Ask the Accountant – How quickly will I get a response?

A: No one likes waiting 3 weeks to get an answer from their accountant – we realised this when we sat down and curated our list of ‘what is wrong within the accounting industry’, prior to setting up C Allan & Son. So, we have written into our key performance indicators that all staff should aim to respond to emails within 72 hours.

Of course for technical questions or liaising with outside agencies such as HMRC or Companies House, things may take a little longer to investigate, therefore this should be highlighted to the client, with a realistic time frame specified.

We answer the telephone if we are present in the office – which is from 9.30am to 5 pm, with an hour for lunch (normally between 12 noon and 1 pm; however, this does vary). We do not employ a virtual office assistant to answer our calls, as we feel this is impersonal. Most of our clients tend to email, and this is our preferred method of contact because it creates a natural paper trail and a record of agreed work and timescales.

Initially, clients should email info@caas.org for any enquiries. Thereafter they will be allocated to a member of staff, who will provide their own work email address for correspondence.

We guarantee that you will always receive a response from C Allan & Son!

Fun Fact Friday from C Allan & Son Accountancy – Hallowe’en

All about Hallowe’en and spooky things (woo-haa-haa-haa)

1. The word ‘witch’ comes from the Old English wicce, meaning ‘wise woman’. Wiccan were highly respected at one time. Some say that witches held one of their two main meetings, or sabbats, on Halloween night.

2. The Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain evolved in to trick or treating. Samhain was a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year.

3. The Christian church, in their beid to convert Pagans, decided that Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) should assimilate sacred pagan holidays that fell on or around October 31.

4. Halloween is short for ‘Hallows’ Eve’, which was the evening before All Hallows’ (sanctified or holy) Day or Hallowmas on November 1.

5. The colours typically associated with Halloween are not coincidental – orange is a symbol of strength and endurance and relates to the harvest and autumn. Black is typically a symbol of death and reminds us that Halloween was once a festival marking those who had passed from life to death.

5. During the pre-Halloween celebration of Samhain, bonfires were lit to ensure the sun would return after the long, hard winter. Druid priests would throw the bones of cattle into the flames – ‘bone fire’ became the ‘bonfire’ we know today.

To allow us to work our magic on your scary tax bill, get in touch via info@caas.org.uk or call the office on 0141 816 9750.

We’re dying to hear from you (sorry).

Reference: Thompson, Sue Elled, ed. Holiday Symbols and Customs. 3rd Edition. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, Inc, 2003.

Ask the Accountant – Can You Provide References?

Q: Can you provide references?

A: Yes, absolutely. Our testimonials are our references, and they are available to view on our website and our business Facebook page.

As with every other professional you employ to carry out work on your behalf, if the accountant doesn’t have references then you should steer clear.

Ideally, you should hear from similar companies to your own – this means the accountant will have experience in your field of business and knows the challenges you face.

The references should concentrate on professionalism, client contact and timeliness of work.

You do not want to have to wait 3 weeks for an answer to your finance questions, nor do you want to be met with resistance when you contact the practice enquiring to talk with someone.

Timeliness of work is important because you want to ensure that all deadlines your company must meet are adhered to – it’s you who gets the fine, not the accountant!

If an accounting firm can’t or won’t provide references, we advise you to keep searching for one who can.

Ask the Accountant! – Fees.

Q: “How do you calculate your fees?”

A: “We offer fixed-fee, pay monthly packages for Sole Traders and Limited Companies.

These fees are based upon the volume and type of work we will undertake for your business.

Details of the cost of these packages and what’s included and optional add ons are on our website.

If a client’s business doesn’t fall within the specified categories then we will tailor a quote based upon what they need us to do for them.

We don’t hide the price of any services we offer, as it is such an important factor when potential clients are making a decision on who to appoint”.

ROCCOs Nomination

We are ecstatic to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Outstanding Business <5 Staff award sponsored by Intu Braehead, at this years Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce awards.

We are up against some tough competition with Aillum Ltd and FE Live Audio Ltd in the same category – congratulations on being shortlisted to both businesses!

We’d like to wish every business up for an award the best of luck and we will see you on the night of the 16th of November!

Celebrating in Paisley

It’s one year since we became an accredited Living Wage employer, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Even though we are a small firm based in Paisley, we knew we were committed to employing people under fair and responsible working terms.

The influence behind us starting the firm was to allow our family a better quality of life, therefore it was only right that we extend that privilege to our staff.

The Living Wage is a voluntary charter that employers sign up to. The current rate of pay is £8.75; with a review (and probable increase) every 12 months.

Paying the Living Wage has shown to increase staff productivity, loyalty and general well being. We feel that this positivity is then passed on to our clients and this was important for us too.

It’s a win-win for everyone!

‘Ask the Accountant’ – Why Should I Hire You?

Q: “Why should I hire you as my accountant”?

A: “You want an accountant that will go the extra mile for you and your business.

A firm that has plenty of experience, across a number of sectors. One that also keeps their finger on the pulse of what is happening in your sector.

A firm that is approachable, professional and proactive should be on your list.

We believe that if we work with our clients, then the working relationship will benefit both parties.

You accountant should be able to help you make sense of the numbers, not just churn them out for you. A good set of accounts and accounting systems can mean the difference between a company flourishing and closing down.

We know that we offer our clients the best customer service there is. We are genuinely interested in each of our clients and take pride in knowing your business inside, out.

Don’t take our word for it though!

Check out our testimonials page to find out what our clients think about us”.

https://caas.org.uk/testimonials/

Extra! Extra! Read All About It

We’re in the Paisley Daily Express.

Talking all things business, Paisley and our hopes for the future.

As if by cosmic intervention, we’re featured beside Gary Ennis, of NS Design; who we will be forever grateful to for his help with our website. To read all about that, look at our earlier blog posts.

Don’t worry, we haven’t let all this fame go to our heads – we still put our socks on, one foot at a time and won’t be leaving the accountancy scene any time soon!

‘Ask the Accountant’ – Tax

Q: “What steps will you take to prepare me for tax season?”

A: “We work with our clients throughout the year, to avoid a year-end rush.

There’s no reason that year-end needs to be stressful, especially if we’ve been preparing your accounts over the last 12 months.

This is beneficial for both parties – it means you know what you owe in tax well before submission and it means we can advise you proactively, rather than reactively.

We believe it’s better to work in real time, rather than always looking back”.

Being Environmentally Aware – Doing Our Bit

We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint, both personally and in our business.

We are a paperless office, we recycle what we can and we get our electricity (and gas, at home) from Bulb, who use renewables.

We cycled to work when the weather permits – Paisley is lucky to have fantastic cycle routes running through it and it is much quicker than walking or driving (due to traffic, lights and the one-way system).

You’ll see featured in our photograph our electric vehicle charging point. Purchased with a grant from The Scottish Government, who are also trying to reduce pollution and invest in renewable energy.

We currently have a BMW i3, which is easily the best car we have ever had. It is a work of art; true when we first got it, it was strange to look at, but it’s grown on us. It’s so easy to drive, a pleasure actually. Plus, it is fully electric, so whenever we hop behind the wheel there is no longer that horrible guilty feeling about the impact we have on the environment. In addition to the great driving experience and the environmental plusses, we have saved a fortune! Our journeys are mostly comprised of short ones, so we were using a ridiculous amount of fuel. One charge of the i3 (which takes around 4 hours on a home charger) gives around 100 miles (or 120 in hot weather – this summer was amazing), perfect for most people.

We’re always open to suggestions on how we can become more green – if you have any ideas, please let us know!