How do I hire an apprentice? Here’s our best tips for making it worth your while
Congratulations — business is going well. Almost too well! All those late nights and missed social events are finally paying off. Your client list is growing and your bank account is getting fatter, but you still can't find the right...
GDPR (general data protection regulation) how it will affect small business
Have you heard of GDPR? Many small businesses owners are still in the dark about the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You might have heard rumblings about it, but assumed that it’s not going to affect you, especially in...
Join the ICPA – Do the sums, it really adds up!
Accountants in Practice are unique. Who says so? The answer is accountants themselves which is why over 1,000 UK Accountants in practice have already joined the ICPA. Who are the ICPA? The ICPA (Institute of Chartered Practice Accountants) were...
Working on the business or in the business? It’s one big balancing act!
Many of us have gone into running our own business for all the freedom and creativity it brings to us. The 9 to 5 regime five days a week is over, we will never have to work for someone whom...
How to get your clients to pay you on time
It seems there are two types of people in the world: those who can't let an unpaid bill sit, and those who think the money isn't actually due until they have received a fourth payment reminder. At times, it can...
Product Updates Aug 2017
What’s gone live Each month, we make enhancements, improvements, and bug fixes to Clear Books. The following changes are available now. Payroll Bureau Improved the functionality of the checkboxes when selecting clients in Payroll Bureau for Partners Other improvements and...
Four tiny steps you can take during the year to make tax time easier for you and your accountant
Imagine ... it’s January. It's dull, we're all broke, we're all on diets or detox plans, and the party season is well and truly over. The weather is probably miserable and summer holidays are too far away to think about....
Why your accounting practice should start a blog
The marketing world loves a buzzword, or a hot new strategy that every small business simply MUST employ. For a while now, the marketers have been waxing lyrical about 'content marketing' and more specifically the value of blogging. So is...
How becoming a certified Clear Books partner can help both your practice and your clients
You may already know that we offer our SME clients everything from accounting and payroll software to onsite training, but did you know that we are also a firm favourite with accountants? We're built by accountants, for accountants, who love...
How to Pitch Making Tax Digital to Your Clients
The Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative is coming — and it has many small business owners feeling like they want to head for the hills. The lack of concrete information on MTD has led to a lot of confusion and...
New Product: Making Tax Digital? Clear Books has got you covered
Today we are announcing two new products to help small businesses meet the requirements of Making Tax Digital: Clear Books Practice Edition for accountants; and Clear Books Micro for small businesses Tax today Making Tax Digital (MTD) is looming on...
What Are the Implications of Making Tax Digital for Small Businesses?
Whether you’re new to the conversation surrounding the government’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative or you’ve been following it from the beginning, chances are that you have some questions. If so, you’re certainly not alone — the uncertainty around the...
MTD is being delayed – Why?
The government has announced that the full implementation of Making Tax Digital will be delayed by 'at least' two years (until 2020), although quarterly VAT reporting using digital systems will be mandatory from 2019. The original timetable for the rollout...
Clear Books to sponsor the ICPA Practice Evolution Conference – Manchester
We are delighted to announce that Clear Books are sponsoring the upcoming ICPA Practice Evolution Conference taking place on 21 September 2017 at the Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Manchester. As a Clearbooks contact you are eligible to...
Accounting event hamper winners…
We have attended a number of accounting events over the past month, including: AAT conference Bookkeepers Alliance conference We would like to thank everyone who came to our stand at each event to discuss all things accounting and tax. Clear...
Product Updates – June 2017
What’s gone live Each month, we make enhancements, improvements, and bug fixes to Clear Books. The following changes are available now. VAT: Fixed asset management on VAT flat rate scheme Adds a feature that supports customers using the VAT Flat...
What “Real Time Tax” Is and What That Means for Your Business
The government’s new Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative has got the small business world in a lather as people try to figure out what it means for their businesses, when it might happen, and whether or not it’s going to...
Are your clients ready for MTD? Most UK businesses aren’t…
Making Tax Digital (MTD) is set to roll out in the UK sometime in the next few years, but a recent study from the UK200Group found that 65% of their members aren’t ready for it. While the UK small business world...
Product Updates April / May 2017
What’s in preview We are constantly improving Clear Books, and often make new features and improvements available in Preview, which allows you to get early access and to share your feedback. Better sales invoice creation We have streamlined how you...
Clear Books Events
We are attending a number of accounting events and conferences in the coming months. Please see the upcoming Clear Books events calendar. Event NameDate Accountex10th / 11th May 2017 AAT Annual Conference - Inv received8th / 9th June 2017...
Clear Books at Accountex 2017
Clear Books will be attending Accountex 2017 this week. It presents a great opportunity for us to catch up with our partners (old and new) face to face. We will be attending the event on both days (10th and 11th May...
How to Comply with Data Protection as a Small Business
No one would argue that data protection is important — the Yahoo breaches, among many others, show just how serious the consequences can be for a business. But when it comes down to it, it can seem like data protection...
The Freedom of Freelancing with Clear Books
When I set up Equation Accounting ten years ago, I never imagined I would have the power to run and grow my businesses whilst enjoying the freelance lifestyle. The concept was a just a fanciful pipe dream. Back then, the...
7 Reasons to Write a Company Newsletter — And How to Start
Let’s be honest. When most people think of a company newsletter, they think of one more thing to delete from their inbox. And the way many company newsletters are written — dry summaries of things no one really cares about...
Clear Books – As Heard on Radio!
We are pleased to announce Clear Books has started a round of radio advertising to raise our profile in the UK! You can hear our radio ad via the media player below. https://www.clearbooks.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Clear-Books-40s-Radio-v2.mp3 Read More
6 Ways to Motivate Your Team (Without Shouting)
Has this ever happened to you? You spend a lot of time and energy hiring great people for your company, only to find out that a few months, or even years later, they seem to have lost their spark. No...
March 2017 Product Updates
What’s in preview Payroll Adds a new report for non monthly payrolls or mixed payrolls to provide a breakdown of the monthly amount owed to HMRC similar to the old P32. Amount owed to HMRC is hyperlinked to provide a...
How to Use Social Media to Market Your Small Business
We’ve worked with a lot of small business owners over the years, and we’ve found that they tend to fall into two camps: those who love social media and can’t imagine running their businesses without it, and those who just...
How Do Accountants Use Spreadsheets (And What You Should Be Using Instead)
Some things just naturally seem to go together: peanut butter and jelly, night and day, and of course, accountants and spreadsheets. The second you picture an accountant, chances are you think of them crunching numbers in a complicated Excel document....
We Have a Brand New Video!
We're pleased to announce that we have released a brand new animated video. Our mission has always been to deliver clear & simple accounting software to empower small businesses to get on with what they do best. This new video highlights...