Bookkeeping and VAT
Every receipt, invoice and bank line reconciled weekly, and VAT returns filed through Making Tax Digital on time.
Bookkeeping · fractional CFO · Manchester
Clean books and clear cash, every month
We keep the books for creative studios and agencies, close them by working day 5 and send one page with a clear monthly cash picture.
Fixed fees from £450 a month, never billed by the hour.
Day 5
Books closed by working day 5
Software we work in
Your stack, set up properly and kept tidy
Already on Xero or QuickBooks? We work in yours. Starting fresh? We set it up in a week.
Xero
Ledger and VAT returns
QuickBooks
Ledger, if you're on it
Dext
Receipts and supplier bills
Harvest
Project time and unbilled work
Float
13-week cash forecasts
Pleo
Team cards and expenses
What we do
Three ways we look after a studio's numbers
Payroll and freelancers
Staff payroll, pensions and freelancer invoices paid on one run, so nobody chases you for a day rate.
Fractional CFO
Half a day a month with a finance lead: cash forecasts, margin by project and a plan for your next hire.
Month-end in 5 days
Your books, closed by working day 5
- Day 1
Bank feeds matched
Last month reconciled, with your questions sent in one message, not twelve.
- Day 2
Bills and receipts in
Dext pulls supplier bills and we chase the missing receipts for you.
- Day 3
Time and unbilled work
Harvest hours checked against invoices, so unbilled work shows before it slips.
- Day 4
Payroll and VAT set aside
Wages, pensions and VAT accrued, so the bank balance tells the truth.
- Day 5
Cash report sent
One page in your inbox, and a 30-minute call if you want one.
Monthly cash report
One page that shows the cash you really have
A one-page cash report every month, not a 40-tab spreadsheet. It reads in two minutes and answers the question founders actually ask: can we afford it?
Runway in months
How long the cash lasts if no new work lands.
Unbilled work flagged
Hours logged but not yet invoiced, by client.
September report
Sample studioCash in bank
£84,200 +£18.4k
AprMayJunJulAugSep
Runway7.2 months
Unbilled work£21,600
VAT due 7 Nov£9,850
Client stories
What changed for two Manchester studios
Sample stories: swap in your own clients and their numbers.
Halftone StudioA design studio that stopped guessing at payday
Weekly reconciliation and a 13-week forecast replaced a shoebox of receipts and a nervous last Friday.
11 days
Faster month-end, from day 16 to day 5
Millpond AgencyAn agency that priced its retainers for profit
Our CFO half-day split margin by client and found two retainers losing money; both were repriced within a quarter.
+9 pts
Gross margin in two quarters
Fixed-fee packages
A monthly fee that fits your team size
Weekly bookkeeping
VAT returns
PayrollUp to 8 staff
Cash report by day 5
13-week cash forecastAdd-on
Fractional CFONot included
Weekly bookkeeping
VAT returns
PayrollUp to 25 staff
Cash report by day 5
13-week cash forecast
Fractional CFOQuarterly review
Weekly bookkeeping
VAT returns
PayrollAny team size
Cash report by day 5
13-week cash forecast
Fractional CFOHalf a day a month
Client reviews
What studio founders say a year in
Sample reviews: replace with your clients' own words.
I used to open the bank app on a Sunday night and hope. Now the report lands on day 5 and we actually plan.
They found £14k of work we'd done and never invoiced in the first month. The fee paid for itself before Christmas.
Half a day a month with a CFO meant we priced our retainers properly for the first time in six years.
VAT, payroll and freelancers all handled, and one message a month with the questions instead of twelve.
FAQ
Questions studios ask before switching
Not sure which package fits? Send us a line and a partner replies the same day.
Email the teamHow do we switch from our current bookkeeper?
We handle the handover: we request your files, take over Xero access and tidy the last quarter, usually within two weeks.
Is there a long contract?
No. Fees are monthly on 30 days' notice, agreed in writing before we start.
Who will look after our books?
One named bookkeeper does your weekly work and month-end, with a senior accountant reviewing every close.
What does the cash report show?
Cash in bank, runway in months, unbilled work, money owed to you, and the VAT and payroll coming up, on one page.
Do you do year-end accounts and tax?
Yes. Year-end accounts and corporation tax are a fixed add-on, quoted with your monthly fee.
Fixed-fee quote
Tell us about your studio, get a fee in two days
- A look at your books and how far behind they are
- The package that fits your team size
- One monthly fee in writing, no hourly extras