About

“We estimate employees will have their own computers on their own desks within five years“ – 1991

This was a big “wow!” for me when I heard this whilst temping, at a computer firm in Salford Quays, in Manchester in 1991.

They sat me in front of a computer with a list of function keys so I could navigate the computer (no mouse in those days). I was asked to create a mail merge, using a software called Word Perfect, and I quickly learnt the use my favourite function key – F1 (which was Help).

My love of software began on that day in 1991.

“Check me out! I have an internal hard drive in my computer and it’s 65 MB! I’ll never fill it!” Karen Garrattley, 1992

When my husband became self-employed, a friend of my fathers showed me how to maintain a full double entry manual bookkeeping system. I didn’t always understand why I was posting figures in a certain way, but eventually it all came together like a jigsaw puzzle.

While temping at a computer firm in the early 1990s, I watched a demonstration of Sage. I was amazed – double entry was automatic and always balanced! Columns of figures were instantly added up! This was amazing.

I was seeing a computer version of my manual double entry bookkeeping system. I just had to have it.

From that day on, I’ve embraced new software, new ways of working, and most importantly, I enjoy showing and helping others.

For a long time I’ve felt bookkeepers have been second place to accountants, and completely undervalued.

“Karen, when are you going to train to be an accountant?“

Becoming an accountant was not on my agenda – it was not where I wanted to be. My passion was, and still is, software, and I continue to question manual processes and unconnected software.

It was many years before our accountant installed computers at their offices and so, in many ways, I had a headstart in the accounting software journey.

Over the years I’ve met wonderful people and I was privileged to gain a government funded contract which allowed me to develop training courses and 1-2-1 support on bookkeeping software – Sage 50 being the dominant accounting software for small to medium businesses. Many of the businesses I helped, and the bookkeepers I trained, are still clients today.

Software is ever changing and businesses have evermore complex needs such as partial exemption VAT, digital downloads, multiple sales channels (eBay, Shopify, Amazon), domestic reverse charge, construction industry scheme, payrolling benefits…. and the list goes on.

I was excited when cloud software became possible. No more tied to one location, no more backing up and restoring data, no more servers. I was able to use any device, even my phone.

Assessing, implementing, and supporting the software and processes a business may need, has become a job in itself, and most accountants don’t have a time for this.

I am privileged to be supported by an amazing team. They are from all walks of life and different backgrounds.

“I’ve never advertised for staff – we just seem to find each other.“

As I write this, I’m on my way home from two days at Accountex in London where I not only learned about new software but also how they are linking with other software, their new features, and cutting edge processes. There’s lots of chatter about AI and I’m watching carefully to see how it will integrate with our bookkeeping processes.

We will never stop changing and will continually evolve.

So what does COS Bookkeeping do now?

You can read all about our services here