Anyone else struggling with all the nitty gritty?

Cannot get any proper work done

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Anyone else feel overwhelmed by all the nitty gritty we are now dealing with? I thought I was busy before all this began but now it all feels like disorganised shambles of random time consuming stuff - client outreach, cash flows, now furlough flood gates about to open. Just all of it. Making sure clients cancel their vat dds etc etc. I've hardly rised a bill in weeks. Oh and then chasing debtors to protect our own cash flows on top of it all. Help I feel like running away.

And that's with four kids at home and three staff working remotely doing goodness knows what.

 

Replies (15)

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By Graham26
16th Apr 2020 14:00

I totally understand you frustrations, and am feeling rather the same

Thanks (1)
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By Southwestbeancounter
16th Apr 2020 14:04

Yes it's a nightmare to be honest!

I'm trying to pull back a bit as I have just been too 'available' for clients and friends/acquaintances alike and it feels like I am constantly being pecked by a little bird with a sharp beak - they all want a piece of me and want their own tax/wages position sorted out regardless of what time of day it might be and by what medium they decide to contact me. I have dispensed with most sources of social media for the time being too as it is just not healthy.

I was spending around 5 hours a day researching all the changes and watching online webinars etc a week or so back, let alone relaying all that to the various clients concerned. The ones making most noise were the D-listers as usual - the A list clients just know that we're overwhelmed at the moment and that we will get to them in time as they know we always have their best interests at heart. The irony of it all!

So yes I agree, as another colleague put it, it's like January all over again but with much less earning potential and even less money received as when you do manage to get an invoice out, clients aren't paying!

Good luck everyone and in the words of Captain Tom Moore - #TomorrowWillBeAGoodDay

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
16th Apr 2020 14:20

Ive done more hours in the past month than I can ever remember doing, and I think we have been as pro-active and organised on all the key issues as its been possible to be, including broadcasting tightly written and targeted mailers to key groups of client to "pre-screen" prior to contacting, maintaining a small webpage on my site with key questions and asking clients to not ask anything unless urgent and not on the site, and generally starting early and finishing late.

I am supposed to be on holiday this week for 4 of my 15 days holiday a year I normally have, and instead just took off the bank holiday weekend - and even then I worked about 2 hours a day.

I am getting some production line work done but its slow and not helped by people sat at home bored wanting everything right away.

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By murphy1
16th Apr 2020 14:39

Yes, I'm exactly the same. Feeling exhausted, empty and working very very hard, and as you say, not able to fee it out.

I've put my foot down though now with Furlough grants claims, explaining to clients that we have spent almost three weeks working on things, and expect the grant claims will wipe out most of next week, at the very least, and we will have to charge.

We too tried to have a break over the Easter weekend, but some clients thought it was acceptable to call my mobile each day ( not the same clients). I also had to reply to emails, else I would have spent three first few hours of Tuesday morning simply replying to those.

We also let a new staff member go a few weeks ago, as they weren't able to do the work, and don't want to bring someone else in to have to let them go in a few months, when clients start dropping like flies

Pass the wine...oh wait, it only 2.35pm on a Thursday.

Thanks (1)
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By killer33
16th Apr 2020 15:10

I feel your pain.

My anxiety levels have increased which is disrupting my sleep which isn't helping.

But the daily Boris bike ride and a bit of charitable giving lifts the spirits.

Thanks (1)
Caroline
By accountantccole
16th Apr 2020 15:28

Struggling to get into any big jobs as urgent things keep coming in.
No idea where the time goes timesheetwise

All the handholding and advice, I am feeling like a valued expert again, so silver linings

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By imbs
16th Apr 2020 16:44

Thanks everyone for your replies and I feel great comfort now with the camaraderie here. Was feeling anxious, tired, undernourished, overworked, stressed about ongoing deadlines - vat, payroll year ends, late adjustments for self employed people for next week, month end filing, hoping my staff were doing things correctly and not leaving me more mess to clean up.
But sounds like we are all the same!
Thanks everyone.

Thanks (3)
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By Calculatorboy
16th Apr 2020 22:43

Yep...everything is fragmented and bitty..before you know it the day has ended and you can't remember where the time went.

I read a report recently saying that cocaine protects you against the virus ...luckily im already vaccinated

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By Marlinman
21st Apr 2020 10:11

I work on my own from home and its business as normal. Most clients have got their records up to date with nothing else to do so I'm getting 2019/20 tax returns out of the way. I did all my furloughing claims yesterday morning and was surprised at how easy it was.

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By HeatherSimpson
21st Apr 2020 10:19

Yes, feeling the pain. Free client support and volunteer shopping for over 70s is eating up working hours making it hard to settle and do the chargeable work which is falling behind, for clients who may or may not be able to pay.

However, I have realised that we are the lucky ones. Some people are going nuts, stuck at home with nothing to do. I'd rather be busy.

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7om
By Tom 7000
21st Apr 2020 10:36

Charge them £50 per furlough claim. That will cheer you up

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By M Bell
21st Apr 2020 10:51

I totally agree with what everyone is saying and have been having same experiences. The way I'm trying to deal with it is that I have a highly vulnerable member of the family at home so I don't feel that I can do my bit by shopping for neighbours etc, so this is my way of trying to help. A lot of my clients can't really afford to pay for extras at the moment and at the end of the day it is in my interests to help keep them afloat. I have actually gained a couple of new clients from recommends because I am apparently being more proactive than their accountants.

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Morph
By kevinringer
21st Apr 2020 13:54

I've been very proactive which clients have appreciated but it's been at the cost of me not doing any normal work. All the existing deadlines are in place but I've now lost a whole month of normal production. And we've only just started CJRS and yet to start SEISS so I expect to lose at least another month. Two months is a massive loss when 31 January deadline is still 31 January.

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By Andy Reeves
21st Apr 2020 15:24

Most worryingly, it appears that you do not trust your staff to work properly without you watching over them. In that case, I would suggest the problem is not them but you, and your training of them.

My staff have been brilliant and have adapted to homeworking pretty quickly, although we all have had to accept that some things will be done more slowly than if in the office (as now working from laptops, but have two screens in the office).

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Replying to Andy Reeves:
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By imbs
21st Apr 2020 15:42

Well oh my gosh it sounds like you are just great. How does it feel to be so perfect?

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