Keeping it Simple

Customer Reviews

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 Highly Recommended
Yinka, 29/08/2018
This book is aimed at the first time business owner and is written in simple English. The layout is easy on the eye making it an easy and enjoyable read. It gives plenty of examples and case studies to explain each point and is full of tips and how to implement them.

My favourite section has to be Section 8 because Cash is King and no matter how profitable a business is, it will fail if it does not have cash. That section alone is worth the price of the book. It is also up to date touching on issues like making tax digital and selecting and using cloud accounting software.

One criticism is that the VAT sections should be grouped together so section 2, 6 and 7 should be consecutive, which in my opinion will make the book flow better but overall, highly recommended.

 Strongly recommended!
Angus, 26/08/2018
This is a very good book that sets out complicated topics in a nice and easy way to understand. I run a small company and thought I was across all the different options. This book allowed me to leverage on further opportunities.

 Very approachable and practical small business accounting
DF, 29/10/2016
This book is essential reading for anybody running a small business as either a sole trader or limited company. As you may guess from the title, the book has been comprehensively updated to reflect HMRC changes in 2016/17.

It is very well written in an engaging style that makes a potentially very dry topic eminently readable and hard to put the book down.

To be honest, even without the tax year relevance this book is a superb guide for anyone starting out book keeping and accounting for a business. It makes copious use of examples and they are not your typical 'lemonade seller' stereotypes that these types of books are too frequently littered with. Retail businesses and service business (big bonus) are well catered for in detailed examples.

Pros and cons of different accounting models are covered as well as practical suggestions on which software to use without blatantly promoting anything in particular. If anything the author has a healthy disdain for big ticket accounting packages for the small business owner and most of the examples are worked through in Excel style spreadsheets.

There is a large and in depth section handling VAT, including some important guidance on when to register and how to select the most advantageous time frame.

In later chapters, the book ventures into some more in depth topics such as taking on employees although as you might expect it is thin in detail in these areas and correctly advises that it is time to involve accountants.

Overall a superb book for anyone running a small business in the UK. In fact so good I'm going to read again and make notes this time!

 Good Purchase
fireka, 11/11/2015
Very useful book.

 Brilliant book and does what it says
Nicky B, 26/04/2015
Brilliant book and does what it says, keeps it simple. Having recently taken over all the accounts work I wanted a book I could cross reference from what I have been shown to do and be able to look up anything I'm not sure of and this book has managed to do it all. Nice sized text and diagrams, with small sized sections which doesn't make the book difficult to read and follow and easy to dip in and out of. Highly recommend.

 Great little guide
D. A. Bowman, 17/03/2014
A simple, practical handbook that will help you to organise your finances, and keep it all under control for the tax man and the accountant.

 Really good
Sunny_S, 20/02/2014
Actually a must have for those who are starting a business / self employment / limited company. Essential I would say. Very happy with this.

 Does what it says
M A Cookson, 20/09/2013
I am starting my own businees and so was looking for a introductory book that would provide some useful tips and guidelines so I can make the right decisions about VAT registering etc. This book did just that. It's perhaps a little too lightweight in places, but a very useful starting point.

 A really useful guide to bookkeeping and tax
JPearce, 27/09/2012
Very clear guide to small business bookkeeping. Excellent chapters on how to save VAT and improve your cashflow. Layed out in logical, easy to follow chapters. Very useful for quick reference.