Lockdown Diaries Knutsford Admin

To keep all our businesses fresh in our minds (and not just the shops!) we’ve been asking a few of them to tell us more about themselves; how they are getting on during lockdown and what they are missing most about our town.

First up is Knutsford resident, Helen Rogers of Knutsford Admin, who gave her answers to Sandra Curties, Town Centre and Marketing Officer for Knutsford Town Council.

Tell us about your business?
I set up Knutsford Admin in 2011 to provide bookkeeping, payroll, secretarial and virtual admin services.  We were based in Parkgate but moved into the town centre and have since grown to a team of six. We love being in the centre of town, amidst the hustle and bustle, and were about to move into new premises when this happened.

How have you been helping clients during this time?
We have long-standing, trusted relationships with our clients and are continuing to work with them supporting them remotely, and we can see first-hand the financial impacts on these businesses. Sometimes we need to exchange paperwork but are managing to incorporate this into our ‘daily exercise’ slot – dropping off paperwork and scanning it to our secure ‘filing cabinet in the sky’ using Microsoft SharePoint so all the team can access it.

I feel I’ve become an expert on furlough by watching the daily Institute of Certified Bookkeepers TV updates – extremely useful when supporting clients who’ve had no choice but to furlough employees.

Can you share what you’ve applied for in terms of grants and funding?
It is disappointing that Cheshire East Council has been so slow to distribute the promised grants. Other local authorities have been quicker to react. At time of writing only one of our clients has received funds and this is taking a huge emotional toll on business owners. Clients are taking advantage of the VAT deferment but must remember it will need paying in the future.

Where are you up to with putting plans in place for when Knutsford re-opens?
We’re really excited about our upcoming office move into King Street as we LOVE Knutsford. The new office has a bespoke training room for delivering Excel and Word training and we’re planning to call it ‘The Lab’ to reflect our logo.  Top tip for teenagers – find an online course and learn to touch type. It might seem old-fashioned, but it’s an invaluable skill!

What message do you have for other businesses?
Bookkeeping isn’t boring; up-to-date financial information enables you to make the right strategic decisions and there are some excellent software packages out there, with Xero and QuickBooks being two of the best.

What do you miss most about not being open?

Where do I start? I’m an extrovert and get my energy from being around people. I can’t wait to catch up with everyone – Steph and Ollie from The Market Café, Mel and Peter from POP, Julia from Mr Simms, Caroline and Lee from The Prescription Service and of course, Techno Type!

Lockdown is over where will find the Knutsford Admin team?
It’s a tough one, but it must be Evuna or The Lost and Found!