Here are the frequently asked questions clients have when choosing Every Cloud Accounting, including a couple you might be afraid to ask!
When choosing an accountant it is likely that you are going to have A LOT of questions, you’re not buying a packet of crisps, it’s an investment and an ongoing relationship, so it’s important you’re completely comfortable before making any decisions.
Hopefully these will help, let’s to get to know each other better…
Every Cloud Accounting – Frequently asked questions
The nitty gritty
What locations do you work with?
I am based in Lichfield, so I naturally work with a lot of clients in and around Lichfield, including Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth and Burton on Trent. But I work with clients all over the UK as well from Cardiff to a small island in Western Scotland.
You can be anywhere in the UK and receive an equally good service.
What type of businesses do you work with?
There is no particular industry although the most common type of business I work with are Limited Companies – varying from hotels, to agencies and plumbers.
If you run a Limited Company and aren’t in a complex industry where you may need a specialist, I can probably help you.
Can I get hold of you if I need to speak to you?
If you use fax, then of course you get hold of me!
No faxing, I promise! You will have my email address and my mobile so can contact me whenever you want. I really want you to feel comfortable getting in contact. No judgement, no charging for the time and there are no such thing as stupid questions.
Do I need to meet you?
We don’t have to meet! If you’re not local, we can meet virtually on Zoom or Teams. If you are local, it’s up to you, it’s nice to meet initially for a coffee, but once everything is set up, it’s seamless working remotely.
Are you qualified?
Yes, I qualified with AAT and hold an AAT practice licence. I am not a ‘chartered accountant’, I started training with ICAEW, but decided I wanted to run my own practice.
As prestigious as the qualification is, I believe the most important traits in an accountant are personality traits: integrity, friendly and thorough, which hopefully my clients would agree I have.
If you only want to work with a chartered accountant, I am not the accountant for you.
Do you have insurance?
This is a good question and one that very few people ask. I do have professional indemnity insurance covering up to £1,000,000.
How many people work for Every Cloud Accounting?
It’s just me Tom, billy no mates! The benefit for you, is you’re always dealing with me, the owner and you can be confident of the quality of the work. This isn’t always the case when you’re dealing with an 11-a side football team at a large practice.
In the future, the team may grow, but right now it’s just me 😊
What software do you use?
I specialise in Xero accountancy software and then Dext to process purchase and sales invoices. 95% of clients use Xero.
It’s amazing software and I use it for Every Cloud too.
What happens if I am not using the software you recommend?
If you’re using Quickbooks or Sage, we would have a conversation to see if you were happy to look at converting to Xero, which is very easy. Working with one software: Xero, helps me save time for you and become an expert on the software.
I hate bookkeeping, do I need to do it?
Step, away, from, the bookkeeping. You definitely don’t need to be doing it – it works best when I handle everything, so you don’t need to worry about it. You can then focus your energy on areas you actually enjoy!
I love bookkeeping, can I carry on doing it?
Really?
There’s not many of you about, but we are in the same club, so don’t worry! If you do enjoy the bookkeeping and want to carry on doing it, that is perfectly fine. There’s a whole spectrum of bookkeeping quality, so when putting together the proposal I will look at the quality of the bookkeeping. If it’s good, the accountancy fee is lower, if it’s not so good, it increases because of sorting out errors at the year-end.
Why is there a dog in your videos?
Good question! He is a local dog that roams the streets and when he hears the flickering of an iPhone camera, he makes a bee line for our house to make sure he is star of the show.
Jokes a side, he is our Cavapoo puppy Buddy and he helps balance out all the accountancy talk!
If you love dogs as well, we are going to get on just fine!
Investment
What are your fees?
All clients are on a monthly package, so no unexpected bills year end bills landing on your doorstep! The investment will depend on a few things including the size of your company, what services you want and the number of transactions. All fees are broken down in a proposal, so you can decide on the services you want.
How much do you charge?
There is not a one size fits all, to give you an idea, here are some ballpark figures are: sole traders start at £300/year. Small Limited Company accounts start from £110/month.
Bookkeeping is based on transaction volume and can start at £100/month.
Do you charge by the hour?
Hell no! I am very much anti-charge by the hour, because it doesn’t work for anyone, leaving you with a big question mark of how much you will end up paying. It also incentivises the accountant to take longer, which doesn’t work for anyone. All clients pay a set agreed fee.
Switching accountants
What happens on a discovery call?
A discovery call is all about getting to you know you and finding out more about you and your business. I can explain how Every Cloud Accounting works, then if you’re interested in working together, I will send you a proposal.
It’s not a time to ‘sell’, it’s a time to ensure I can help you and to see if we are a good fit.
Why should I switch accountants?
If you feel like you’re getting a great service and all the support you need from your current accountant, it makes no sense moving accountants.
But if have that nagging feeling that you’re not getting the support you need, you should maybe think about finding a better one. It doesn’t have to be Every Cloud Accounting, but one thing I can guarantee you is there are hundreds of accountants out there, who can give you the support you need.
Why should I choose Every Cloud Accounting?
It feels like I am on a first date! A few reasons why clients choose Every Cloud are that I offer a friendly, relaxed service, no stuffy accountancy speak!
I am approachable and give you the extra support you need, I won’t make you feel stupid, it’s really important to me, that you feel comfortable and understand what we are doing.
Clients also like the set packages, cloud software and the proactive service, why would we submit your tax return in January?!
How easy is it to switch accountants?
Very! This shouldn’t be a barrier to moving accountants, if you decided you wanted Every Cloud Accounting to be your accountant, I will follow the professional clearance process and contact your previous accountant. They would then send over all your key financial information, so we can have a smooth handover. Depending on your relationship, it’s up to you whether you wanted to speak to them first.
Video: How to change Accountants – 5 easy steps
I am halfway through my year and want you to complete my accounts, how does that work?
A lot of clients move halfway through their accounting period, and this is very normal. Because Every Cloud packages are monthly, there would be an ‘alignment fee’ included in the proposal, which can either be paid upfront or spread across the remaining months of your financial year.
An example would be if you have a year-end of 31st May and you were looking to move to Every Cloud in September, there would be 3/12 of your accountancy bill as an alignment fee, then moving forward you’re all sorted. You wouldn’t be charged for services like payroll, where you’ve already received the service.
Can I get a quote?
Of course, you can! The first step would be to have a discovery call so I can get all the information, simply head here, fill in a few details and I will be in touch. We can have a call and then I can send you a proposal.
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