LilyIris Construction Accounting Ltd

Business owners, finish this sentence...
"The one bit of running my business I would happily NEVER do again is ........''

Is it...

Bookkeeping?
Chasing invoices?
VAT returns?
Admin?
Payroll?
Doing your own marketing?
Or that one job you have been moving from one week's to-do list to the next since approximately 2019? 😂

Running a business means wearing an extraordinary number of hats, and we all have at least one we'd happily throw in the bin.

Sam's curious...

What's yours?

Pop it in the comments. And yes, you're allowed to say accounts. We promise not to be offended. 😂

September always feels a little bit like January for business owners.

The summer holidays are over, everyone is properly back at their desks and suddenly all those things you were going to deal with "after the summer" are staring at you again. 👀

So, while you're getting back into the swing of things, here are a few financial jobs worth putting on your September list:

✔️ Check what your cash flow is actually looking like
✔️ Have a look at outstanding invoices
✔️ Review your costs and subscriptions
✔️ Check you're putting enough aside for tax
✔️ Look at how the business is performing against where you wanted it to be
✔️ And if your accounts are currently living in a folder marked "I'll deal with that later"... perhaps open the folder. 😂

You don't need to overhaul everything in one afternoon.

But September is a really good time to get a clear picture of where your business stands and what you want the final few months of the year to look like.

And if you'd rather have somebody help you make sense of it all, that's exactly what we're here for.

Bank Holiday Monday 🐾⛳
If you’ve spotted Sam out and about on a golf course this summer, there’s a fair chance she’s been combining two of her favourite things!

She’s been lucky enough to play at a few different courses, but The Kendleshire is very much home. And this summer she’s had another little project on the go too... training the dogs so that eventually they can join her out on the course. 🐶⛳

But as August draws to a close, there’s definitely that familiar feeling that September is nearly here.

The holidays start coming to an end. Everyone gets properly back to work. Diaries fill up again. And for lots of business owners, it’s the time of year when thoughts turn back to the business and the things that may have been pushed down the list over the summer.

It’s the same here at LilyIris.

We’ve welcomed some lovely new clients recently and September is looking busy, but Sam’s diary is open for new clients who are looking for a little more support with their business and accounts.

So if September has you thinking it might be time to get a bit more organised, understand your numbers better, or finally find an accountant who feels like part of your business, come and have a chat.

For today, though, it’s still Bank Holiday Monday... so we’ll allow one last day of summer mode.

What do you actually want from your accountant?
Someone who files everything on time? Of course.

But surely that should be the starting point.

For me, it’s about knowing the business behind the numbers too.

Understanding what you’re trying to achieve. Spotting things you might have missed. Explaining things without drowning you in accounting jargon. And being someone you can actually pick up the phone and talk to.

Especially in construction, where cash flow, CIS, VAT, job costs and margins can all get complicated very quickly.

Your accountant should feel like part of your business, not somebody you hear from once a year.

What’s the ONE thing you value most in a good accountant?

Busy doesn’t always mean profitable.
It’s one of the biggest traps construction businesses can fall into.

The diary is full.
The team is flat out.
Money is coming in.

So everything must be going well… right?

Not necessarily.

If you don’t know what each job is actually costing you, how much margin you’re making and where the money is going, you can be incredibly busy without making the profit you think you are.

Good accounting isn’t just about submitting the numbers.

It’s about understanding them well enough to make better business decisions.

And that can make a huge difference.

📣 We’re hiring!
We’re looking for an experienced Accountant to join the LilyIris team in Chipping Sodbury.

This is a full-time, hybrid role for someone who enjoys variety, likes working with a range of clients and wants to be part of a friendly, busy team where no two days are quite the same.

The role will include preparing statutory accounts and tax computations, producing management accounts, budgetary planning, analysing business performance and regular communication with clients.

We’re looking for someone with:

✔️ A minimum of 2 years’ experience within an accounting practice
✔️ AAT Level 4 qualification or above
✔️ Good knowledge of Xero and/or FreeAgent
✔️ Excellent attention to detail
✔️ Strong IT and communication skills

📍 Chipping Sodbury
🏡 Hybrid working, 50% office and 50% home
🕒 Full-time position

Sound like you, or know someone who might be perfect for us?

📧 Send your CV to [email protected]

And please do share this post. The right person could be sitting in someone else’s network!

Construction business owners… which one are you?

A) Receipts neatly filed as you go
B) Everything gets dealt with once a week
C) There’s currently a collection of receipts in the van, your pockets and possibly the kitchen drawer 😂

No judgement here. We’ve seen it all.

Running a construction business means you’ve usually got far more interesting things to do than keep on top of paperwork.

That’s where having the right accountant behind you can make life a whole lot easier.

So come on… A, B or C?

🎉 WE ARE RECRUITING 🎉
Due to continued expansion, LilyIris Accounting is looking for an Accountant to join our Business Services Team.

We're looking for someone who enjoys a varied workload, thrives in a busy environment and wants to be part of a friendly, dynamic team.

The role will include:

✔ Day-to-day bookkeeping
✔ Credit control
✔ Fixed asset accounting
✔ Period end adjustments
✔ CIS returns
✔ VAT returns
✔ Producing management accounts
✔ Regular client communication
✔ Other ad hoc duties as required

We're looking for someone with:

✔ A minimum of 2 years' experience working within an accounting practice
✔ Excellent attention to detail
✔ A minimum AAT Level 3 qualification
✔ Good knowledge of Xero and/or FreeAgent
✔ Strong IT skills
✔ Excellent verbal and written communication skills

📍 Based in Chipping Sodbury
🏡 Hybrid working - 50% office based, 50% home working
🕒 Full-time position

If you're looking for a role where no two days are quite the same and you'd like to work with a great range of clients, we'd love to hear from you.

📧 Please send your CV to: [email protected]

Please feel free to share this post with anyone who may be interested.

Quick question for the trades…

What’s the one job you ALWAYS put off until the last possible minute?

🧾 Sorting receipts
💷 Chasing invoices
📧 Doing the admin
📊 Looking at the accounts
🤦‍♂️ All of the above

No judgement here.

We work with construction businesses. We already know there are some jobs you’d rather be doing.

So, which one are you guilty of?