How I work
Bookkeeping goes wrong in predictable ways. Most of what follows exists because of a specific failure mode I would rather not reproduce.
Four rules I do not bend
Exceptions, never defaults
If I cannot tell what a transaction is, it goes on an exceptions schedule with the evidence and a specific question. It does not get coded to the nearest plausible category, and it does not disappear into suspense. A short exceptions list is a sign the work was done properly, not a sign it was left unfinished.
Reconciled to source
Balances agree to the actual statement, not to a figure that looks about right. Where there is a genuine difference, it gets identified and explained rather than plugged with a balancing entry.
Corrections are visible
When I fix something, the fix is recorded — what it was, what it became, and why. Nothing is silently rewritten. If you or your practice need to retrace a decision in six months, the trail is there.
Zero formula errors
Every workbook is checked before it goes out. No #REF!,
no #VALUE!, no numbers typed over formulas to force a total
to agree. This is checkable, so it is a promise rather than a sentiment.
How a job runs
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You send the records as they are
Bank exports, a system login, a folder of scans. Please do not tidy first — the mess is diagnostic, and cleaning it up beforehand usually removes what I need to see.
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I scope it and quote fixed
Within about two working days: what I will do, what it costs, when it lands, and what I can already see is missing. If the records are too incomplete to do honestly, you get told at this point, not later.
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The work happens
You are not chased for information in a drip. Questions are batched into one list so you answer them in a single sitting.
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Delivery, with the working shown
The output plus its supporting schedules, the exceptions list, and a short note on what was wrong. You can check my work rather than having to trust it.
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The cause gets named
Every job ends with a note on what made the mess and what would stop it recurring. Sometimes that is a change to how you file things. Sometimes it is a spreadsheet worth automating. Sometimes it is nothing and it was just a bad year.
Turnaround
| Work | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|
| Profit Leak Review | 3 working days |
| Books cleanup | 5 working days |
| Excel automation build | 7 working days, quoted per build |
| Monthly bookkeeping | Closed by the 5th working day |
| Practice overflow file | Agreed per job, quoted in 2 days |
Turnaround runs from receiving complete records, not from the order. If something will be late you hear it from me first.
Tools
I work in whatever you already use rather than migrating you onto something of mine. Excel and Power Query for modelling and reporting; Python where a job needs volume or repeatability that a spreadsheet cannot carry sensibly. The output is always something you can open and maintain without me.
Your data
- Stored in the UK, on encrypted devices
- Kept only as long as the engagement and record-keeping require
- Never sold, shared or used to train any system
- Returned or deleted on request when the engagement ends
- For practice work: accessed through your systems wherever possible, so it stays in your environment
Where the line is
I work to trial balance. That means bookkeeping, reconciliation, VAT return preparation, management information and Excel automation.
Final accounts, submissions, and anything requiring a regulated opinion are not mine to do. If you need those, they stay with your practice — and I will work directly with them so the handover is clean.
Being clear about that boundary is not a limitation I am apologising for. It is how you know what you are getting.
Test it on something real
One messy month, or one report your team rebuilds every period.