{"id":7289,"date":"2020-02-10T17:02:05","date_gmt":"2020-02-10T17:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=7289"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:18:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:18:26","slug":"automate-your-practice-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/automate-your-practice-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Automate your practice: A guide for accountants and bookkeepers"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Strategy, Legal &amp; Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAutomate your practice: A guide for accountants and bookkeepers\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2020-02-10T17:02:05+00:00\">10 February, 2020<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Automate your practice: A guide for accountants and bookkeepers\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/automate-your-practice-guide\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/staceymcintosh\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/11\/Stacey-McIntosh-350-1.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Stacey McIntosh<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Delivering more value to clients should be high up on the agenda for any accountancy or bookkeeping practice. But the need to collate, organise and process large amounts of data as part of your daily workflow can easily get in the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help you tackle this challenge, it\u2019s worth turning to technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By automating the processes that are slowing you down \u2013 such as data entry for your bookkeeping or timesheet management if you\u2019re dealing with payroll \u2013 you can focus on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/\">elevating your performance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Automate your practice<\/strong> is a guide that will help you take the steps to improve how your accountancy or bookkeeping practice functions, so you can reduce the time spent on manual processes and spend that freed-up time on improving the client experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Automate your practice<\/strong> covers the following topics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Automation in practice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The foundations of automation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where to automate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The benefits of automation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automate your practice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start your automation journey with Sage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your practice success journey<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Help from Sage to automate your practice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-49a69323-b7fd-44ef-bdd6-7390feb5ce34\">Download your free copy of Automate your practice<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-an-excerpt-from-automate-your-practice\"><strong>An excerpt from Automate your practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Business is shifting to a near-live environment, so financial processes need to match the speed at which decisions are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Access to real-time data enables a transition to more proactive and informed decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For accountancy and bookkeeping practices, this opens up opportunities to change how you work with your clients, including the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accountants\/\">accountancy practice software<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Producing accurate and meaningful management accounts quickly, managing VAT and payroll efficiently, and completing year-end returns and tax information helps improve the visibility of business performance and cash outflows, and provides data that can lead to better decision making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/cp\/sageautomation\/\">Automation<\/a> is about creating the right controls and processes to manage the flow of information around revenue and costs. In turn, it helps to reduce the amount of time required to manually process and manipulate data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An agile service is a better service and forms the foundations of your future success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bridging-the-skills-gap-with-clients\"><strong>Bridging the skills gap with clients <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many small businesses still rely on paper-based records or aren\u2019t aware of the benefits and efficiencies that a digital approach delivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can create problems when it comes to timely reporting under an increased burden of regulation, and hamper their ability to remain competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some, automation could simply mean taking pictures of receipts on their phone and forwarding invoices by email can save considerable time and speed up bookkeeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such simple changes can have a direct impact on cash flow, including automated invoice credit control to reduce aged debts and boost their bank balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simplifying the payroll process and allowing staff to access their own payslip and personal data online could greatly reduce the amount of additional administration around printing, distribution or providing repeat information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Automate your practice<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Discover how you can use automation to reduce your manual processes, so you can elevate the performance of your accountancy or bookkeeping practice.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-49a69323-b7fd-44ef-bdd6-7390feb5ce34\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2019\/08\/FittonCo_SageOne_Accountants_2017_29310.5E3A0508_v2-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2019\/08\/FittonCo_SageOne_Accountants_2017_29310.5E3A0508_v2-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how automation can result in your accountancy or bookkeeping practice providing more value to your clients.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":346,"featured_media":11530,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[139,9,11],"tags":[224,180,16,47],"business_type":[115],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[67],"imagine_tag":[220,222],"coauthors":[353],"class_list":["post-7289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-free-guides-templates","category-strategy-legal-operations","category-technology-innovation","tag-accountant-automation","tag-business-performance","tag-grow-accounting-practice","tag-productivity","business_type-accountants"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Stacey 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