Access Accounting - Blog

Customers to benefit from Access brand elevation

Find out why we decided to rebrand and what it means for our customers and the solutions we provide:

How safe is your money?

When I thought about contributing to this blog I guessed I might add something each week.  It would seem difficult to write something topical about a subject I was interested in which would be of relevance in our marketplace.  Yesterday, I was saying we shouldn’t worry about the media, no need to sharpen that razor just yet.  But here we are, not 24 hours since I wrote that entry and Lehman Brothers has disappeared – quite literally down the plug hole.  I just learned that AIG has now been propped up by the Federal Reserve and now HBOS is in urgent talks with Lloyds about a possible merger/takeover.

The economy: would it be best to just slash our wrists?

Because that is how I feel after listening to Radio 4 for any hour of any morning right now and yet, after I get out of the car and get into work it is quite clear that for most of our clients the opposite is true.  Yes, it’s tough.  Yes, if you are buying from Europe and selling here your margins have just gone down the toilet.  Your customers moan about you trying to increase prices whilst your suppliers (particularly, it seems to me, our French colleagues) adopt a ‘can’t understand what you are talking about’ attitude when it comes to discussing exchange differences – ‘you were the ones that decided not to join the Euro’ followed by the French shrug. OK, the French have great cheese and the wines remain better than the stuff from Kent but perhaps arguably not as good as those from down under! 

Access Accounting seeks high-flyers to help drive ambitious growth plans

Following its continued business success Access Accounting has launched a campaign to search for outstanding talent to help drive its ambitious growth plans. The largest independent business and accounting software house in the UK is inviting high-flyers to a recruitment event on Tuesday 27th November at the Holiday Inn, Ransomes Europark in Ipswich from 6.30-8pm and 8-9.30pm.

Restriction by design – we must have been nuts

Growing our turnover every year since we started in 1991 has taken us from a small start-up company to the UK’s largest independent business and accounting software house in our sector. But success in turnover, profitability, and intellectual property is really a by-product of building a successful team and culture.

Business vision! What’s that all about?

One of the greatest truths of life is that pro-active people are far more effective than re-active ones. Pro-active people make things happen because they take action; re-active people see things happen around them because others have taken action. The same is true for any business or organisation.

It’s common for some companies to feel like they are forced to spend money on business and IT solutions. The driving force behind the spending is generally a negative push away from an undesired state or pain. In business this pain can take on many forms. For example:

- Realisation that a critical leadership tool like reports is totally unreliable and inaccurate

- The high cost of maintaining an outdated and inadequate system

- Constant interruptions because of speed issues and system failures

Ignoring these vital signs of a failing system will end in disaster. Staff will leave, sales will drop, costs will sky rocket and the end will be in sight.

Changing your system because of these failings is necessary and unavoidable, if the business is to survive in today’s market. However, the issue here is that the implementation of the new system is re-active rather than pro-active based on design and planning.

Having a clear company vision with goals and aspirations set out from day one is vital and will align every action and spend. The business has to act every day with the end result in mind. Investment in human resources, IT, new capital equipment and research will all make sense if it can be mentally validated against the vision of the business.

Having a vision becomes ultimately beneficial when the leaders of the business plan investment accurately to achieve their goals. Information and the technology that stores and presents this information is a crucial aspect of any business. When the future of the business is planned, investment in the accuracy and reliability of the information which the business needs should be considered carefully.

Pro-active organisations will consider their business system needs for the future, validated against a clear vision. I propose a new phrase for the proactive business: “If it isn’t broke, that’s great! However, will this system provide us with what we need to achieve our goals?”

Mark Fermor, Sales Manager

Sustainable businesses 'should receive tax cuts'

Firms which use sustainable practices in business should be rewarded by the chancellor with cuts in corporation tax, an accountancy company has said.

The Guildford branch of PFK is calling for the cuts as an incentive for other companies to become more eco-friendly, with a proposal of reducing tax to 25 per cent for businesses which are carbon neutral, the Surrey Advertiser reports.

"Business is tired of being harangued over its environmental performance by a government that has increased its tax burden and the level of red tape but given no financial incentive to improve," said Peter Jun Tai, PKF's tax partner.

He added that the government should provide more incentives for companies to make green investments and give them a target to aim for.

Gordon Brown sent a message to homeowners through the announcement of a stamp duty exemption for carbon-neutral houses; it is now time for him to do the same for businesses, Mr Jun Tai concluded.

Earlier this month, head of PC building company Dell told the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that IT should take the lead in environmental issues.

Do you agree that a cut in corporation tax goes far enough? Are there any other incentives that you'd also like to see implemented? Post your comments.

IT for Profit

There’s no doubt in my mind that the most profitable companies are always those that make the very best use of modern IT.

However, this comment always seems to create debate. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Cynics are always keen to point out that it is only the most profitable companies that can actually afford to make the best use of modern IT.

"UK software groups face takeover" article - Accountancy Age

How intriguing to read the article in Accountancy Age, “UK Software groups face takeover” (4th Jan, Page 3). It was a real reminder of the year 2000 when the infamous IT ‘slowdown’ started to tighten its grip and when the pace of consolidation in the UK accounting software market really picked up.

Environmental Accounting Issues Outlined

The accountancy profession has to recognise the time has come for a shift in attitudes towards the environment, an expert has claimed.

Accusations of complicity in the failure of markets to combat the problems posed by climate change and other factors have meant accountants need to confront the problems of the environment, according to Roger Adams from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (Acca).

Writing in Accountancy Age, the executive director noted that the profession must make its contribution to tackling climate change through its work on the Prince of Wales's Accounting for Sustainability (Acc4S) project.

"The Acc4S initiative has a projected life of about one year and lifted off on a groundswell of goodwill," said Mr Adams.

He added: "The profession has a lot to contribute but must be ready to acknowledge that, belatedly in Stern's view, the time for a major paradigm shift may have arrived."

Represented on the steering group alongside Acca are the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

In other recent news at Acca, the body recently signed a mutual recognition agreement with its counterpart in Canada.

Is this initiative too little too late? As part of the accountancy profession, are you already being proactive in 'doing your bit' for the environment? Could the industry as a whole be doing more? Let us have your comments.