You don’t want to be hunched over receipts and spreadsheets, trying to catch up on 3 months of bookkeeping while your competitors are enjoying their barbecues or heading off on holiday. If this sounds familiar then you’re not alone – for many SME owners, they have the same relationship with that unused gym membership many of us are guilty of – we know it’s important, but it gets pushed to tomorrow.
Summers make the challenge more intense – you could be dealing with family commitments or trying to squeeze in a well earned holiday – the last thing you want is to spend the sunny evenings dealing with bank statements. Yet.. the work doesn’t stop and neither should your financial obligations.
Summer intensifies this challenge. Whether you’re juggling family commitments, trying to squeeze in a well-deserved break, or capitalising on seasonal business opportunities, the last thing you want is to spend sunny evenings reconciling bank statements. Yet the work doesn’t stop, and neither do your financial obligations.
The hidden cost of DIY bookkeeping
Handling your own books may have made sense when you started your business, but as your company grows, the time spent on bookkeeping becomes an increasingly steep cost. The hours spent recording expenses and chasing up receipts could be invested in important business activities, such as winning clients or taking a step back to see things from the top down.
You should think about what your time is worth – if you’re billing £75 per hour and spend 10 hours monthly on bookkeeping, that’s £750 of potential revenue. Add to this the stress of upcoming deadlines and the risk of error, plus the mental load of keeping track of every financial detail… the real cost becomes clearer.
Why summer changes everything
There are unique pressures that come with summer – clients and suppliers may have irregular schedules, which makes it harder to resolve queries. Key staff may be on holiday, leaving you to deal with even more responsibilities and tasks. With all this in mind, important deadlines won’t pause for the season – VAT returns, PAYE submissions and other compliance requirements continue regardless of the time of year.
This makes summer a great time to reassess your approach. Rather than letting financial tasks pile up, while you’re on holiday or working too hard trying to keep up – outsourcing is a great solution that keeps your business running smoothly.
The liberation in letting go
Imagine knowing that your bookkeeping is handled at the start of every week. No more panic on Sunday evening about the invoice run on Monday and no more apologising to suppliers about delayed payments. You won’t have to guess at your cash status because you’re 3 weeks behind on bank reconciliations.
Professional bookkeepers don’t just enter data, they create systems that make your financial operations more efficient. They spot the invoice that’s been accidentally paid twice, chase the customer who’s consistently late, and ensure you’re claiming every legitimate expense. They speak HMRC’s language fluently, keeping you compliant without stress.
Making the transition seamless
Modern bookkeeping services integrate painlessly with your existing operations. If we look at cloud-based accounting software we can see that you can take photos of receipts on your phone, approve payments for your laptop wherever you are (maybe at the beach) and access real-time financial data wherever you are. Your bookkeeper handles the heavy lifting while you maintain visibility and control.
When you start in summer you’ll have time to establish new rhythms before the busier autumn period. When business accelerates in September, you’ll have smooth financial processes in place and mental space to focus on your growth.
Choosing the right partner
You should search for providers that understand your industry, use up-to-date technology and communicate in plain English rather than just accounting jargon. The right partner needs to feel like an extension of your team – providing the insights that help drive your business forward.
At Velocity, we believe bookkeeping should empower, not overwhelm. Our financial outsourcing services free SME owners to focus on what they do best while ensuring their finances remain accurate, compliant, and optimised for growth.
This summer, give yourself permission to step away from the spreadsheets. Contact us to discover how professional bookkeeping support can transform your business operations and your work-life balance. Because life’s too short to spend it all on bookkeeping.
