breath of fresh air it needs without fear of falling behind. Remote work has other benefits as well, such as increased productivity and a boost in company culture.

We offer a wide range of services. Our aim is to help take the stress out of all your accounting and tax issues. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.

Whether it’s your University classmates or the colleagues you trained with at your first firm, we all have an alumni network.

Your alumni network is an immense network of professional contacts – all with whom you already have one thing in common. That one thing could be a University that you attended, a previous employer or perhaps you took an evening study course together. How you are connected doesn’t really matter. The fact that you have a connection gives you the right to reach out to someone and make contact. After all, people tend to be more receptive to contact from someone from within their network.

LinkedIn is a useful tool for reaching out to and connecting with your alumni. You can search by University or by Employer and connect / re-connect with former colleagues. LinkedIn features some useful filters which can help you to find some of your old contacts by location, firm, etc. You can even set up a dedicated online group for your alumni network using the “Groups” page on LinkedIn. Members of your Group can post messages, updates and communicate easily.

Online tools are great but there is no substitute for meeting up with your contacts, in person. If there is an annual alumni event then try to attend it every now and then, in order to maintain your network. If not, perhaps you can create an annual alumni networking event. It might be as simple as booking a private area in a bar and sending an email invitation to your alumni network.

Another great way to tap into your alumni network is to share your professional expertise. You could create a business blog or even offer to give a talk. If your alumni network has a common interest such as say, business startups, you could put together a panel of speakers who provide insights to your group. It makes a lot of sense to invest in cultivating your alumni network yet many business people don’t make the time to do so. You could gain a real competitive advantage by taking the time to re-connect with your alumni.

Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors and work hard to ensure we create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups and SME’s to optimise growth. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.

The power of saying “no”. It’s a simple word, but one that far too many of us have trouble saying.  Perhaps it is because you’ve become successful by saying yes to every business opportunity, every request that has come your way, in order to grow your business or develop your career.

However, as you progress through your career, you become more successful and new opportunities will inevitably emerge. More people and more projects will vie for your time.

You cannot do everything, and this is when it may be necessary to start saying no to things.

More than ever, we are all working harder with less resources which means that we can often take on too much work. Sometimes saying “yes” to another project when you are already at full capacity effectively means that you’re saying no to completing the tasks that you already have to do.

Steve Jobs famously said that “focusing is about saying no”. Focusing on what matters, not just what is in front of you, is the key to driving the success of any business.

Most teams in most businesses set out their annual objectives at the start of the year. These objectives should align with the overall goals of the business. Individual projects and day-to-day tasks should align with these objectives. If a new project or request doesn’t align with your team’s objectives then it might be best to push back and say “no”.

If a senior colleague asks you to do something, a flat “no” may not be an appropriate response. Instead it may be more appropriate to say that you don’t have any capacity at the moment, outlining the key projects that you are currently working on. If the new request is to be prioritised, your colleague may suggest that one of your other projects is put on the back burner.

When it comes to managing your time, your career, and your business, over-committing yourself isn’t a sign of success. If you’re struggling to say no, think back to all the times when agreeing to take on something new distracted you from your own priorities. How much time, energy, and stress might have been saved if you had just been able to say no?

If you don’t have time to take on more work, next time simply say, “No, I can’t commit to that due to other priorities.” You don’t need to apologise or over-explain. Just be polite and move on.

We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your businesses who are just getting going! Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.

The iPhone is seen by many as the gold standard when it comes to smartphones. Is the newest version worth the upgrade?

Apple has just launched the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. For those who want a larger screen, there is also the iPhone 11 Pro Max which features a huge 6.5inch screen. The iPhone 11 Pro has a 5.8inch screen and the cheaper iPhone 11 (which replaces the iPhone Xr) has a 6.1 inch LCD screen and its case comes in a variety of colourful finishes including black, green, yellow, purple, red or white. The iPhone 11 Pro has a different selection of finishes and you can choose to have it with a silver, space grey, gold or midnight green metallic finish.

So other than screen sizes, how do the latest iPhone models compare? The iPhone 11 is the cheapest model in the new range, starting from £729 for the 64GB model. rising to £879 for the 256GB version. It has a high resolution LCD screen which is good but isn’t as pin-sharp as the OLED screen on the iPhone 11 Pro. However the new iPhone Pro is more expensive and starts from £1,049 for the 5.8inch version with 64GB storage and £1,149 for the larger 6.5in iPhone 11 Pro Max. For those who want more storage you can have up to 512GB but it is expensive at £1,499 without a contract. All phones in the new range are water and dust resistant. The big upgrade over the iPhone X is the camera. The new iPhone has a 12mp dual lens camera (offering wide and ultra-wide angle lenses).

The iPhone 11 pro adds a third, telephoto lens. The Face ID authentication system has also been improved and is designed to work at more angles than the previous iteration. Arguably the most important update to the new iPhone range is the new battery technology which is designed to offer all-day battery life.

The new A13 Bionic chip which features across all iPhone models is much more efficient in terms of power usage, while also offering improved performance. The key update is the improved battery life and this alone makes the upgrade worthwhile for most business users.

A&C Chartered Accountants offer a wide range of services which are unique to your businesses. As start-up accountants we have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.