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Stratford-upon-Avon
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Timothy's Bridge Road
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Warwickshire CV37 9NP
What banks look at when a small business applies for a loan
by Grenfell James
When a small business applies for a bank loan, the bank is mainly trying to answer one question, “How likely is it that we will be repaid, on time and in full?” To reach that decision, they will review a mix of financial evidence, trading
What factors affect a person’s credit rating?
by Grenfell James
A person’s credit rating (often referred to as a credit score) is a measure used by lenders to assess how reliably someone manages borrowing and financial commitments. It can affect whether credit is offered at all, the interest rate charged and even
by Grenfell James
1 February 2026 – Due date for Corporation Tax payable for the year ended 30 April 2025.19 February 2026 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 February 2026. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 February 2026)19 February
MTD for Income Tax – what’s required from April 2026
by Grenfell James
From April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT) will become mandatory for many self-employed persons and landlords, marking a significant change in how they manage their tax affairs. The new regime is designed to modernise the tax
What is the advance tax certainty service?
by Grenfell James
If your business is planning a major UK investment, HMRC’s new advance tax certainty service could give you binding clarity on the tax position before you commit.
HMRC has recently published draft guidance on the new advance tax certainty service as
Creative Industry Corporation Tax reliefs
by Grenfell James
If your business works in film, TV, games or the arts, Creative Industry Tax Reliefs could reduce your Corporation Tax bill and may even generate a payable tax credit.
Creative Industry Tax Reliefs (CITR) are a range of UK Corporation Tax reliefs
Expenses for the self-employed
by Grenfell James
If you are self-employed, knowing which everyday costs you can legitimately claim can make a real difference to how much tax you end up paying.
The question of which costs you can claim against your self-employed business is a common one. If you are
Pre-trading expenditure for companies
by Grenfell James
Starting a new business can be expensive, but many of your pre-trading costs may qualify for tax relief if they meet the right conditions.
There are special tax reliefs for pre-trading expenses that are incurred before a business starts trading.
Company information in the public domain
by Grenfell James
Did you know you can monitor any UK company for free and get email alerts when key details change, which can help protect your own business from unexpected or unauthorised filings?
A significant amount of information about companies is available in
Grenfell James Technology Adoption Index
How does your business perform against others adopting financial tech? Find out with our interactive diagnostic:
1.
How does your business receive invoices?
A)
Invoices are mainly received in paper form
B)
Invoices are mainly received by email
C)
Invoices are emailed then automatically forwarded to a designated mailbox
2.
How are purchase invoices processed?
A)
Invoices are entered manually
B)
Invoices are attached to manually raised invoices
C)
Automated software (e.g. ReceiptBank, 1Tap, HubDoc etc) collates invoices
3.
How are accounts processed?
A)
Using Excel/paper-based
B)
Using Computer-based, offline software
C)
Using cloud-based accountancy software
4.
How often is business data revised?
A)
Data is updated annually
B)
Data is updated quarterly
C)
Data is updated monthly or more often
5.
How is banking updated for your business?
A)
Banking is updated manually
B)
Banking is updated by imports
C)
Banking is updated via a live feed
6.
How are bank payments made?
A)
Bank payments are manual
B)
Bank payments are made using bulk imports
C)
Bank payments are made directly via accounting software
7.
How are bank receipts reconciled?
A)
Receipts are chased and reconciled manually
B)
Receipts are chased and reconciled automatically
C)
A third-party platform is used to chase debts and collect fees
8.
How often are management reports produced?
A)
No reports are provided
B)
Reports are provided but often too late to be valuable
C)
Reports are automated with real-time information
Score 8-12:
Curious Exploration
Your financial technology phase is Curious Exploration
% of respondent businesses are in this phase too.
Switching accountancy systems may seem like an upheaval, but can be much more straightforward than most businesses imagine. From talking to our clients, they have found moving from paper invoicing and desktop-based accounting software to the cloud and apps quickly makes the transition process a worthwhile investment of time. Digital accounting solutions bring in streamlined processes, up-to-date business data and greater confidence in the accuracy of information when making financial decisions.
Grenfell James works with your team to fully assess the needs of your business and minimise the impact of any transitions for solutions we recommend.
Score 13-19:
Measured Discovery
Your financial technology phase is Measured Discovery
% of respondent businesses are in this phase too.
Once cloud accountancy software is in place, there’s still plenty of scope to improve your accountancy processes and make sure your business is maximising the benefits of adopting a digital accounting solution. Grenfell James assesses each business to understand how any implemented solutions are being used, identify areas for improvement and the needs of the business overall to support your business goals and achieve success.
Our team of experts can discuss a range of time-saving automation and get different apps and cloud-based solutions talking to create and manage a digital accountancy eco-system to help your business grow.
Score 20-24:
Bold Innovation
Your financial technology phase is Bold Innovation
% of respondent businesses are in this phase too.
You know the benefits of accounting technology and the impact it can have on your business goals. If you want to take it a step further, our team can conduct a systematic review of your processes, apps and business goals to ensure your digital accountancy ecosystem is keeping pace with the changing needs of a growing business.