Bookkeeping in Dartmouth
Bookkeeping that keeps pace with your business
Good bookkeeping should give you a useful picture of what’s happening in your business throughout the year – not simply produce the figures when a deadline arrives.
I provide regular, Xero-based bookkeeping for small businesses in Dartmouth and across the surrounding South Devon area, keeping the records current, sorting the day-to-day detail and raising questions while they’re still easy to answer.
South Devon based
Local bookkeeping, designed to work digitally
Invi is based near Newton Abbot and works with small businesses across Dartmouth, the South Hams and the wider South Devon area.
The bookkeeping itself is designed to work digitally through Xero, receipt capture and email. There’s no need to save everything up for a monthly paperwork handover or make regular trips simply to get the records from one place to another.
Being based locally still has its advantages. If it would help to sit down together when we get started, work through your Xero setup or deal with something that is easier face to face, we can arrange that.
You get the convenience of digital bookkeeping, with a bookkeeper who is still based here in South Devon.
Bookkeeping Support
What can I help with?
Keep your books current
Regular bookkeeping in Xero, with bank transactions reconciled, paperwork matched up and questions dealt with as they arise.
VAT & quarterly updates
VAT returns for bookkeeping clients, alongside Making Tax Digital for Income Tax quarterly submissions where required.
Money in & money out
Support with customer invoices, supplier bills, payment information and the finance admin that sits around the bookkeeping.
Get more from Xero
Xero setup, tidy-ups and training, whether you’re starting from scratch or already using it and want to get things working more smoothly.
Who do I work with?
You might run a…
Hospitality & visitor businesses
Cafés, restaurants, accommodation providers, venues and other businesses where the pace – and the number of transactions – can change considerably through the year.
Regular bookkeeping helps keep sales, supplier costs, card payments and everyday expenses organised as the business moves through quieter and busier periods.
Marine & waterside businesses
Boat-related businesses, marine services, trades and other businesses working around Dartmouth’s waterfront can have a wide mixture of supplier purchases, equipment costs, customer invoices and job-related expenses to keep track of.
Keeping the books current makes it much easier to see what belongs where while the detail is still fresh.
Independent businesses
Shops, studios, salons and other owner-run businesses that want the books looked after regularly without needing an in-house accounts function.
A good fit?
Bookkeeping for Dartmouth businesses
Invi is aimed at small, owner-managed businesses that want their bookkeeping kept properly up to date without turning it into a whole department.
That might be a creative business, an independent shop, a wedding supplier, a consultant, a trades or service business, or simply a growing local business that has reached the point where keeping on top of the books is taking more time than it should.
You don’t need to be a certain size or fit a particular mould. What matters more is that you want a regular, digital bookkeeping routine and you’re happy working in Xero.
I’m particularly well suited to businesses that want someone to look after the detail, flag things that need attention and keep the records useful throughout the year – rather than only sorting everything out when a deadline appears.
Your regular bookkeeping can include:
- Bookkeeping kept up to date in Xero
- Bank and credit card accounts reconciled
- Supplier bills and purchase information recorded
- Receipts and supporting paperwork matched to transactions
- Missing information and queries raised as they come up
- Transactions checked for the correct treatment and VAT information
- Records kept tidy and ready for VAT returns, MTD or year end
- A clear handover to your accountant when they need the figures
The exact routine will depend on your business, but the principle is simple: deal with things while they’re current rather than letting the bookkeeping turn into a catch-up exercise.
Regular bookkeeping
The day-to-day books, properly looked after
The useful bit of bookkeeping happens between the deadlines.
I’ll keep your Xero records moving throughout the year – reconciling the accounts, recording the paperwork behind the transactions and raising questions while there’s still a reasonable chance you remember what happened.
For businesses where workload and takings can vary through the year, keeping the records current also gives you a much better view of how things are changing rather than waiting for the year-end figures to tell you.
Once everything is set up, the aim is for bookkeeping to become part of the normal rhythm of the business. Information comes in, the books are kept current and anything that needs your attention gets picked up while it’s still fresh.
How bookkeeping with Invi works
A simple routine
1. Talk it through
We’ll start with your business, what you’re doing now and where the bookkeeping is becoming difficult, time-consuming or simply needs more regular attention.
2. Review your setup
I’ll look at your Xero organisation, bank feeds and existing bookkeeping setup so we know what’s working, what needs tidying and what needs changing.
3. Agree the routine
We’ll decide how receipts, bills and other information will reach me, how often the bookkeeping will be updated and how I’ll send any queries back to you.
4. Keep the books current
I’ll work through the bookkeeping regularly, reconcile the accounts and make sure the records behind the transactions are where they should be.
5. Deal with queries
If something is missing or unclear, I’ll ask while the transaction is still relatively recent rather than trying to reconstruct it several months later.
6. Keep things ready
Your records stay in good shape for VAT returns, quarterly submissions, year-end and whatever else comes next.
At year end
Current books make year end a lot easier
Keeping the bookkeeping up to date throughout the year means there should be far less to unravel when your accountant needs the figures.
I’ll make sure the agreed bookkeeping is complete, the relevant accounts are reconciled and any outstanding queries are dealt with where possible. Your Xero records and reports can then be handed over in a much tidier state.
If your accountant has bookkeeping questions while they’re preparing the year-end accounts, I can deal with those directly too – so you don’t have to act as the go-between for things you may not know the answer to.
Invi doesn’t prepare statutory accounts or submit Corporation Tax or Self Assessment returns. My job is to make sure the bookkeeping behind them is in good shape for whoever does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you only work with businesses in Dartmouth?
No. Invi works with businesses across South Devon and further afield.
The day-to-day bookkeeping is designed to work digitally, so you don’t need to be based particularly close to the office for the service to work well.
Are you based in Dartmouth?
Invi is based in Abbotskerswell, near Newton Abbot, and I work with businesses across Dartmouth, the South Hams and the surrounding area.
Do we need to meet in person?
Not usually.
Most of the day-to-day bookkeeping can be handled through Xero, receipt capture, email and online meetings. If you’re local to Newton Abbot and it would be useful to sit down together for setup, training or a proper run-through of something, we can arrange that too.
Do I need to already use Xero?
No.
If you’re already using Xero, I can review what you have and take things from there. If you’re starting from scratch or moving from another system, I can help get Xero set up properly before the regular bookkeeping begins.
I work exclusively with Xero for ongoing bookkeeping.
Can you take over from my current bookkeeper?
Yes.
Changing bookkeeper doesn’t have to mean starting again. I’ll first look at your existing Xero records, find out where everything is up to and identify anything that needs resolving before the handover.
Where appropriate, I can also liaise with your existing bookkeeper or accountant to make the change as straightforward as possible.
What sort of Dartmouth businesses do you work with?
Invi is designed primarily for small, owner-managed businesses rather than one particular industry.
That might include hospitality and accommodation businesses, marine businesses, independent retailers, consultants, trades, creatives and other service businesses.
The more important consideration is whether you want the bookkeeping kept current and are happy working digitally in Xero.
Can you help if my business is seasonal?
Yes.
For businesses that are noticeably busier at certain times of year, regular bookkeeping can be particularly useful.
Keeping the records current makes it much easier to see how income and costs are changing between busy and quieter periods, rather than waiting until year end to piece the picture together.
How often will you update my bookkeeping?
My standard approach is regular bookkeeping rather than leaving everything until the end of the month, quarter or year.
Exactly how often I work on your books will depend on the volume and needs of your business, but the aim is to keep the records current enough that questions can be dealt with while transactions are still fresh.
Can you do my VAT returns?
Yes, where VAT returns form part of an ongoing bookkeeping service.
Because the underlying records are being maintained throughout the period, the VAT return becomes part of the normal bookkeeping process rather than a separate scramble at the deadline.
Can you help with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax?
Yes.
For businesses within MTD for Income Tax, I can keep the bookkeeping current in Xero and prepare and submit the required quarterly updates.
The annual Self Assessment tax return is separate and isn’t included in Invi’s quarterly submission service.
Will you work with my accountant?
Absolutely.
Your accountant and bookkeeper don’t need to be the same person. I can keep the day-to-day records in Xero, prepare everything for year end and liaise directly with your accountant if they have bookkeeping questions or need additional information.
The aim is to give them clean, well-maintained records to work from.
How much does bookkeeping cost?
Bookkeeping is priced around the amount of work involved rather than a one-size-fits-all package.
Things such as transaction volume, number of bank feeds, VAT requirements, the quality of the existing records and any additional finance admin will all affect the price.
If you tell me a little about your business and what you’d like help with, I can give you a clearer idea of the likely monthly cost.
