Author Archives: Sarah Taylor

Why Pleo is perfect for business owners in the behind-the-scenes film industry

filmmaker working with his camera, Pleo is perfect for film industry

Whether you have a team or you’re a freelancer operating on your own, using Pleo brings a huge number of benefits to businesses in the film & TV industry. Similar to a prepaid debit card, it makes expenses (and life!) a lot easier to manage and organise. No more overspending, lost receipts or missing expense…

How do I know if my film shoot was truly profitable?

profitable film shoot

When you’re spending weeks or even months working on set for a film or TV shoot, it’s incredibly disheartening to simply break even. If you long for the day when you exclusively work on projects which guarantee a good return, looking at the profit breakdown of each project is the solution. Understanding the profitability of…

How to save tax when buying equipment in the film industry

tax savings film equipment

As a small business owner in the behind-the-scenes film and TV industry, you’re no stranger to incurring regular expenses for your work. Whether it’s restocking SD cards or battery packs, you’re used to budgeting for these consumable items and processing them as regular expenses. But what happens when you have to fork out for a…

Why does the film industry need to embrace digital accounting?

film industry embrace digital accounting

Whether you’re a cinematographer, sound engineer, director or choreographer, you’re juggling a jam-packed schedule while trying to maintain the financial side of your business. After long days on set, you just want your accounting to be as simple and stress-free as possible. Digital accounting is the answer. We’ve seen first-hand how transformative it’s been for…

Why is Xero better than spreadsheets?

xero better than spreadsheets

It’s finally the end of a long week. You’re ready to switch off, curl up on the sofa…but then you remember you’ve got to log and organise your business’s finances in Excel or Google Sheets. It’s a time-consuming, arduous chore you could really do without. You started your small business to do what you love,…

Why is it better to have monthly bookkeeping than pay for a cleanup once per year?

monthly bookkeeping

Great bookkeeping is your business’s little superpower. It lays out your financial data to tell a story, mapping out the past, helping predict the future and acting as a compass for those big, growth-generating decisions. But finding the time to keep your books in good order is difficult alongside running your business. Surely you can…

How many times per year do I need to look at my financial reports for my business?

Financial reports are an important part of understanding where your business is now and planning for where you want it to be in the future.   But exactly how often do you need to be reviewing these reports? Advice you find on the internet varies drastically, from some suggesting a simple annual review to others insisting…

Why is my ecommerce business lacking cash?

ecommerce business cash flow

You’ve been working hard on your ecommerce business, and it feels like it’s paying off: you’re making more sales, attracting new, loyal customers and increasing your profit.  Despite all these positive signs,  there are still times when you feel cash-starved. You’re worried about paying suppliers late, stressing over bills and constantly checking your bank account…

Am I paying too much VAT for my ecommerce business?

VAT for ecommerce

Value Added Tax (VAT) accounts for 17% of the £732 billion of tax revenue collected a year by HMRC. While you’re hyper diligent about not underpaying VAT for your ecommerce business and being hit with costly interest rates or penalty fees, you also don’t want to end up overpaying and losing out on money that’s…

Taking Advantage Of The New EU Vat Rules Coming On 1 July 2021

What are the changes on the 1st of July? If you sell items with a value of up to 150 euros (excluding the postage cost), you can register for the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS). You can choose which EU country to register for IOSS in. The key is that the total value of the…

Katie

Senior Accountant

My favourite part of what I do is seeing our clients grow and enjoy their success. From helping clients with tax returns to undertaking monthly and quarterly reviews, I relish the variety of tasks and great people I get to work with in my day-to-day. Having gone back to college in my 40s to gain my accountancy qualifications, I now love working in an approachable, helpful team…and I pride myself on making a top-notch cuppa for my colleagues in the office!

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with the people who make me happy. You’ll find me going for walks with my family, friends and adorable labradoodle. My motto? Work hard, play hard!

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Sarah

Director

I founded Tailored after spending many years in the corporate world craving a work-life balance. Wanting to spend more time with my young children without sacrificing my career, my aim was to help small business owners achieve that same balance. I’d always loved numbers and how they can tell a story, explain the past and help predict the future, so I wanted to use that power to support entrepreneurs. 

It’s been an incredible journey growing my business while also seeing our clients also grow theirs. I’m now surrounded by a wonderful team, united in our values of family and learning. We’re a people-oriented firm that loves face-to-face client meetings over a hot cuppa, and we always prioritise the work/life balance Tailored was built on.

Outside of work, I’m a huge advocate for increasing support in schools for children with autism and ADHD. I love staying active, enjoying a stroll in the woods or going to the gym, and one of my proudest achievements is completing the “Couch to 5k” challenge!

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Tula

Office Manager

I’m all about building strong client relationships, and due to the nature of my role I’m lucky enough to work with almost all of our wonderful clients. I make sure they’re onboarded properly and have a friendly point of contact for any admin queries, as well as liaising with them to complete confirmation statements, payroll and bookkeeping.

My role also means I get to arrange events and office celebrations for our fantastic team. Outside of work, you’ll find me spending time with family and friends, drinking copious amounts of coffee or dancing the night away at a concert!

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Hayley

Senior Accountant

Before our firm merged with Tailored in 2022, I was the owner of Martin & Co Accountants for 13 years. I love working with and helping our clients of all sizes, from small sole traders to multi-million-pound companies. I’m FCCA qualified and my role means I deal with all aspects of accounting, from bookkeeping to management accounts and tax returns.

Many moons ago I used to play ice hockey as a goalie, and while I’m no longer on the ice, you might well find me in the snow! I love to travel, whether it’s soaking up the sun on a beach, skiing down a snow-topped mountain or scuba-diving among schools of colourful fish!

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Kerri

Trainee Accountant

I’m currently doing my accounting degree, which means I get to apply everything I learn in my university course to my role at Tailored. It’s a fantastic way to get hands-on experience with lovely clients and a collaborative team, and my next step will be working towards an ACCA qualification.

I mainly work with sole traders and limited companies, assisting with their bookkeeping to organise their transactions. When I’m not at work, I enjoy doing watersports and love spending time with animals, whether it’s walking my dog or horseriding.

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Julie

Semi-Senior Accountant

As the go-to person for all things related to management accounts, I work with clients of all sizes. I’m a fully qualified chartered management accountant. From one-man bands up to large limited companies, I love the variety of businesses I interact with every day.

In the office, you’ll find me organising clients’ transactions and payrolls fuelled by a hefty cup of my favourite coffee and a sweet treat. Outside of work, I’m somewhat of an adrenaline seeker; I once abseiled down Table Mountain in South Africa!

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Ruth

Assistant Accountant

For me, it’s all about the end result. I get great satisfaction from compiling data to produce accounts, and it’s made even better by the approachable and friendly clients I work with. My favourite part of what I do is putting together management and year-end accounts, and I love the fact we get to help local businesses.

I have a penchant for organisation, even running the admin for my son’s football team! It’s something we’re all involved in as a family, with my husband also helping out with coaching. When I’m not cheering on my boys’ football team, you’ll find me flexing my creative muscles. I love art and design and enjoy getting involved in anything crafty.

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Sarah R.

Senior Accountant

I like to take a people-first approach in all of my work. From cutting out the financial jargon to using clear communication to help clients develop their business, I always aim to connect to the human. I trained in industry alongside Sarah Taylor and I’m also a fully qualified chartered management accountant.

I’m the office go-to person for property and e-commerce accounting, and take pride in providing accountancy services and tax expertise to small businesses in a timely manner. The outdoors is my happy place, and I love going for walks with my family and breathing in the fresh air. A few years ago I climbed the Three Peaks; Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scaffel Pike…but not at the same time!

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Will

Bookkeeper

Supporting local and family businesses is something that’s close to my heart, as Tailored’s founder Sarah is my sister! I look after the bookkeeping and VAT returns for a variety of clients, including those in the film and TV industry.

My day-to-day involves getting hands-on with Xero and QuickBooks and helping business owners make sense of their finances. When I’m not helping clients harness the power of their numbers, I love spending time with my young son or enjoying a classic episode of Only Fools and Horses. Of course, all with a good brew in hand.

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