Hi I don't have any clients that run hotels and B&B's does anyone else? can you tell me if most are vat registered?
I'm thinking of all sorts of advertising at the minute and sending out letters to all local businesses. Tempting them in with offers - for pubs I am offering free weekly or monthly payroll if they use me to do their vat returns as almost all pubs seem to be vat registered.
I assume hotels are too but may not always have regular staff so I thought I would offer every 4th vat return free - this is why I need to know if most are vat registered before I look a bit stupid sending out this offer.
I don't know is the answer, I have a client who stays away sometimes in a B & B and most of the receipts are small businesses that are not VAT reg.
When you say offer the 4th VAT return FREE, do you mean the quarterly bookkeeping that goes with it or just filing the return?? All my VAT clients have quarterly bookkeeping as well as the VAT so not sure how that would work for you?
I would't offer payroll for FREE with the bookkeeping for Pubs because although I don't have any pubs for payroll, I have purposely avoided them because a weekly payroll with various different staff and different hours each week will become a pain in the bum to do, so if I had one I would definately be charging for it and more than the usual payroll prices that I do.
This is only my opinion, others will be on here with theirs which I sure will be different from mine.
I hate to say this but networking is the way forward, at first when I did it I didn't think much off it, but now I believe it works. Get in some some accountants as they don't like to do the work themselves.
I would't offer payroll for FREE with the bookkeeping for Pubs because although I don't have any pubs for payroll, I have purposely avoided them because a weekly payroll with various different staff and different hours each week will become a pain in the bum to do, so if I had one I would definately be charging for it and more than the usual payroll prices that I do.
Hi Rachel
I agree with Amanda. I dont look after pubs or B&Bs but I do look after a small chain of restaurants with about 30 on their payroll. Of these 30 only about 4 are original staff from when I started as book-keeper about 4 months ago (and no its not cos of me, before anyone says anything, lol). Of those four - two are family members! Its good to try to get more business, but dont sell yourself short! Networking, getting in with a local accountant and recommendations are the best way to go.
__________________
Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
Thanks for you reply Amanda - yep was going to offer the bookkeeping as well as the filing of vat free - I know that's a lot of work free but I want more work.
Networking - yep getting into that now and also taken work off of accountants but not enough. Most of my work comes from recommendations but I want it coming in quicker - therefore ridiculous offers.
Cheshire - hell, 30 people on the payroll that would be a bit of a mistake to offer that for free!!! can I ask how long on average processing a payroll of 30 takes? if weekly.
Hi Rachel Dont do too much for free or it defeats the object.....you will be busy before you know it and you want to be paid fairly. So how about free filing or free first hour or payroll set up for free or something a bit different.
The payroll is a bit of a nightmare tbh. If I got all the info on time, when its required, all the correct hours/dates of starter and leavers and only had one or two leavers a week then I could certainly do that all in a couple of hours. The very first time took me all day but then I had never used the software before. But now it still takes longer than it should as I never get the right starter paperwork and have to chase the restaurant managers/I never get all the staff's hours (the last time 6 people were forgotten about); I dont always get the right number of hours and are challenged by staff/have to re-work it. Its a nightmare....I keep telling the owner - he is paying me more money than he needs to and its not hard to provide the correct info, but he is so badly disorganised, but its getting there. It was only 8 emails to chase down the info last Monday. My biggest problem this week is some joker at one of the places has paid a new employer an advance and Ive only just received the info and he has been with us three weeks - they paid him at the wrong hourly rate and didnt allow for any tax and he is on a BR rate!
__________________
Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
I agree with Joanne, don't sell your self short, you are worth the money!
Go for small Ltd companies that you know have payroll which might be for say 10 employees that are all on Salary so the pay is the same most months, thats the easy ones to do.
Trouble with starting off at low prices is increasing them as that is what clients are used to and who doesn't like a bargain. You end up with loads of work which is not worth your time and that can be very de-motivating.
