Case Studies
Consultancy - Turnover £3m
I operated as part time Financial Controller responsible for every aspect of the accounting function. As part of a European listed group, the reporting requirements were very tight with detailed budgeting, forecasting & KPI information & monthly accounts within 1 working day of month end. Cashflow management was also key which required detailed planning & reporting. In 2005 I was awarded Country Financial Manager of the year for consistently accurate & timely reporting. When this business merged with another larger UK consultancy in early 2007, I worked with them to ensure an effective & efficient handover of the finance function.
Wholesale - Turnover £5m
When I started working with this company in a Management Accountant role in 2003, it had recently upgraded its stock management software. This had significantly improved its warehouse efficiency but the accounts were in a mess. I spent the first couple of months working with the accounts staff to recreate historic monthly accounts. I then worked with the directors to create detailed budgets & identify KPI's that were key to the business - in this case Stock Turn, Debtor Days & GM by Product Group. Since then I have produced the same accounting information every month which has helped in their ability to expand. When the business changed ownership, I was also responsible for training the parent company staff in order to replicate the accounting information provided by the UK company.
Consultancy - Turnover £12m
I first started working with this company in 2003. It was struggling financially & had no idea on its bank balance, what it was owed by customers & what it was owed by suppliers, not to mention PAYE & VAT. My first task was to painstakingly go through & correct all the existing financial information in order to reach a straight edge. I then contacted various third parties to explain the financial situation & was influential in obtaining a bank overdraft & loan to assist with the financing. Since then I have been responsible for all aspects of the company's accounts. The company has flourished, is debt free & highly profitable. I now visit the company for a day a week to keep on top of the accounts & cashflow & keep in close contact with the director.
Leisure - Turnover £2m
This business was using Sage accounts but had no idea what its numbers looked like. Following an initial review I switched to Quickbooks accounts & put in place detailed procedures & rules for the accounts staff to follow & trained them on the accounts system. I also worked with the management team to create granular budgets & KPI's for each area of the business to enable them to effectively manage all areas of the business.
Industry - Turnover £500k
The director of this business had always used Quickbooks accounts software & had relied on the company accountants to run the year end. He had no idea what the ongoing figures were, had to wait ages for his year end accounts and was always astounded at the accountant's bills. Since becoming involved, I have educated the director in specific areas of Quickbooks so the business can better manage its stock levels & operate more efficiently. I visit the company once a quarter to reconcile the accounts, prepare quarterly management figures & run the VAT. For the first time ever, the director can now view accurate live numbers, the year end process is quick & easy and his overall accountancy bills are less than half their previous level.
Leisure - Turnover £250k
This business had developed from a small scale club into a larger scale business but the accounts were still operating in the old way. Using the existing Sage accounts software I recreated the previous 12 months figures, trained the staff & have put in place the systems to ensure the accounts run smoothly. Together we changed the accounts structure to ensure the monthly figures were representative of the new business. I now visit once a quarter to reconcile the accounts, prepare management figures & run the VAT.
Consultancy - Turnover £1.5m
The MD of this business was running the accounts on spreadsheets with no accounting controls in place. I initially used manual controls to recreate a balance sheet & then set up Quickbooks accounts software with these opening balances. I now operate as part time Financial Controller. I have put in place sales, purchase & expense procedures and guidelines to ensure an efficient back office function. The accounts now run smoothly leaving the directors feeling in control & able to concentrate on building their business.
International Industry - Turnover £5m
The finance director of this business was going on maternity leave & needed a reliable, experienced finance director to handle the accounts function & reporting in her absence. I worked closely with the board of directors to ensure that consistent accurate numbers were reported to head office on a strict timely basis. I managed the small finance team on a daily basis and on the FD’s return completed a full handover.
International Consultancy - Turnover £1m
I look after the accounts for the European operation of a US Consultancy. This involves monthly payroll and management accounts, quarterly VAT & annual accounts preparation to International Accounting Standards. I am in regular contact with the group Finance Director based in USA.