@Peter1891 I understand what you are going through and it seems like you are in exactly the same as me this time last year.
I was too busy to cope myself, I didn't start my buisness with loads of cash so I was working all the hours I could and doing all the paperwork and accounts aswell. Eventually I found the bookkeeping was holding me back from getting in help from people it was all the worries about doing it right eg. How do I pay them? how to deduct CIS etc? All that stuff.
First thing I would say is, if you haven't already is get a good accounting software (I use quickbooks I've been told others like Xerox are just as good).
They will categorize your expenses as you go, you can invoice from it, estimate from it, check your profits, generate reports plus keep tabs on monthly wholesaler bills, once you have mastered that, register yourself on HMRC website as a contractor (that allows you to submit CIS returns for subcontractors).
Once this is all setup its easy to input data as you go and, easy to get help for a few days from a subcontractor as all the payment side is in place.
Ideally its better someone you know and trust.
I try and keep my subcontractors as busy as possible as it allows me to carry out more work, I pay them as soon as they invoice, and they are happy have some loyalty and you can keep calling them back.
Plus your make ÂŁ50-100 a day on them as long as they are decent.
Next step get a decent accountant that will work with you, not someone who just does your tax returns at the end of the year. ( if you use Quickbooks, get one that is certified in that same goes for Xero as they know the software inside out!
It will cost you between 1-2K a year but they will have access to your accounts and will help you through the process of all the complicated stuff.
If you have a partner and have online accounting software maybe they could input stuff and do the invoicing, maybe look at putting them on the payroll first to learn how it works,
Honestly though get yourself in the position where its easy to ask for help get self employed help first, if your doing the paperwork learn how it works and how to manage that, then review it in a few months. Eventually your probably want to pass the accounting side over.
Also don't be afraid to tell people they will have to wait, don't always jump for builders either, it looks good to customers if you say to them that your busy and they will have to wait a few weeks.
Also don't worry about price, checkatit and mybuilder site reviews.
Money is akward to talk about and I get people just call you in and say, "just do it". Try to price as much as possible though, if someone calls you round to "just do something" dont feel bad about sitting in your van and giving them a rough estimate. (I do mine on quickbooks app) Otherwise your end up undercharging and it wont help your situation, your end up with a load of customers that just call you round to do stuff, and your like me, your be undercharging them all.
