The COS Crew News

Welcome to the new section of our newsletter. A section about our staff and members and what they’ve been up to. From classroom achievements to live gigs, we have it all.

Dancing with the Gay Gordons

Karen and Di went to the Gay Gordans dance on Saturday 7th April and had a fantastic evening supporting Dave Taylor and his dance troop.

You can find out more about their upcoming events here.

Petworking? Never heard of it? You have now…

50 people, 22 dogs and 12 pet businesses came together at No 1 Spinningfields the ultimate pet-friendly networking experience. Di and her daughter Carys, who owns Mojo Pet Companions, attended the event. You can see the full article and spot Di on the video here.

Bookkeeper by Day, Classic Rock Lead Guitarist by night: Sean Corker

If you’re a fan of classic rock then check out Sean’s band Silent Victory. They’ll be playing at The Globe, Glossop on the 18th May. Full details here.

Meeting old friends and making new ones at Sage Sessions

On the 18th April Karen, Di and Becky were at Sage Sessions. They had a wonderful time catching up with the Sage UK team and learning about all the new and exciting upcoming tech.

The Difference between a Bookkeeper and an Accountant

People often believe Bookkeeping and Accountancy to be the same job. Sometimes people aren’t even sure what Bookkeeping is and think it has something to do with libraries. Bookkeeping is part of the Accountancy process and essential for the Accountant to be able to do their job. Below you’ll find a summary of the differences and the similarities in our roles.

The Financial Process

We are the first step in the Accountancy process: we organise, collate, and create detailed financial records for businesses. The Accountant then builds on the information provided by us to analyse, interpret and create reports. This helps the business owner to make informed financial decisions.

Financial Software and Systems

We often find that Accountants come to us for software advice for themselves and their clients. This is not to say that they do not offer software advise themselves, they just usually value the advice of a Bookkeeper. Generally, this is due to our experience with a range of systems and processes on a day-to-day basis.

If we feel your current software/system is preventing you from processing your financials efficiently and accurately then we will say so. It’s in our best interest and yours, to ensure that your financial records are kept in the best possible way they can be.

Details vs The Bigger Picture

Accountants generally deal with the bigger financial picture, whereas Bookkeepers focus on the details. Accountants can offer overall tax and financial advice to support the business whereas Bookkeepers investigate the details.

Anti-Money Laundering and Theft

If we notice anything suspicious in the details of someone’s accounts (i.e money being transferred to an unknown party with no invoice trail) we will investigate this. We would work with the Accountant to trace the funds and if we believe that money laundering is occurring we can report this.

Cost

Accountants are generally more expensive than Bookkeepers but that doesn’t mean you should go to a Bookkeeper expecting them to the job of an Accountant for a lower cost.  As you can see from the above, we have different skill sets.

Final note

Ultimately, Bookkeepers and Accountants work alongside each other throughout your financial journey. Having both can be likened to a safety net over your financials, you’ll know where you are financially and be able to plan for the future.

If you’d like to train to be a Bookkeeper or want to get back into Bookkeeping please get in touch. Please contact: carol@cosbookkeeping.co.uk 0161 850 3355

Masquerade Ball already sold 1/4 of tickets!

With just 3 months to go, we’ve already sold 1/4 of the tickets and many are rushing to get groups together to reserve entire tables over the next few weeks. So if you are planning to join us, it might be time to get at least your deposit down (final balance due before 7th June). With the ticket sales ending in just 2 months, there’s no time to lose!

Thanks to our sponsors

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Sage, CVSL , EKW and Target Plastering for sponsoring our ball! Thanks to them, we can now raise more funds for the charity! Please visit their websites and take a look at the amazing products and services they provide. They are genuinely lovely companies to work with.

Can you help?

If there’s anything you can do to help from this list, we would greatly appreciate it:

• Donate Sponsorship money (min £50)
  • Benefits of sponsorship:
    – An advert in the event programme
    -Mentions in email marketing to over 1,500 people
    – Option of distributing your promotional material in our guest goody bags
• Donate any of these items:
  • Alcohol
  • Toiletries
  • Confectionery
  • Helium (for the balloons of course!)
• Donate Auction prizes
• Buy Tickets

If you can help in any way please contact becky@cosbookkeeping.co.uk or call 0161 850 3355

Upcoming Events

Pets’ Adoption Corner

We have teamed up with the Society for Abandoned Animals to bring you: Pets’ Adoption Corner. This section of our newsletter will now be devoted to animals that are in need of a home.

Meet Zoe, a rabbit who has been in the care of the SAA for 2 and half years! She’s in desperate need of a good home and an owner who’s full of love. If you’d like to watch a video of Zoe in action and want to find out more please click here.