General

Craft beer has never been so popular and, thanks to the so-called ‘craft beer revolution’, the UK has seen a huge rise in microbreweries.

Whether you’re just thinking of setting up an independent brewery or have already started selling your own beer, there’s a lot to consider when running a microbrewery - from product development and production, to bookkeeping and invoicing. Fortunately, there’s plenty of online tools and programs that can help.

Here’s how invoicing software like Debitoor can help you keep on top of your finances, and turn your passion for craft beer into a profitable business venture.

You have experience in yoga, and have an education for teaching, and now you’re getting ready to start your own business as a yoga teacher - that’s exciting!

You might have all the qualifications, and motivation, but unfortunately that is not all that is required in order to start a business. Why not? Because starting a business means that you are an entrepreneur, and now it is also your responsibility to deal with all the associated ad hoc tasks (both in the classroom, and behind).

Everyday we receive inquiries from our customers about invoicing. Some questions more frequent than others, but nevertheless all questions are good questions, and I can guarantee you that you are not the only one interested in the answers.

Despite using invoicing software that provides you with all the tools you need - or almost all - there will always be some questions and doubts which the software can’t answer for you. Therefore, in this article we will discuss five of the most frequently asked questions we receive about invoicing.

Working as a ski instructor is often considered a way of bringing together many exciting challenges which turn the ‘job’ into more of a hobby or recess. In particular, the mix of challenging pedagogical activity and self-determined life in a breathtaking landscape is already enough to catch the attention of many.

Bear in mind, the work itself is also exhausting. Ski instructors have to do find the balance between entertainment, and teaching. Often one of the most important topics in this industry is: safety. As a ski instructor you take on the responsibility of others safety, which can be quite the challenge with beginners in particular that tend to overestimate their abilities, and end up taking unnecessary risks.

When life gives you lemons: open up a lemonade shop, and use invoicing software to manage your accounting! Ok... not really, but hey if that's what you want to do then we support you all the way! Although that’s not exactly the topic of this article.

The topic we want to share with you today is about work-life balance, and how to find - and master - that harmony between the two. Because, let’s face it, sometimes life hands us lemons, and other times life throws us lemons at full speed, totally unexpected. That’s usually how things work these days, and we’ve gotten pretty used to expecting the unexpected.

Now down to the real stuff, what does “work-life balance” actually mean?

No matter whether you are doing your dream job, or studying your favourite course, it is highly likely that at some point there will come a time when you are overworked, stressed, and ready to throw the towel in.

Often, during these times, we're so focused on getting the job done that we don't realise how close we are to burning out until we actually do! But there are ways to avoid getting to this point, and we’re going to tell you how.

We all know what it feels like to have a pile of work hanging over your head, and not enough time to get it done. Ever heard of the phrase ‘Skipping university to catch up on university you missed because you’ve skip too much university’? Well we have, and unless you’re Rainman and can do the impossible, you’re in for a downward spiral.

The growth of small businesses in South Africa has quickly become one the most important and main drivers behind the economy. In South Africa, small and medium sized business account for over 90% of the entire country’s economy.

These small businesses all contribute in their own way to the economy, as they cover a wide diverse range of industry sectors.

Believe it or not, finding and hiring the right employee has a lot to do with the hiring process laid out from your end.

Hiring someone for your business can be a tough process. You want to hire someone who is not only qualified for the job and has the required skills and competencies, but also someone who will bring something good to the table, and fit with your business culture - on a more personal level.

Have you ever head of the saying “You gotta spend money to make money”? Well… more often than not this is probably very true. However, that does not mean that you are a lost cause if you do not have the money to spend.

Many people do not realise the amount of hard work tattoo artists put into their occupation. As if permanently inking somebody else's body was not enough stress, tattoo artists also have to deal with the hassle of scheduling client appointments, invoicing, tracking their business accounting, and many more.

In this article we will share some useful tips tools for tattoo artists in their business - and no, by tools we are not referring to needles…

Starting a business comes with many obligations, responsibilities, and planning. There is also a lot of research which needs to be conducted, including content strategy planning, market research, target audience, threats and opportunities, and many more.

However, before you can even begin to think about these factors, you need to think about the one crucial ingredient in order for your business to even take its first steps - funding.

Traditionally, bank loans tend to be the first thought for those looking for capital to start their business. In many cases, this might be a reasonable and efficient solution for you. Nowadays, however, people have been taking advantage of using more creative yet still realistic ways of raising capital.

Every so often, our customer support team receives a message asking about how to create an electronic invoice using Debitoor invoicing software.

While the difference between an electronic and online invoice might not be immediately clear, it should be noted that there is a distinct difference and it isn’t possible to create an electronic invoice with Debitoor.

This is due to the fact that the main difference lies in that an electronic invoice is a different file type that is delivered in a manner different from that used when issuing an online invoice. While an electronic invoice is online, it’s important to understand the differences.

Which is why we’ll provide a quick overview below...

As entrepreneurs and Mac users, you have probably experienced the frustration that comes with finding great business software that you then discover is not compatible with Mac.

Even when it comes to invoicing, many programmes aren’t designed for Mac. Leaving you with the options of...Word & Excel? There should be better alternatives.

And there are.

Are you among those who spend time tracking which customers still owe your company money? It could be because you have some particularly forgetful customers. But it might also be customers attempting to avoid payment for your product or service.

In either case, there are a few things you can try in order to provide a bit more incentive for paying your invoices on time and in full.

We get the question from time to time: ‘Can I download the software to my desktop?’. Because Debitoor is cloud-based, it actually isn’t possible to download the software. Debitoor is online invoicing and accounting software, which means there’s no need to download.

There are a couple of preconceived notions about software. Namely that:

• A programme or software must be downloaded, stored, and managed on a computer
• That the cloud is an obscure concept that isn’t accessible for everyone

Although January 31st may still seem a long way off, it might be time for freelancers and small business owners to start considering how they need to prepare. Or what they can do to be ready for their Self Assessment tax returns.

While there is a large amount of information available regarding who needs to file a self-assessment, what information they’ll need to complete it, and how they can do so, this can sometimes seem overwhelming and conflicting.

It doesn’t need to be. HMRC provides a fairly clear and straightforward resource for self-assessment, starting with an online wizard to help you determine whether you need to do so.

Are all invoice templates created equal? Each day there are countless numbers of people searching for ‘invoice template’ online. Try yourself - when you search for it in Google, you get over 6 million results!

The number goes down a bit when you make the search more specific: for example adding ‘Word and Excel’ to the search. This narrows your selection down to just 2.5 million. Still a bit of a feat trying to find the right one.

Debitoor Stories - where Debitoor users share their experiences as entrepreneurs and small business owners!

In the second article of Debitoor Stories, we speak with Martin, a business owner in the property inspection field in South Africa.

Martin shares how his eye for detail, passion for working with people, and dedication to ensuring a safe environment, have contributed to expertise in his field and success in his business.

Why is it important to write invoices that are clear? To put it simply: because the goal of communication is understanding between those involved. Today, with current technology, we spend most of our days communicating via the written word, whether through email, SMS, or chat.

Despite the fact that we seem to be writing more than ever, is our writing actually improving? Are we always clear in our emails or messages? Is it possible to be more clear?

With invoicing, we think so. And we think it can also be easy. So we want to talk about just a few reasons it’s important to write clear invoices.

How much time do you spend each month creating and sending invoices? Based on feedback from Debitoor users, we know that the most important thing is to provide a process that enables easy and fast invoicing in order to get paid faster.

We don’t think that making an invoice should take a long time. We aim to help you save time and still produce the professional-looking invoices that will help your business prosper.

To make invoicing as easy and as fast as possible, we’ve developed a few useful features that allow to save crucial minutes on producing each invoice...

During our annual team days, we set aside time to contact users directly and discuss their specific usage of the software and the workflow for their business.

We contacted a user located in Reykjavik, Iceland, who works in costume design and production for various theatres, television programmes, and film. An artist by trade, but still using a simple pen and paper for invoices before he found Debitoor.

Hard to believe, isn’t it? He explained to us that since using Debitoor and the invoice templates and designer to create professional-looking invoices, he’s found that he gets paid faster than before.

Need more reasons to design your invoices? Here are just a few...

Introducing our new series: Debitoor Stories, where we talk to Debitoor users about their experiences as entrepreneurs and small business owners!

Our premiere article features Caroline of Trossachs.co.uk.

If you have invoices that you need to send out each month, to the same customers, with the same products and details, you might be wondering about recurring invoices.

Enter Invoice Recur. A team of skilled developers have created an extension that links easily to your Debitoor account and allows you to schedule your invoices to recur automatically!

An oft-referenced part of UK society, the hidden economy refers to businesses that either don’t pay tax, or under-report their tax.

While many that fall into this category don’t realise their mistake, there are indeed others that intentionally and deceptively work to disguise taxable income.

In August, HMRC released a series of consultations revealing increased power and search capabilities in uncovering businesses that are operating in the hidden economy.

These tactics will include a multi-pronged approach from search to tightening advisory requirements in order to find the unregistered in the crowd.

On September 15th and 16th, Debitoor held its annual ‘Team Days’. Over the course of these two days, members from all of our offices got together to participate in workshops, meetings, and brainstorming sessions aimed at one goal: improving the Debitoor user experience.

We took the time to share the main questions, concerns, and requests and to discuss plans for the future as well as reflect on past successes and opportunities for improvement.

As an entrepreneur, the opportunities for learning are seemingly endless. But you might also seek education in the form of professional courses, online training, or workshops.

If you’re looking to brush up on some business skills or learn something new, or if you’ve already completed that online course, you may be surprised to see the price tag on some of the more professional options.

As a self-employed individual, your investment in your own knowledge and skills is arguably money that you are investing in the growth of your business.

So whether you’re considering signing up or looking over expenses at tax time, you might wonder it those training courses that are related to running your business are eligible to be tax deductible.

Is it time for your business to be VAT registered? If the turnover (not profit) for your business is over £83,000 in a 12-month period in the UK, it’s a requirement for your business to be registered with HMRC.

Many entrepreneurs and small businesses struggle with the decision of whether to get VAT registered early on, or wait until they hit the VAT threshold before they deal with registration. But should you register if you are under the threshold? What would that mean for your business?

These are just a few of the questions that come up for entrepreneurs when it comes to VAT registration. The answers depend very much on your particular business, as well as personal preference.

You’ve taken the leap and launched your business. Whether it started as a side project and grew, or you committed 110pc from the beginning, you may reach a point where you realise that there’s suddenly a bit too much work for just one person alone.

Hiring employees is a big step for a small business. Transitioning from self-employed to employer comes with some seemingly complex steps, but with a little guidance it should be fairly painless.

Before tackling the registration changes, it’s important to consider which role should be filled first in order to maximise business operations.

Becoming your own boss, whether as a full-time position or a part-time, is an undeniably empowering and exciting step. This move towards independence, towards pursuing your own agenda, towards a new lifestyle is what we all strive to find in building our own business.

No matter the size, the thrill of running a business can sometimes be overshadowed by the more tedious and often intimidating aspects necessary to ensure that it’s on the right track.

Business finances are a common culprit for stress with freelancers and small business owners. Especially for those without much experience in handling business accounts themselves.

There’s good news for parents who are self-employed. The new tax-free childcare scheme that will be launched in early 2017 now makes it easier and more accessible for more parents to take advantage of tax-free childcare.

In early 2017, a new scheme will be introduced for childcare. Unlike the current scheme, the new system will feature a digital registration and account for which all parents, including the self-employed, will be able to register.

While there are some pros and cons for parents and employers, what will these changes mean for childminders? When the new scheme is rolled out, there are a few things that are important to keep in mind in order to be included.

Claiming for expenses can be complicated. You want to get the most out of your claims but it’s not always clear what can be claimed and what shouldn’t be included. Especially if you work as a childminder in the UK.

Most individuals in this field work from their homes, minding children for working parents. Childminders face a variety of costs in running their business, many of which are eligible for claiming against tax.

While income is usually subject to Income Tax as gross income, if you’re a childminder and a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY), you could benefit from the agreement between HMRC and PACEY concerning the expenses that you are able to claim against tax.

Businesses ‘going green’ and becoming more sustainable was all the rage a few years ago. It was trendy, but it also produced meaningful long-term results.

This year, 9 UK companies were rated in the top 100 most sustainable businesses around the world in independent media company Corporate Knight’s annual rankings.

Today, more and more businesses are incorporating green strategies, such as cutting down on waste, replacing office lighting with more eco-conscious alternatives, and using low-flow toilets, for example.

These are businesses with the resources to invest in the more sustainable, but often also more expensive solutions. For most startups and SMEs, sustainability isn’t a primary concern when the focus is more about getting things off the ground and generating a profit.

If you’ve borrowed money from your company, you’ve taken what’s called a ‘director’s loan’. That is, if you’re the director of a company who has withdrawn funds from your business other than your salary with the intention of repaying the funds to the account.

For sole traders and partnerships, borrowing money from your business is considerably more straightforward.

However, when working as an entrepreneur with a close company, this area can get slightly tricky - especially if your director’s loan account becomes overdrawn, and because you may be required to pay tax on the amount.

An overdrawn director’s account means that you have borrowed more money than you have put into the company.

It’s never easy to start a business. Especially when you sit down and work out the numbers. Finances are (and should be) a primary area of focus before you begin, when you launch, and throughout the lifespan of your company.

But they’re not always fun. If you’ve bootstrapped (started a business with little capital - perhaps just your own savings or borrowed from family and friends), you may reach a point when you start to wonder whether it’s time to seek some additional funding from external sources.

The goal of many bootstrapped startups is to get to the phase where they can attract investors. These investors usually take the form of business angels or venture capitalists, depending on what stage your business has reached.

With the large influx of capital that comes from successfully luring an interested external investor, business potential can increase exponentially. However, there are a few things to take into consideration both before you begin seeking investors, as well as before accepting one.

An astonishing percentage of SMEs in the UK recently reported that collecting payment from customers is one of the main hindrances in their business success. Over £2.4 billion is written-off by small businesses each year in the UK alone.

You’ve heard it before: the importance of having a solid business plan, from the beginning, in order to 'hit the ground running'.

While you’re probably aware of the benefits of taking the time to sit down and think through your goals, your restrictions, your resources, and what you ultimately want to make of your company, the impact of a good business plan are likely further reaching than you might first realise.

The goal of running your own business is one shared by many. While those who have the time, resources, and desire to dive in without looking back, it’s easier to quit the day job and commit 100pc to your new venture.

For others, this may not be an option, or they may prefer to wade in, in order to test the waters and get their footing. There are a number of reasons to keep your day job while taking the first steps toward self-employment.

Setting out as a freelancer or founding a small business is exciting but is not without its set of challenges and obstacles. In the beginning phases, or when launching a new project, one of the major issues faced by entrepreneurs is that of funding.

While capital can be gained through outside investors, loans, or personal accounts, often the more simple ways to find funding can be found in the structure of your business itself. By using one of the following business models, you allow your customers to supply the funding.

As a freelancer or small business owner, you may sometimes find yourself a bit overwhelmed by all the different aspects of managing a company. Invoicing and accounting have the poor reputation of being one of the more time consuming and, let’s be honest, less fun parts of running your business.

But with a few tips and the help of cloud-based invoicing and accounting software like Debitoor, these tedious tasks can be managed more quickly and easily than ever before. With technology and a little dedication, your accounts can be running smoothly.

Starting your own business can involve a fair amount of creative work. From your company name to logo, ads to website, even unique products that your company might produce.

Each original design, work or product is considered the property of you as an individual or of your business. However, it can be a bit confusing to remember which is which, as well as whether your company needs to apply for protection of your branding or inventions.

There are three main types of protection for this type of property: patents, copyrights, and trade marks. Each is important if it applies to your business, so read on to learn more.

As a sole trader considering the transition to a limited company, the most common deterrent usually has something to do with the cost. Sole traders are in charge of their own accounts and Self Assessment returns and often incorrectly assume that as a limited company, the costs for these services would be too high.

As a freelancer or self-employed worker, it is often important to cut down on costs whenever possible. If you run your own business, there are many expenses you may not be claiming against tax. Find out if you are making the most of your status by claiming the maximum from your expenses.

This week, the Bank of England expressed concerns about Buy-to-Let Investment and lending levels. New rules have been proposed that aim to tighten requirements for landlords involved in investment properties and limit the amount that can be borrowed for these types of endeavours.

This reaction comes from recent suggestions that mass buy-to-let property management could have a destabilising effect on the UK economy.

The rules put a spotlight on lenders, encouraging them to require more extensive financial information from the potential landlord before granting a mortgage.

The requirements go beyond ensuring the rental income of the property is significantly higher than the mortgage payments (the income coverage ratio), to also considering an individual’s overall financial situation.

The UK has seen the fastest growth in self-employment in Western Europe over the past couple of years. As a sole trader or small business, it's important to have a good grasp on your business finances, how you and your employees are compensated, and what this means for tax purposes. There are a number of ways you can minimise your tax, but first:

What are the differences between employees and the self-employed?

So what does this mean for your tax? Self-employed individuals can be exempt from PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) - a withholding tax on income and employee income payments. Determining whether you and/or your employees fall in this category is a first step in reducing tax on your business.

During last week, we encountered several issues with our database provider and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.

These issues have now been addressed and to ensure we do not encounter these or similar issues again we have decided to switch service provider.

So, on Saturday 13th February we're moving and upgrading part of our infrastructure to something bigger, faster and better, which means that Debitoor will not be available from 3pm to 9pm GMT.

This change goes along with our ongoing commitment to provide a continuously improving and secure platform for you to work on.

Small Businesses dominate Britain and Self Employment in the UK has the fastest growth rate in Western Europe. Here you have a few interesting statistics from the Federation of Small Businesses.

• There was a record of 5.4 million private sector businesses at the start of 2015.
• This is an increase of 146,000 since 2014 and 1.9 million more since 2000.
• Small businesses accounted for 99.3% of all private sector businesses at the start of 2015 and 99.9% were small or medium-sized (SMEs).

The new year is finally here! And you perhaps have already asked us this question: How should I number my invoices in 2016?

This year we would like to give you a recommendation. At Debitoor we advise you to place the beginning of the year number to your sequential numbers.

For example: 160001, where "16" is the year 2016 and the average number of zeros depends on how many invoices you have planned to create in 2016.

By the time you actually start trading, you may have spent thousands of pounds on research and setting up the business.

Provided you have formally notified HM Revenue & Customs that you have started up a business, most of these costs are usually allowable as business expenses in the first year.

In this blog, you will find relevant information on Pre Trading expenses, Simplified v's Actual expenses and Capital Allowances on equipment.

As you might know by now, it is Self Assessment time and even though you can submit yours from April on, most returns are filled out online in December and in January. So, if you are about to start filling your self assessment, I recommend you to watch Ruth Owens's - HRMC Director General Personal Tax - video where you will find great advice on submitting your self assessment.

As you can see on the following chart, created by HMRC, in 2012, the majority of returns were filed in January, and the trend continues until today.

Around one in nine (11%) of the 560,000 people in Inner London who had to send in a tax return last year didn’t do so by the relevant deadline – 31 October for paper returns and 31 January for online submissions.

Debitoor is pleased to announce the partnership with the Association of UK Accountants. This organisation works with 300 independent accounting practices accross the UK and all the accountants are Chartered Management Accountants. If you're on a lookout for someone to handle your numbers, just head over to the dedicated Debitoor page and pick your local from the Accountant list.

Following this, we had a chat with Steve Bicknell - the Business Development Director for the Association of UK Accountants to find out what the business he represents is all about and to shine the light on the most common accounting mishaps.

Your job is done. You have given the customer exactly what he wants and you’re feeling pretty good about yourself.

The professionalism and high standards of your work might speak for itself, but don’t forget about the last phase:

Send an invoice with a sophisticated, gorgeous and professional look as the icing on the cake (the cake being your fine work, of course).

We've been keeping this one quiet and today we're happy to introduce you to the brand new Debitoor website!

So, instead of seeing this when you log in to do your invoicing:

Reaching 200,000 users reaffirms our dedication to achieving what we work for: Making your invoicing and accounting life easier.

We will continue to do our best to become better every day and build on the things that make us strong.

Lots of ideas but little money – a typical situation for many startups. A concept that promises solutions is crowdsourcing.

And indeed: Drawing on external stakeholders to support your business activities has the potential to deliver fast results and produce interesting ideas.

2013 is coming to an end it's been a year which has truly exceeded my expectations in many ways.

Launched in Germany in early 2012 as a subtle experiment and later the same year in the UK, Debitoor celebrated its 1st birthday this year.

My clear mission of creating a simple solution for the busy small business owner who considers accounting nothing but a necessary evil has proven worthwhile.

If you've downloaded an invoice template for MS Word or Excel, you'd know that with excellent copy & pasting skills and a good deal of patience, you can create your business invoice with your own logo and design, include all the information you want on it and save and overwrite it for your next invoice.

And if you already have these programs installed for other purposes or are running on trial versions of them, you can even create your Word or Excel invoices for free.

What's not to like?

Well, you should ask yourself the following questions before you make up your mind as to whether to use an invoice template and overwrite it with each new invoice - or to go for invoice software like Debitoor which does the work for you.

I'm a strong believer in that you should convert your passion into your profession. It's the greatest feeling of waking up in the morning and knowing that you're going to be doing something you truly like for the whole day.

The best way to start is to look into your hobbies and think if you could turn them into business. You could be into photography, interior design, translation or even fashion blogging - there's always a way to turn these into a full-time profession.

I know a good few students that were tired of searching the overcrowded and over-demanding job market and have set up on their own and also helped out their fellow students by taking them on board. Nowadays, entrepreneurs have become new rockstars. Whether you’re in for fame, extra income or testing out your business prowess, there are some legalities you should know about.

This time I'll tell you about types of businesses that you can register.

Today we are happy to announce that Debitoors free (and premium) invoicing service is now available in 5 additional countries bringing the total number of supported countries to 24 with even more on the way. The ones we have added today are:

• Ecuador
• Hong Kong
• Iceland

We've created a new invoicing/accounting program for the English market earlier this year called Debitoor. We are targeting small company owners, freelancers and newly established companies who are on the lookout for a straightforward invoicing program.

Based on a lot of customer feedback and numerous suggestions we have tailored Debitoor to fit even more of your needs. Incorporating the ability to invoice in gross or net price, the option to choose between several units and the way you pay us, are just some your suggestions we have included.

An important concept for us is the ease of use and we're happy to find that we're still able to stick to our principle that "less is more" in our quest for continuous improvements.