Boost Your Financial Awareness: Digitalise Your Bookkeeping for Making Tax Digital

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Prepare for Making Tax Digital Changes by digitalising your processes with the help of an expert bookkeeper.

If you’re a small business owner, sole trader or landlord, you’ve probably heard plenty of rumblings about the imminent and non-negotiable changes surrounding Making Tax Digital.

While, on the face of it, it does seem scary when words like “compliance” and “tax” are being wielded by HMRC, it doesn’t have to be.

In this blog post, our experts break down Making Tax Digital and what you need to do in order to be prepared for compliance when the time comes.

What is Making Tax Digital?

Despite the name, Making Tax Digital (or MTD) is not about tax. It’s about bookkeeping.

The government-led initiative centres on moving UK taxpayers’ records from spreadsheets and paper to a fully digitalised system. Introduced in April 2019, it has already gone through a few phases and currently applies to VAT-registered businesses. This is all set to change, however.

As of April 2026, MTD will be applied to Income Tax records for self-employed individuals and landlords with an income of over £50,000, which will require three key changes:

  1. Digital Record-Keeping: All transactions (income and outcome) must be kept digitally in an HMRC-approved software.
  2. Quarterly updates: Single annual returns are a thing of the past. Now, you must send quarterly updates on income and expenditure using an MTD-compliant software.
  3. Final Declaration: Once you’ve submitted all four quarterly updates in one year, you need to finalise your annualised income with a final declaration.

For those affected, MTD isn’t a tax change, but the mandating of digitalised bookkeeping using compliant software.

How a bookkeeper can help with MTD

No matter your threshold or when you’re affected, if you’re worried about the incoming changes to MTD for Income Tax, a bookkeeper can help.

The best way to keep your MTD experience stress-free is to get ahead of the changes by working with an expert bookkeeper to help make the transition to bookkeeping software.

Choosing the right software for you can be a lot to consider, but with Rosemary Bookkeeping, it doesn’t have to be hard. As accredited experts and approved partners with many leading MTD-compliant software like Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent and more, a Rosemary Bookkeeper can help you understand which software will be the best fit for you, get set up and transition to digital in time for the changes.

Or, to completely remove the stress from the equation, you can opt to outsource your bookkeeping to our experts completely, safe in the knowledge that we’ll ensure you stay compliant with MTD and other compliance requirements like AML, as well as keeping your books neat, correct and accounted for.

Want help with your bookkeeping?

If you’d benefit from expert advice, outsourcing and support in time to comply with the upcoming changes for MTD, contact your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeper today for a free, no-obligation quotation on a range of professional bookkeeping services.

Rosemary Bookkeeping’s Forget Me Knot 2025 for Alzheimer’s Society

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Rosemary Bookkeeping is participating in the third annual Forget Me Knot Challenge to support Alzheimer’s Society. 

Alzheimer’s is commonly misunderstood as a natural part of ageing.

However, it is a deadly neurological disease that is currently the UK’s biggest killer, estimated to affect 1 in 2 people in the UK in their lifetime.

This year, ServiceMaster brands across the UK have once again partnered with the Alzheimer’s Society to help them provide help and hope to the 900,000+ people living with dementia in the UK.

Throughout 2025, we’re working closely with our friends at the Alzheimer’s Society to raise a further £10,000 as part of our commitment to supporting them in their cause.

And as part of our fundraising commitment, our businesses nationwide are again undertaking the Forget Me Knot Challenge.

But what is the Forget Me Knot Challenge? And how can you get involved?

This blog post has all the details.

What is the Forget Me Knot Challenge?

The Alzheimer’s Society is represented by the forget-me-not flower, long associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia due to its impact on memory loss.

The Forget Me Knot Challenge is a sponsored virtual relay in which staff and owners from our businesses across the UK run, walk, or cycle the equivalent total mileage between each of our businesses, tying them together and raising funds for Alzheimer’s Society: creating the Forget Me Knot.

How to support us

If you want to support us, please visit our Just Giving page to donate online.

Or, if you’re one of our customers, please feel free to speak to our staff about donating.

Thank you for all your support!

To stay up to date with how we’re doing, stay tuned to our blog and social media channels over the summer.

Need professional bookkeeping services?

Learn the value of a bookkeeper who cares by finding your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business for a free, no-obligation quote on our services today.

Rosemary Bookkeeping pledges to raise £10K for Alzheimer’s Society

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Rosemary Bookkeeping names Alzheimer’s Society as our Charity of the Year

We are thrilled to announce that Rosemary Bookkeeping has joined the rest of the ServiceMaster Brands UK family in pledging to raise £10,000 this year in support of our charity of the year, Alzheimer’s Society.

This blog post has all the details.

Our Charity of the Year

We have named Alzheimer’s Society our charity of the year.

And have thus pledged to raise £10,000 to go towards their work throughout 2025.

As part of its longstanding commitment as Dementia Friends, our sister brand Merry Maids UK has raised over £14,000 for Alzheimer’s Society through its annual nationwide Forget Me Knot Challenge Campaign over the last two years alongside supporting our staff and customers to have a better cleaning experience by ensuring every Merry Maids cleaner across the UK benefitted from specialist dementia training sessions to better support customers living with dementia across the nation.

This year, we’re kicking it up a notch.

With other brands from ServiceMaster Brands UK pitching in, we have pledged this year to raise £10,000 by opening the annual fundraising initiatives to all of our businesses across the UK.

What has dementia support meant to people?

To Merry Maids customers like this woman from Croydon, the support means her father can maintain his independence:

“My Dad is 93 and has got a serious heart condition and dementia,” she says.

“After a long stay in hospital and living with us for four months, he wanted to live independently,”

“He reluctantly accepted help and within a couple of weeks was looking forward to his visits by Merry Maids.”

“They are very caring and have a very soft spot for Dad,” she adds.

“Which makes my life as a carer easier.”

“Dad would never be without his Merry Maids, and they have made a huge difference to his enjoyment of life.”

Meg Foxhall, Community Fundraiser of Alzheimer’s Society, says:

“We are so grateful that Merry Maids chose Alzheimer’s Society as their Charity of the Year. Each hour people generously give to fundraise for us, every event they take part in, every pound they donate, they’re making a life-changing difference to people living with dementia.

“Alzheimer’s Society provides vital support to people living with dementia, funds groundbreaking research and campaigns to make dementia the priority it should be. Together, we will end the devastation caused by dementia.

“There are currently around a million people in the UK with dementia. But we simply can’t reach everyone without the continued support of our incredible fundraisers like Merry Maids.”

Discover the value of a bookkeeper who cares

If you would benefit from a professional and compassionate bookkeeping services from your local experts, find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business today.

New Advisory Fuel Rates – 2025

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Everything you need to know about the new advisory fuel rates for company car users.

For any business, keeping track of your financials is vital.

So, keeping track of relevant legislation that will affect them is imperative.

On March 1st 2025, HMRC reviewed current Advisory Fuel Rates (AFR) for company car drivers claiming back fuel expenses from their employer.

In this blog post, our experts have compiled a guide on everything you need to know about the new Advisory Fuel Rates.

Who is affected by changing Advisory Fuel Rates?

Mileage rates and any changes apply in certain circumstances for employees who use company cars.

These rates only apply when:

Reimbursing employees for company car business travel:

According to guidance from HMRC, if the mileage rate you pay is lower than the AFR for the engine size and fuel type of the car, there will be no taxable profit and no Class 1a National Insurance to pay.

If your cars are more fuel efficient or the cost of business travel is higher than the AFR, you can use personalised rates to reflect your situation.

However, if your mileage payments are only for business travel or you pay rates higher than the advisory rates but cannot show that your fuel cost per mile is higher, there will be no fuel benefit charge.

Instead, you’ll have to treat any excess as taxable profit and earnings for Class 1 National Insurance purposes.

Employees repay the cost of the fuel for private travel:

If you correctly record all private travel mileage and use the correct rate (or higher) to calculate how much your employees repay you for fuel used for personal travel, there will be no fuel benefit charge.

You will also not need to use the advisory rates, where you can show that employees cover the total cost of private fuel by repaying at a lower mileage rate.

When are Advisory Fuel Rates changed?

Advisory Fuel Rates are subject to regular change. HMRC reviews rates quarterly.

The most recent review happened on the first of March.

They are reviewed on:

  • 1st March
  • 1st June
  • 1st September
  • 1st December

How changes are calculated

The changes made by HMRC reflect fuel and energy prices.

Previously, when reimbursing electric company car drivers, the rate used by many companies was based upon annual figures from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the electrical energy consumption values from the Department for Transport (DfT).

Starting March 2023, HMRC also incorporated figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to inform electricity rates. From March 2024 onwards, they’ve utilised data from annual car sales volumes to businesses (Fleet Audits average for the last three years). This year, they’ve also included findings from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero updates its yearly electricity cost, measured in ‘pence per kilowatt hour,’ based on the quarterly Consumer Prices Index from the Office for National Statistics. This adjustment helps reflect any price changes every three months.

How are the new Advisory Fuel Rates calculated?

Advisory Fuel Rates are calculated when the mean miles per gallon (MPG) is taken from manufacturers’ information.

This considers annual sales to businesses (Fleet Audits average from 2021 to 2023 ).

For liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the MPG used is 20% lower than for petrol due to lower volumetric energy density.

The ‘rates per mile’ are rounded to one decimal place.

The final advisory fuel rates are rounded to the nearest penny.

Rates per mile, which end in 0.5, are rounded to the nearest whole penny for the advisory fuel rate when the underlying unrounded figure ends in a number less than 0.5.

When the underlying unrounded figure ends in a number greater than 0.5, it is rounded to the nearest whole penny.

The DESNZ cost for pence per kilowatt hour is updated by the ONS consumer prices index for electricity.

This is to account for quarterly price variations.

Then, the value of the annual equivalent rate is calculated through the cost of electricity per mile for each model provided by the DfT and electricity price data from DESNZ and ONS.

A weighted average value of the electrical costs per mile for a fully electric car is then calculated using company car sales data across the last three years.

The advisory fuel rates are worked out from the fuel prices in these tables.

Hybrid cars are treated as petrol or diesel cars for advisory fuel rates.

How have Advisory Fuel Rates Changed?

The key changes as of March 2025 include a 1p increase for petrol vehicles with engine sizes between 1401cc and 2000cc and for diesel vehicles up to 1600cc, with no change to other petrol or diesel rates. Likewise, the advisory electricity rate for fully electric cars remains at 7p per mile.

Petrol:

Rates for petrol cars have increased by 1p for petrol vehicles with engine sizes between 1401cc and 2000cc.

Engine size (cc) Mean MPG Fuel price (per litre) Fuel price (per gallon) Rate per mile Advisory fuel rate
Up to 1400 51 138.7 pence 630.7 pence 12.4 pence 12 pence
1401 to 2000 42.3 138.7 pence 630.7 pence 14.9 pence 15 pence
Over 2000 27.1 138.7 pence 630.7 pence 23.3 pence 23 pence

Diesel:

Diesel rates have also increased by 1p for vehicles up to 1600cc. 

Engine size (cc) Mean MPG Fuel price (per litre) Fuel price (per gallon) Rate per mile Advisory fuel rate
Up to 1600 56.9 146.1 pence 664.3 pence 11.7 pence 12 pence
1601 to 2000 49.3 146.1 pence 664.3 pence 13.5 pence 13 pence
Over 2000 38 146.1 pence 664.3 pence 17.5 pence 17 pence

LPG:

Engine size (cc) Mean MPG Fuel price (per litre) Fuel price (per gallon) Rate per mile Advisory fuel rate
Up to 1400 40.8 98.3 pence 446.9 pence 10.9 pence 11 pence
1401 to 2000 33.8 98.3 pence 446.9 pence 13.2 pence 13 pence
Over 2000 21.7 98.3 pence 446.9 pence 20.6 pence 21 pence

Electric:

From 1 March 2025, the advisory electric rate for fully electric cars is 7 pence per mile.

Electrical efficiency — miles per kilowatt-hour Domestic electricity cost (per kilowatt-hour) Rate per mile Advisory electric rate
3.57 25.24 pence 7.06 pence 7 pence

Is it all a bit much?

With legislation changing regularly, keeping track of expenses as a small business can be difficult.

And with fuel rates changing three times a year, it can feel impossible to get a handle on what to do and when.

At Rosemary Bookkeeping, we are on top of all current legislation and are experts in ensuring you know which way is up with your business financials.

By contacting your local expert, you benefit from regular advice and support on all the latest changes to AFR and much more, as well as bespoke and professional management of your bookkeeping needs.

To see how outsourcing your books to your friendly local bookkeeping service could help you, find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business or call 0345 862 0072 today.

The best bookkeeping tools for small businesses

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Tools of the trade that will save you time and effort in bookkeeping.

As a small business owner, your time is gold dust.

And with so much to do, your bookkeeping is a chore that takes up that valuable time.

But, bookkeeping is not something you can skip out on, particularly with the growing need to keep a digital record.

Luckily, there are many tools on hand that small business owners can use to make bookkeeping easier.

At Rosemary Bookkeeping, we know there’s a lot to consider. What works for one business may be the wrong fit for another.

That’s why we’re breaking down the tools of the trade so you can figure out what bookkeeping aids work for you.

Quickbooks

If you’re researching, you might’ve noticed that many small businesses use QuickBooks Online.

But what makes it so good?

Pros: 
  • Scalable
  • Commonly used by professionals (including us!)
  • Integrates with 3rd party systems and Quickbooks Payroll
  • Cloud-based and available on mobile
  • Easy to use: All features are accessible through a central dashboard
  • Has a plethora of online resources to give you the support you need
  • 30-day trial
  • 4 Subscription plans that vary in price for business size, but can be upgraded as your business grows
  • More advanced plans offer more advanced features, though most small businesses will find the Simple Start Programme (£14/m.o) will suffice
  • Customisable options with mobile app
Cons: 
  • Requires an upgrade for additional users
  • Can suffer from syncing problems with banks and credit cards

Xero

Another popular accounting tool, Xero is rapidly growing into a bookkeeping giant. And like QuickBooks, Xero is designed to grow with your business across its different subscription options.

It also integrates with hundreds of third-party business solutions, many of which you may already use, like Gusto, for payroll.

Here’s the full lowdown:

Pros:
  • Cloud-based and available on mobile
  • 3rd party payroll integration through Gusto and app marketplace
  • Integration with 3rd party services allows online payment collection
  • Simple inventory management
Cons:
  • Limited customer service and reporting
  • Fees charged for ACH payments

FreeAgent

Another cloud-based software, as a FreeAgent partner, we recommend it for freelancers, consultants, and project-based businesses.

Pros:
  • Cloud-based and available on mobile
  • Doesn’t limit transactions behind a paywall
  • Supports unlimited users, clients, invoices and transactions for one monthly price
  • Ideal for keeping track of billable hours and expenses
  • Runs fully RTI-compliant payroll
  • Allows you to create and send estimates and invoices
  • Uses personalised Tax Timeline of upcoming deadlines and amounts due, cash flow, and profitability
  • Files VAT, RTI payroll and Self Assessment tax returns directly to HMRC (ideal for sole traders and limited companies)
Cons:
  • App development and compatibility for Android is lacking, but underway
  • Tax Timeline doesn’t offer a comparison of year-on-year comparison

Sage

Sage is one of the bigger brands, and it’s been around a lot longer than most.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting is specifically geared towards the needs of small to medium-sized corporations and offers two plans for small business owners.

However, it has been described as overly complex and difficult to use.

Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:
  • Cloud-based and available on mobile
  • Offers a free trial or demo before buying
  • Offers invoicing, expense management and reporting, as well as the creation of quotes, estimates, tracking, and inventory management
  • Provides monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports and reports. These include balance sheets and income/cash flow statements
  • Produces comparison of financial statements, e.g. year-to-year.
  • Many features are preset  and ready for the user to make management streamlined, but also offer multiple customisation opportunities
  • Offers capabilities for budgeting or cash flow forecasting, job costing, auditing, and automated workflows, as well as industry-specific features.
  • Uses a central dashboard to access information and data in one place
  • Link your credit cards and bank accounts
  • Integrates with third-party apps
Cons:
  • Difficult to use and set up. May need a Sage expert to support you. (Luckily, we are!)
  • Features can be complicated to use and need expert support
  • Homepage can become cluttered if not customised
  • Geared towards larger businesses.
  • Lack of documentation and support, often necessitating further support

How Rosemary Bookkeeping helps your business

Each online bookkeeping aid offers something different, with both strengths and weaknesses.

And many can be difficult to use without the right support.

At Rosemary Bookkeeping, we work with accounting tools and offer bespoke support to get the most out of each software.

By regularly consulting your local Rosemary bookkeeper, you’ll be able to receive support specially tailored to you and your business, and we can take care of your bookkeeping for you.

From helping you choose the right software to use, software supply, training and data migration to a complete outsourced bookkeeping service – we can help.

Whether you’re just starting or looking to hire a bookkeeper to support your growth, the best bookkeeping tool for any small business is still a Rosemary Bookkeeper.

To take your first step towards stress-free bookkeeping, find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping branch to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with your local expert today.

Fall in love with your bookkeeping

Rosemary’s green. Violets are blue; we adore bookkeeping… how about you?

Happy Valentine’s Day from Rosemary Bookkeeping!

We understand that bookkeeping might not be at the top of the things you love to do in your business.

That’s where we come in.

This blog post explores all there is to love about Rosemary Bookkeeping.

What people love about us

The owner of Rosemary Bookkeeping Newbury and Basingstoke and winner of the 2023 Rosemary Franchisee of the Year award, TJ Sutherland attests that our clients love us for our dedication to great bookkeeping and pinpoint accuracy and attention to detail.

“At Rosemary, we’re besotted with bookkeeping, devoted to debtors and passionate about paperwork!” She says.

“We take away all the hassle of bookkeeping, collating paperwork, processing and filing it all as part of the service. Accountants love us because we save them time and headaches of dealing with untidy inaccurate books.”

How a bookkeeper can help you

Whether you’re an account or business owner, bookkeepers like Rosemary Bookkeeping can help with all aspects of your bookkeeping and finances.

This includes:
  • Taking the hassle out of sorting all your invoices, receipts and bank statements
  • Having your VAT return prepared for you in good time
  • Liaising directly with your accountant
  • Having reports and figures every month that help you make decisions on your business growth
  • 121 bookkeeping support

See how a Rosemary Bookkeeper can help you

Whatever your need, Rosemary and your books are sure to be a match made in heaven.

Find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business to see how we can support you today.

Autumn Budget 2024: What It Means for UK Businesses and Your Bookkeeping

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The Autumn Budget 2024 is here, bringing updates that could significantly affect businesses across the UK. Whether you’re a sole trader, small business owner, or part of a larger organisation, understanding these changes is key to staying compliant and making informed financial decisions.

In this blog, we’ll break down the main points from the budget, explain how they impact your business, and highlight how good bookkeeping can help you stay on top of it all.

1. Corporation Tax Adjustments

One of the big headlines this year is a change to corporation tax bands. While the main rate remains at 25% for businesses earning over £250,000, relief measures for small businesses earning under £50,000 have been clarified, with tapered rates for those in between.

The Bookkeeping Angle:

Accurate profit tracking is more important than ever. If you’re in the tapered band, precise bookkeeping can help you calculate your taxable profits correctly and avoid paying more tax than necessary.

2. Changes to Business Rates

The Autumn Budget also introduces updates to business rates, with some relief schemes being extended for small retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses. This could mean reduced rates for qualifying businesses, depending on their property value.

The Bookkeeping Angle:

Bookkeeping helps you identify and record eligible properties and relief amounts. By maintaining proper records, you can ensure you’re applying for and benefiting from all available reductions.

3. Support for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

The Chancellor announced increased support for SMEs, including grants for energy efficiency upgrades and digital transformation. If you’ve been thinking about improving your business operations, now might be the time to act.

The Bookkeeping Angle:

Properly recording grant applications and their usage is vital. Bookkeeping ensures you’re tracking these funds correctly to comply with grant terms and demonstrate how they’ve been used.

4. National Minimum Wage Increase

Another key update is the rise in the National Minimum Wage. From April 2025, businesses will need to adjust their payroll systems to accommodate the new rates.

The Bookkeeping Angle:

Payroll is a critical component of bookkeeping. Updating your payroll records to reflect these changes will ensure you remain compliant and pay employees correctly.

5. Investment Incentives Extended

The budget has extended certain investment incentives, such as the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), allowing businesses to deduct the full cost of qualifying assets in the year of purchase.

The Bookkeeping Angle:

Recording these qualifying purchases accurately in your books will help you maximise your tax savings. A well-maintained asset register is key to taking full advantage of this allowance.

6. VAT Threshold Maintained

The VAT registration threshold remains at £85,000, giving businesses clarity for the upcoming tax year. However, HMRC is increasing its focus on VAT compliance and reporting accuracy.

The Bookkeeping Angle:

If you’re nearing the VAT threshold, keeping precise income records is crucial. Good bookkeeping ensures you register for VAT on time and report accurately to HMRC.

Why Bookkeeping Is Your Best Friend This Budget Season

The Autumn Budget brings opportunities and challenges for businesses. Regardless of whether it’s tax bands, relief schemes, or grants, one thing remains clear—accurate bookkeeping is the backbone of staying compliant and making informed decisions.

Here’s why:

  • Stay Compliant: With HMRC increasing its focus on compliance, accurate records can help you avoid penalties.
  • Maximise Savings: Good bookkeeping ensures you claim all available reliefs, deductions, and incentives.
  • Plan Ahead: Understanding your financial position allows you to adapt to budget changes and plan for the future.

How Rosemary Bookkeeping Can Help

Navigating the financial landscape post-budget can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. At Rosemary Bookkeeping, we specialise in helping businesses like yours stay organised, compliant, and stress-free. Whether it’s maintaining accurate records, managing VAT, or preparing for tax season, we’ve got you covered.

Call 0345 862 0072 to see how we can help you today or find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeper here.

Meet the owners: TJ Sutherland and Steve Brown – Rosemary Bookkeeping Newbury and Basingstoke

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Meet the father-daughter duo at the heart of Rosemary Bookkeeping Newbury and Basingstoke. 

Father and daughter duo Steve Brown and TJ Sutherland are the longest-serving franchisees in the Rosemary Bookkeeping network.

By purchasing Rosemary Bookkeeping Newbury and Basingstoke in 2010, they were the third-ever franchisee to buy into the franchise and have driven business for the brand for 14 years since.

TJ oversees all of the operation with the support and guidance of Steve who has now taken more of a back seat.

Thus, the business epitomises one of the pillars of franchising: to invest in the future with a legacy passed down to ensure the security and success of one’s family.

Hence, the business is steeped in the family’s values, creating a workplace where staff thrive by maintaining a positive culture that ripples across the entire operation, from staff welfare to customer care, brand relationships, and growth.

Together they live and breathe Rosemary Bookkeeping.

As TJ herself says, it’s been her lifeblood for so long that if “you cut [her] open, there’d be Rosemary in [her] veins.”

Overcoming challenges and driving innovation

The business even maintained well through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by exploring new business avenues and supporting local businesses trying to stay afloat like takeaways during the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme.

Highly respected amongst their staff, fellow franchisees and ServiceMaster Ltd Head Office staff, Steve and TJ are trusted to innovate and drive Rosemary Bookkeeping forward through trailblazing ideas and their deep understanding and care for the brand.

TJ is the head of the Rosemary Bookkeeping Development Taskforce – a trusted collective of franchisees chosen by our Head Office to innovate the brand by discussing challenges and solutions and trial initiatives that support our development strategy.

For example, TJ was a long-term advocate for our mascot Teri Cotta!

They have been vital in introducing a fully remote working, manager-owned model and software to benefit our compliance and operation efficiency.

As the bookkeeping sector continues to be shaped by technological advancements, TJ ensures that we stay ahead of the curve by finding advanced high-tech solutions for the Rosemary brand to utilise.

She has been active in helping us to work closely with our (now) partners at Xero and Intuit Quickbooks to allow our bookkeepers across the brand to become qualified in this software and provide bespoke and expert support to their clients.

Supporting their peers, staff and clients

TJ’s extensive knowledge of the Rosemary model means she is trusted to support the training of any new franchise business and mentor them to be the best they can be.

She always voyages to our head office for multiple days of the two-week training academy to support recruits to understand the ins and outs of our unique Rosemary System.

She also uses her experience to give advice that must be lived to be taught, to equip them on their journey.

This helps her in turn, as while looking to recruit more staff to help with their growing capacity, she has outsourced a handful of clients to two franchisees she has trained to help with her team’s workload.

Alongside franchisees she has mentored, TJ manages a large team of professionals.

One of TJ and Steve’s longest-serving employees has been on the team for eight years and was recently named Rosemary’s “Bookkeeper of the Year”.

This employee was ‘home-grown’ and was trained by TJ to develop her skills and achieve qualifications and training on bookkeeping software and processes.

Their highly skilled staff allows for a fully remote model which creates, the opportunity to manage individual clients, with TJ and Steve’s support.

The larger team means the business has expanded alongside many of its clients.

One has even chosen to remain with Rosemary Bookkeeping rather than hire in-house staff to manage their accounts as their business grows, as the expansive team means Rosemary can offer almost 365-day coverage if necessary.

Need an expert bookkeeper?

If you’re in Newbury, Basingstoke and the surrounding areas and could benefit from professional bookkeeping services from a local expert, contact TJ on 01256 371173 or find your nearest Rosemary Bookkeeping business to see how we can help you today.

Running for Alzheimer’s Society

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Here at Rosemary Bookkeeping Newbury & Basingstoke, we are proud to support and share the amazing achievement by our very own April Fost.

April set herself a challenge at the start fo the year to complete 12 running events through the year. The events were varied and included the particularly challenging Snowdonia Marathon in October.

Aprils story…

“So I started the year with a goal to run 12 events, this was my challenge, for those who know me I said I would NEVER run a marathon…..Yet I have decided not only to do a marathon but a wonderfully hilly one as my first. This is in memory of my Nanny Emmie who sadly passed away just over 3 years ago after a battle with Alzheimers and Dementia. I hope she would be looking down proudly, but more likely she would be thinking are you absolutely crazy, but then I definitely got some of my crazy from her :-D”

April’s 12 events were:

1. Rough and Tumble – 10 mile – Trail ✅
2. Burghclere Fun Run – 5k – Trail/Rd ✅
3. Winchester – 10k – Road ✅
4. Windsor/Eton – 13.1 mile – Road ✅
5. Hi-5 Swings & Smiles – 13.1 miles ✅
6. Jurassic Coast – 10k – Trail ✅
7. Hurstbourne Tarrant – 5 mile – Trail✅
8. Farnham Pilgram – 13.1 miles – Trail✅
9. Winchester – 13.1 miles – Road ✅
10. Oxford – 13.1 miles – Road ✅
11. Snowdonia – 26.2 miles – Road ✅
12. Arundelle – 7 hour timed event – Ultra 31.5 miles – Track ✅

And she raised a total of £920.00.

Read Aprils story here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/april-fost

Alzheimer's Society

Quickbooks Making Tax Digital Certified

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At Rosemary Bookkeeping Newbury & Basingstoke, we are pleased to say we are Quickbooks Making Tax Digital Certified.

If you need to get ready for Making Tax Digital and don’t know where to start, what it means, or if it applies to you?

Get in touch today and we can arrange a free bookkeeping health check and see how we can help with Making Tax Digital.

MTD advisor

Over 50’s are the new business start up generation

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Steve Brown, winner of the BFA’s Olderpreneus Award, was featured in an article in the FT Money section on Saturday 17th February.

Read the article here:

https://www.ft.com/content/183a52a6-d9b6-11e6-944b-e7eb37a6aa8e

Winner at the bfa franchisee awards for Rosemary Bookkeeping

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A  former IT specialist, who now runs a bookkeeping business in Newbury, was named  Olderpreneur Franchisee Of The Year, at the British  Franchise Association’s 2016 BFA HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards ceremony, held at Town Hall Birmingham last night (September 29th).

Steve Brown said: “I am proud, delighted and a little shocked – it’s great to be recognised for your success – as well as having a sustainable business which I can pass on to my family in years to come.”

Pip Wilkins, bfa chief executive, said: “Steve’s shown the ability and resilience to overcome many challenges. From leaving a corporate environment and starting his own business, to managing that business while caring for his wife, his calm head and steadfast approach has translated into a fast-growing business – and now a national award as well.”

Andrew Brattesani, UK head of franchising for HSBC, commented: “While running his business and helping his daughter with hers, Steve’s still found time to put new ideas into the wider network for the benefit of his fellow Rosemary Bookkeeping franchisees. He’s a brilliant example of how in franchising, experience is highly valued and no age limit applies.”

Steve took over the Rosemary Bookkeeping franchise six years ago, and since then he has seen turnover increase by 37% per annum; client numbers have almost doubled since 2012 and one client is a company with a turnover of £5m.

“We are so proud of the success Steve and his daughter TJ have achieved and we will continue to support and guide them in growing their business even further” says Lisa Curteis, Recruitment Director Rosemary Bookkeeping Ltd.

Rosemary Bookkeeping has released more territories in the UK so please contact us on 0345 862 0072 to find out more information.