It is said that it takes 21 days to form a habit, I think this is true. 

One of the biggest benefits for me is being proactive and setting out the requirements beforehand; I can avoid that ‘I will do it tomorrow’ tactic by making sure all my gear is ready the night before thus removing one of the excuses of not being able to find socks!

I enjoy running early in the morning to start the day positively and it means I start planning the day while I am exercising. 

On one of my recent runs I started thinking of the similarities between running and personal budgeting. Some of my thoughts were

Start small 

• I did not start running 5k + from the beginning - I started with #couchto5k and gradually worked up.  
• Budget (saving) - start small, maybe just a few pounds a month, yet over time it will become a habit and you can increase.

Tracking

• Every run or exercise I complete is logged on #Strava. This gives me a neat record (with a few charts) of the progress I have made and also how I am tracking against my challenges. I set myself a goal of 25km a week and 1000km in 2021.
• A simple book or online record of money saved or not spent (!) each week will serve the same purpose for finances.

Feelgood

• Even with the best laid plans, it is sometimes hard to get out in the morning, however I know that when I get back after running, I will feel good.
• Saving feels good at the end too - maybe Christmas saving, maybe self-assessment saving; either way a little and often really helps. Many of the new challenger banks allow you to set up virtual pots so you can allocate savings to these.

The key message here is by some simple planning and forethought, you can establish habits that will have benefits in the long run to your physical and financial health.

Feel free to contact us if you’d like to discuss anything further.

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Hard to believe that it's nearly Christmas again, where does the time go?

Another Christmas is quickly approaching and before we know it will be Jan 2020. With all the excitement of Christmas it's all too easy to forget the pending self assessment deadline.

I thought I would post an article to remind people of the deadline (31st Jan) and some helpful tips. It's only 60 days from today (1st Dec)

1. Get organised  - as someone said "a stitch in time..." - take time now to find p60, p45, bank statements etc.

2. Check login details - make sure you have a Government Gateway account and you know password. Do you know your Unique Tax Reference (UTR), takes a few days for a reminder.

3. Budget  - do you have an estimate of how much tax you will need to pay? Why not set aside some money from Nov and Dec salary to help cushion the blow.

If you have anything sorted that's good news. If not and you feel stressed by the thought of another tax return why not contact us - we can help you through the process. 

We are more than happy to be contacted by

text/call - 07598 435537
Email info@juderoseaccountancy.com

Website www.juderoseaccountancy.com

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​So the self assessment deadline has passed for another year. It will be interesting to see the official stats; to see how many people waited until the last day to submit and pay.
I always advise our clients to file sooner rather than later, especially when clients know they have a tax refund due. In my opinion HMRC have paid refunds quite quickly this year.

Few reasons to pay early:
1. To minimise the risk of issues with banking or IT systems. 
2. The feel good factor when you avoid the rush!
3. To make your accountant happy!!!

HMRC have mentioned in 'Making Tax Digital' that quarterly updates may be necessary which could prove to be a hurdle for many people, especially those who currently leave self assessment until the last day.

How was self assessment for you? 

If you want to plan ahead why not call us today and get ready for next year?

As the financial year draws to a close, we have been asking ourselves “what has Jude Rose Accountancy accomplished this year?”
 
2015/16 was our first full year of trading; we set up the business at the tail end of 14/15 and sat back, patted ourselves on the back after wiping our brow thinking we had done the hard work! WRONG! Setting up was the easy bit.
 
2015/16 has seen excitement, compliance, stress, compliance, anticipation and more compliance but above all – satisfaction! Satisfaction in having set up the business, satisfaction in designing the website, business cards and sourcing advertising space and satisfaction in seeing our Twitter followers increasing beyond our expectations.  And, if that wasn’t enough, we have clients!  Our clients have provided us with experience of business areas in which we had no previous experience but now, we feel quite knowledgeable; we have even remembered skills and areas of expertise that we had forgotten all about – not just within Finance but within Procurement too.  We have continued to achieve our goal of providing a professional service with top-notch customer service too, so that can’t be bad.
 
As this financial year draws to a close, we urge you to look back over the year and reflect on the positives within your business – what aims did you have a year ago? Have you achieved them? If not, what can you do to ensure 2016/17 is THE year for you?  Why don’t you write down your aims for 2016/17, put them in a sealed envelope and open it in a year from now – will you have achieved what you set out to achieve? This is what we’ll be doing because it’ll show us how we have grown and what we have learnt for the following year.
 
We are constantly looking forwards as well as remembering what we’ve learnt to ensure we provide the very best for our clients and thereby secure the future of our business.
 
Anyone for a New (tax) Year’s Eve party?!  Now that has to be a new annual celebration!! 
 
We wish you and your business every success in 2016/17. 

​So, you’ve just registered your company and you are desperate to get your new business venture off the ground.  You are excited; brimming with ideas of how and where you will find customers; know what products you are going to sell and where you can source them; you just know you can do this…but take a step back and read on to find out why it is essential to invest in a professional and experienced accountant before you go any further.
 
The cliché suggests that accountants are boring and when compared to a beautiful, tangible product that inspires you to sell it, yes – an accountant can seem the opposite end of the ‘excitable’ scale!  For many of our clients, it is not a case of wanting to appoint an accountant, more a case of having to. 
 
You may have one of two thoughts about your and accountancy requirements:
 

1. “I can manage; I am very organised and can keep my paperwork in order” or
2. “I am sure I can find an accountant easily; they advertise everywhere”.

 
STOP!  Don’t fall into the same trap as so many of our clients. 
 
Yes, we have super organised clients who fully intend to keep up together with their finances but as the business grows it’s nigh on impossible to remember what you spent, on what and why!  What happens when suppliers send invoices to you?  You need to pay these according to their terms and conditions – time does not stand still and allow you extra hours each day to sort your finances.  You really do not want to lose a supplier because you forgot to pay them on time.  Equally, how do you know you have been paid for goods you have sent if you have no time to check? 
 
Not all accountants are the same.  Not all accountants have the same sense of urgency as you might have regarding your business.  When do you want your accountant to be available to talk about your business? Do you want someone who works Monday to Friday, only answers emails and calls in office hours?  Or do you feel that you need someone on an ad-hoc basis for advice too?  Do you want business advice that can help your business grow or do you need someone who just manages your finances?  Do you have employees?  Do you know, as an employer, what your responsibilities are to your employees?  Do you envisage turning over enough to register to pay VAT?  Do you want to know more about the figures – cashflow or profit and loss?  Find an accountant who can give you the help and support you need and you will not look back.
 
 
It is far better for you and your business to have an accountant who has been there from the very start.  You can sleep at night knowing that all paperwork is being taken care of, that your tax return is being sorted and that your suppliers and customers are happy with you.  When it’s time to file your tax return, how will you remember what you spent 6 months ago?  Where is that important receipt for a large order - you know it is in a safe place, it’s just a question of locating it…meanwhile, the tax return deadline is fast approaching.  If you have passed the receipts to your accountant and they are managing finance software for you – it is easy.  No hassle.  The work is completed as you go along – no time wasting looking for receipts or invoices!  Of course if you are still employed at the same time as working on your new business, your tax return will be more complicated – can you afford the time to complete it?  Can you afford not to have an accountant?
 
The sensible option is to find an accountant who can support you from day one. Don’t waste precious time sorting out your finances when you could be spending it on generating business.  The aim is to grow your business and with the help of an accountant, your business can flourish.  

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​As the New Year starts, I have been reflecting on goals and targets for 2016, both business and personal. I try to set goals for the next 60 days, I find that is long enough to be worthwhile and short enough to be realistic.  I make lists too – just to make sure I remember everything!
 
A quick look at my ‘phone downloads reveals a variety of apps over the years to help with list making and goal setting - @trello and @evernote to name a couple. While these Apps are very good, I wonder sometimes if the process of typing thoughts into these apps is less useful that good ol’ fashioned pen and paper.
 
I am pleased that the pen and paper method doesn’t rely on chargers or Internet signal, which let me down on too many occasions to name!  So, for 2016, I have decided to go back to my old @filofax and with diary ordered, pen located I am going to use these along with @rydercarroll’s idea - #bulletjournal.
 
I am looking forward to flicking back through a few physical pages rather than searching through notes on my ‘phone or other electronic device only to find they’ve disappeared. 
 
When meeting clients, I find it more acceptable to write notes instead of typing onto a device.
 
So, am I just old fashioned or does anyone else think the way forward is pen and paper?! 
 
Feel free to drop me a line on what works for you and why.