Author: Michelle Allan

Client Showcase

It’s been a while since we had a client showcase, so why not restart the feature with an absolute beezer of an example of who we work for?

Allow us to introduce to you Aeble (Danish for apple, if you didn’t know) a speciality cider shop owned, and run; by Jaye and Grant Hutchison.

Think of this business as a speciality cider curator and purveyor, but also a community hub that appreciates and showcases art in a variety of forms – from stocking prints, cards and floral arrangements; to hosting pop up events for a number of different artists.

Aeble import and sell carefully selected cider from America, Europe, England and Scotland and Jaye or Grant can offer guidance on what cider would pair well with different meals. In addition, you’ll find a smaller selection of beers, wine, cocktails and the increasingly popular low/no alcohol options.

The shop can be found at 17 Rodger Street, Anstruther, KY10 3DU if you fancy a visit? If you can’t make it to the stunning East Neuk, Aeble can deliver, so you needn’t miss out.

If you catch the cider bug, handily Aeble offer a cider club subscription – delivered every 2 months, you’ll get the opportunity to try new ciders, without having to leave the house. Magic!

If you’d like to know more about this business, their pop up events or to simply show your support, visit Aeble Cider Shop on Facebook.

Do you own a similar business and would like to know more about how C Allan & Son could help you? Email info@caas.org.uk to arrange an appointment.

Slàinte!

** IMPORTANT **

We’ve been receiving several calls from rightly, irate people, who’ve had monies taken from their bank account.

When they Google the name of the company that’s on their bank statement and select the call now feature, they’re taken through to our office telephone.

We are in no way involved with this and are trying to rectify with Google (again) why we are receiving calls meant for another business.

We’ve had several calls over the past 3 years that have been meant for various different businesses, from car mechanics in Belfast to funeral directors in Shropshire.

Google have offered no assistance, however when you search this problem online, this is a known issue for many, many businesses throughout the world.

We are doing our best to resolve it and will keep you updated.

This is understandably frustrating for everyone involved.

Our advice, if you have had money taken from your bank account, is to call your bank as soon as possible in order for them to investigate on your behalf.

C Allan & Son Accountancy Services does not have the power/access to take money from any bank account.

Fun Fact Friday

Fun Fact Friday this week honours WorldBookDay

Here’s the low down on what you need to know about the event!

  1. The original Global World Book Day was started by UNESCO, to encourage reading, publishing and copyright (it’s celebrated on 23rd of April)
  2. UK World Book Day was moved to the first Thursday of April, to avoid clashing with Easter holidays in schools and learning centres
  3. UK World Book Day was first celebrated in 1998 and was launched by then Prime Minister, Tony Blair
  4. On World Book Day every child is given a £1 book token, to redeem against any book in any UK book store
  5. UK World Book Day has evolved and to mark the occasion, children can now either dress up as their favourite literary character or author or wear pyjamas to school (to cosy up and read in), amongst other things

    So, there you go. If you were flummoxed as to why you were seeing lots of children in fancy dress yesterday, now you know why.

    Here’s our effort of Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, written by Jeff Kinney.

    Happy Friday!

Fun Fact Friday

For FunFactFriday Friday this week, we’re donning our weather cap.


“Red sky in morning, shepherd’s warning. Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight”. So the saying goes, you can also substitute shepherd for sailor, depending on our locale/preference.


The saying can be traced all the way back to the bible in Matthew XVI: 2-3, “When in evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: For the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering.”
Is there any truth in the ancient verse?


When the sky is red at night it is because there are dust particles trapped in the atmosphere by high pressure. These particles camouflage the blue light in the sky, leaving only the red light to become dominant and show through.
A red sky at sunset means high pressure is moving in from the West, so therefore the next day will usually be dry and pleasant.


When the sky is red at sunrise, the colour is caused by light from the clear skies over the horizon to the East illuminating the underneath of moisture-laden clouds. The saying assumes that more of these clouds are coming in from the West.


There are of course exceptions to this rhyme, however as a general rule for an idea of the coming days weather, it would certainly be an idea to pay attention to the colour of the sky.


If skies are grey with your current accountant, we may be able to help with brightening the horizon.


We are accepting a very limited number of new clients at the moment. Initial appointments are currently being scheduled for mid-March and beyond.


We’re taking our time accepting new work, to allow our new members of staff to gain the knowledge and enhance the skills they already have, to provide the best customer service experience.


We know this may be frustrating if you’re looking to sign up with us, however this approach will help us all in the long term. Thanks for your patience.

All enquiries can be sent to info@caas.org.uk

Fun Fact Friday

…things you may want to know about the Isle of Arran, the place we inadvertently spent more time than we anticipated, thanks to the wonderful Scottish weather and covid.

  1. The island is the 7th largest in Scotland, occupying an area of 167 sqm
  2. Arran has a constant population of around 5000 people – this swells during the summer months, as people visit the island to holiday
  3. People have lived there since the early Neolithic period and remnants of their existence can be seen throughout the island – from the Standing Stones to stone circles and cairns
  4. Arran is often referred to as Scotland in miniature due to its dramatic Highland landscape on one side and lush green lowland on the other. This is caused by the Highland Boundary Fault that runs right through the middle
    Did you know? Regardless of where you live in the world (not just Scotland), we can assist you with your accountancy matters.

    We use Quickbooks and other cloud based accounting software, so you needn’t feel stranded or struggle in unfamiliar territory.
    We are still accepting a very limited number of new clients – to find out if we can help you, send an email to info@caas.org.uk and we’ll be in touch.

    Have a great extended bank holiday weekend. Slainte!

Ask the Accountant

“Q. I’m self employed with low profits, should I pay Class 2 National Insurance (NI)?

A. Whilst it may seem tempting not to pay NI due to your low profits, we would always recommend paying your Class 2 contributions.

If you don’t pay Class 2 contributions, you may end up with gaps in your NI record.

Other reasons as to why you may have gaps in your record include:

– you were employed but had low earnings- you were unemployed and were not claiming benefits

– you were living or working outside the UK

Gaps in your NI record can mean you will not have enough years of National Insurance contributions to either:

– get the full State Pension (sometimes called ‘qualifying years’)

– qualify for some benefits

You can either call HMRC or register with their service online to check your contributions as they stand today.

Alternatively, if you’re a current client, you can contact us to check on your behalf”.

Ask the Accountant

Q. “What is accounting?”

A. “This is an excellent question and we’re surprised we’ve not been asked before now!

According to Business Dictionary, Accounting is ‘…the systematic process of identifying, recording, measuring, classifying, verifying, summarising, interpreting and communicating financial information’. Or in summary, it’s the process or work involved in keeping financial records of a person, business, or organisation.

Accounting allows for the analysis of past financial performance and prediction of future monetary challenges/stability. This is achieved by examining results relating to profits, losses, productivity, sales trends and costs.

Accounting matters, as it documents how well your business or organisation is doing or to prove how much tax you should pay. HMRC, banks, credit lenders and investors will all require this accounting information.

Without accounting, it would be almost impossible for businesses to make short-term, and especially, long-term decisions. Excuse us whilst we don our superhero suits!

Thanks for the question. Come back next Tuesday for the next instalment of Ask the Accountant @ CAAS”

Service Announcement

Hello!

A service announcement from us, for you.

Due to our continued search for an Assistant Accountant, we’ve had to devise a more efficient way of working.

From now and until we have the new staff member in place:


1. We’ll be running administration only days on a Monday and Thursday. During these days we’ll answer emails, telephone enquiries and register clients on our various systems.

2. Our appointments are currently running two weeks in advance, please bear this in mind when looking to arrange to speak to one of the team. We’re only able to accommodate 2 appointments per week, at this time.

3. Chris’ mobile number will operate from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. We’d ask that this is only used for urgent matters. A large proportion of Chris’ day is spent on the phone and he’ll normally ask you to confirm in an email what work you wish carried out or what advice you require, so it would be preferable to email in the first instance.
This would ensure that Chris has time to get through work and provide in depth staff training.

4. We will no longer be using WhatsApp or text messaging as a means of communication. We’ve found that these aren’t efficient tools for running the business professionally.

We’ve started seeing some clients face to face, and are happy to continue doing so if face coverings are worn throughout the meeting. Alternatively, we are offering video calls or good ol’ fashioned telephone appointments!

We’ll be continually monitoring how we do things, to try and ensure we continue to offer a professional service throughout these difficult times.

Thanks, as always, for your continued support.

Chris, Michelle and the team