Notes from the practice
Occasional thoughts on accountancy, software and small business life.
- Self AssessmentHMRCTax
What Happens If You File Your Tax Return Late?
Missed the self assessment deadline? Here is what the penalties actually are, what to do next, and how to get back on track quickly.
Linda Zvirbulis · 13 August 2026Read →
- Small BusinessBookkeepingMaking Tax DigitalCashflowXeroQuickBooksSage
Pain Points - Do These Sound Familiar?
Eight things that we hear from small business owners in Baildon and Shipley every week, from surprise tax bills to software that nobody explained and how we help to fix each one.
Linda · 11 August 2026Read →
- SageQuickBooksXeroCloud accounting
From Abacus to Cloud: Thirty Years of Sage, QuickBooks and Xero
From pulling a handle on an adding machine to running a practice in the cloud. Thirty years of accounting software, and why Sage, QuickBooks and Xero are all worth having today.
Linda Zvirbulis ACMA · 6 August 2026Read →
- Start-upsCashflowSmall businessAccountant Baildon
The Mistakes People Almost Always Make When Starting a Business
Strip away the product and almost every new business mistake is the same one; getting carried away before answering the boring questions.
Linda · 30 July 2026Read →
- QuickBooksXeroSageHow we workAccountant Baildon
How Can We Help Using QuickBooks, Xero or Sage? The Five Questions We Ask Every New Client
Before we propose anything, we ask five simple questions. Here is what they are, and how the answers shape the way we set you up on QuickBooks, Xero or Sage.
Linda · 26 July 2026Read →
- FoundersWorking togetherSmall businessAccountant
The Clients I Love Working With
It's not about one business in particular. It's a pattern that I keep seeing in the founders I enjoy supporting most.
LindaRead →
- ReflectionStudyCIMA
Qualified - The Years Before the Letters After Your Name
Becoming who you want to be is never one leap, it's a hundred small choices, repeated. A reflection on Educating Rita, the long road to qualifying, and why the years are the point.
Linda · 16 July 2026Read →
- Small BusinessAccountancyCosts
What does a small business accountant cost, and what do you actually get?
A practical guide to accountancy fees for sole traders and small companies across Yorkshire, what's included, what drives the price, and how to judge real value.
Linda · 9 July 2026Read →
- Cloud SoftwareQuickBooksXeroSage
QuickBooks vs Xero vs Sage, Which is right for your Yorkshire business?
A practical guide to choosing between QuickBooks, Xero and Sage based on the kind of business you run.
Linda · 7 July 2026Read →
- AccountancyGeneral
Mind Maps, A quiet reflection on thinking differently
Sometimes the best way to make sense of a tangle of business problems isn't a spreadsheet, it's a mind map.
Linda · 28 June 2026Read →
- ComplianceCompany
Company Directors, Confirm your ID with Companies House
Companies House have joined HMRC in the 'let's add more rules' game. Changes are being introduced from Autumn 2025 that will affect every company director.
Linda · June 2025Read →
- TaxPension
HMRC advise to check NI pension gaps before deadline
HMRC are advising people to check their NI contributions towards their pensions to ensure they don't fall short.
Linda · 2025Read →
- AccountancyGeneral
QuickBooks, Xero & Sage Management Accountant in Shipley
Not all accountants do the same job. That's the bit most business owners never get told.
Linda · 2025Read →
- Cloud SoftwareAccountancy
Why you need monthly accounts from QuickBooks / Xero / Sage
Small business owners often just want their book-keeping up to date and to claim as much as they can, but monthly accounts give you so much more.
Linda · 2025Read →
- QuickBooksCloud Software
QuickBooks efficiencies
QuickBooks continually upgrade their offering to help you save time and money. With improved connectivity there's less to remember.
Linda · 2022Read →
- SageCloud Software
Sage Mobile
The Sage Accounting App gives you the mobility and flexibility to go about your business on the go.
Linda · March 2022Read →
- Small BusinessGeneral
Google and Small Businesses
It's always great when large organisations take the time to help smaller businesses.
Linda · October 2020Read →
- General
The Price of Experience
There will always be someone who'll do the job cheaper, but will it be the same job?
Linda · September 2020Read →
- General
What Makes Hermit Business Solutions Different?
We all did the same training and passed the same exams. So what can Hermit offer that others don't?
Linda · September 2020Read →
- Small BusinessGeneral
Govt reveals emergency economic plan
So what's new for businesses and employees struggling in this pandemic.
Linda · 2020Read →
- Small BusinessGeneral
We can survive if we pull together
Change is the new norm, but whatever happens, we're in this together and if we pull together we'll get through.
Linda · 2020Read →
- General
Hi There :)
If you need help at this difficult time then please feel free to get in touch, a chat costs nothing.
Linda · August 2018Read →
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