What's big on your list for Feb & Mar this year?

What's big on your list for Feb & Mar this year?

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I've got a few VAT returns to nail down this week and some general catching up but after that i've probably got 4 free ish weeks before April where I plan to:

  1. Update the website
  2. Do a small amount of marketing
  3. Client meetings/training
  4. Build 2-3 strategic partnerships (IFA, finance provider etc - value added services if you like)
  5. Decide on and implement a new Practice Management solution
  6. Write some new procedures
  7. General database/IT housekeeping (tidy sh*t up!)
  8. Clean my office!!!

Added:

  1. PITA / disengage / clean up agent list with HMRC
  2. Auto enrolment - time to do some reading!

Practice Management is by far the most important thing and will probably play a key role in items 6 & 7 too.

What's everybody else got on their to-do list before things kick-off properly again?

Replies (12)

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
02nd Feb 2015 15:25

Informing clients they are not.....clients

At long last I'm moving into the twilight zone of semi-retirement and moving about half my clients onto other practices I know, or just casting them adrift.

I can't tell you what a relief it is but some things don't change and so I too will be concentrating on cleaning the home/office and a storage unit with clients files going back donkeys, all of which can be recyled.

Life starts here!

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By andy.partridge
02nd Feb 2015 15:49

Holiday

Annual February holiday. Country cottage for walks and lots of reading.

Oh, nearly forgot. New website.

Oh (again), start the ball rolling to sell a property by auction.

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By Maslins
02nd Feb 2015 15:49

Most of our clients are Ltd Cos, so there's still plenty of year end accounts/CT returns to be done over next few months.

Annual thing we'll do over next couple of months - discuss dividend situation with all clients, see where they're at so far with respect to tax thresholds.  Should they be rushing through a bit more before the tax year end, or possibly holding off if they can until after.

More specifically to this year, I'm actually going to move to a standing desk...having got said desk ~3 months ago and had it lying next to my (sitting) desk all that time without me moving.

Then going to review the computers in detail, see what upgrades would really benefit the troops.  Think might go exclusively SSD hard drives, as capacities are comfortably enough to store all our accounting files without the need to go uber expensive.

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
02nd Feb 2015 18:03

.

1. Do all the stuff I haven't done this past 6-8 weeks.  Thats 3 xero instals, couple new clients I have taken on need accounts sharpish and general company accounts from December year ends * lots and deal with a tricky management buy out which is a bit out of my comfort zone but I should have time for in Feb. 

2. Think about how to best communicate the pension stuff to clients, in particular the director only ones and how to best duck the whole thing.

3. Staff review and targets. One have one, but needs to be done properly. 

4. We started on Friday cleaning up our client lists with HMRC and my assistant needs to get that done and the paper filing needs moving over and sorting out. 

5. Be nice if my website didn't still have my old address on it in places (moved 3 months ago!)

6. Be nice if my website wasn't written 8 years ago.  But that one has been on the list for at least 4 years. This might be the year, but it probably wont, the work is coming in. 

I upgraded the office computers over Christmas as one of the machines was failing to boot reliably and didn't want it pegging out on the 30th Jan, so I have at least got one thing done and new shiny machines are under the desk. 

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Red Leader
By Red Leader
02nd Feb 2015 19:07

Holiday

Two weeks hols coming up soon.

Housekeeping got done in the Xmas break - got a shredding company to pick up 100 old files. Very cathartic.

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Logo
By marks
03rd Feb 2015 01:02

things to do

On my to do list

1. Trial IRIS/Digita/Logical Office/MB Practice Manager and see if should stick with Taxcalc and standalone PM system or go fully integrated with something like IRIS

2. Trial document management system such as Virtual Office

3. Look into get some disclosure checklist software for Ltd Companies

4. Learn how to use Kashflow and Freeagent.  Currently got about 40 clients on Xero but would be good to give clients an option of the 3 depending on which suited them best.

5. Get registered for VAT as went over the VAT threshold last month for the first time based on invoices issued.

6. Get the 20 odd new clients obtained in the last 2 or 3 months engagement letters done.

7. Disengage for the clients who we never did any tax returns for.

8. Update my template engagement letters and issue to all clients.

9. Go to some networking meetings

10. Go to the gym

11. Try to work only 6 days a week rather than the 7 have been working for the last couple of months.

12. Look at ICAS practice monitoring review which I had at the start of January and see what things I should be looking at implementing.

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ghm
By TaxTeddy
03rd Feb 2015 08:09

Time with the family

The business can take a rest. Time for the important stuff I have been deferring.

My wife (also business partner) and I will catch up on some nice lunches and quality time. My son and I will have a day out in Denmark Street as he is looking to upgrade his bass guitar. And I will find time to head up to Villa Park to see villa lose.

Priceless.

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Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
03rd Feb 2015 09:04

Bit of a mix

Vat returns and a few bits and pieces this week.

Then back to the routine of ltd co accounts and CT600's.

New team member starting in a couple of weeks - will be with me P/T 1-2 days a week.

Outside of work:

1. Get the kitchen & living room floors tiled.

2. Get new kitchen fitted (not by me).

3. Wait for the land to dry out and start harrowing, rotovating, cutting.

4. Get the hedges cut back.

 

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Basset Hound
By Cuchulainn
03rd Feb 2015 09:52

Much the same for us....

1. Get a few VAT returns out of the way.

2. Transfer data to the Cloud.

3. Revamp our website by adding some testimonials kindly supplied by clients.

4. Get to the bottom of doing effective and cost-efficient SEO.

5. Master the beast they call Google Adwords.

5. Clean the office and repatriate client records.

6. Take advantage of the lull to find more time to take the dogs on long walks.

7. Network, network, network!!

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Image is of a pin up style woman in a red dress with some of her skirt caught in the filing cabinet. She looks surprised.
By Monsoon
03rd Feb 2015 10:10

I'm in training up my new accountant, as my other accountant's last day was last week <sadface.jpg>

Thankfully everyone here doesn't mind having a 10-month old crawling all over the place and waving and grinning at everyone. Thankfully said 10 month old tolerates coming to mummy's work quite well! 

I have a ltd co to form, a load of stuff to tidy up, some IT issues to iron out, and I'm going to contact lots of clients and get them to collect their records and clear up my shelves a bit! 

I shall also drink a lot of tea.

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By kdbr
03rd Feb 2015 12:25

In no particular order

There's a month's filing to be done

Valuable cycling time, (after fixing puncture) should the temperature soar into the +ve

Clear out and store old files

Create space for said storage

Look towards 2015, firstly with tax return software, and the seemingly annual review of what's best; and then online training facilities.

Slowly wind down, and relax.

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By Howard Marks
03rd Feb 2015 12:16

List updated!

Just added the following to my list:

 

PITA / disengage / clean up agent list with HMRC

Auto enrolment - time to do some reading!

 

All the personal things I already do.  No matter how bloody hard I work, time with the wife and kids is second to none.  If I need the extra hours I do it when they're asleep, not during time I should be spending with them.  A holiday would indeed be nice but we'll hold off till the summer most likely.

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