How does our Enquiry & Onboarding Process Work?
We can all be a little *anxious* about new things – it’s normal!
That’s why we Google the menu of a restaurant before we go… or why we read pages of reviews before finally committing to that big purchase.
And it SHOULD be no different when it comes to working with a new accountant. This is someone who will see the inner workings of your business, and so you need to be able to trust them and their process.
And from our point of view, we want to make sure that the clients we work with are the right fit for us and our values too. (In case you didn’t know, we are not ‘once-a-year’ accountants!)
So, here is everything you need to know about our Enquiry & Onboarding process – from the first contact you make with us to living your best like as a fully fledged Pink Pig client!
Step 1 – The Enquiry
After having seen us on socials, perusing our website, or hearing good things from another business owner, you’re intrigued to see what we can do for you. The first step is to fill in our Quick Questionnaire, This has a few basic questions about you, your business, and your goals in working with an accountant.
Step 2 – Booking a Discovery Call
As soon as you’ve hit submit, you’ll then have access to the online diary to book in your free 30 min discovery call.
We’ll then be in touch within 1 working day* with the confirmation email. Sadly, we do sometimes end up in a Junk folder 🙁 So if you are awaiting hearing back from us, always check there!
In the confirmation email, we’ll also send some links to some videos and blogs, so you can get to know a bit more about us and how we work, as well as some useful rescources like ’32 ways to get the maximum value out of your business’.
*Our usual office hours at Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, but check out how our team have the option to work flexibly and what that means for us.
Step 3 – The Discovery Call
You will be meeting with Cheryl, our Founder and CEO, on Google Meet.
This meeting is a time for us to dig a deeper into what your needs are and check that we’re covering all the bases both in terms of compliance with you-know-who, and with any additional support we can offer.
It’s also an opportunity for you to ask any burning questions you have.
Step 4 – The Proposal
We then curate the proposal right there in front of you.
We never just state a lump sum. Some services are based on turnover, some on transactional volume, and some are a set price.
The proposal is broken down into line items so you can see exactly what you’re paying for and why. And, as with every step of the way, you can ask all and any questions you want too!
Step 5 – The Acceptance
You do have the option to accept then and there, but, we know many like to take the time to digest and read things over again, so, a copy of the proposal, along with all of the info we’ve discussed will be emailed to you for you to peruse in your own time.
If we don’t hear back from you, we will follow up, to see if you need any more help etc.
If you’ve decided that we’re not for you, or that the time isn’t right, please just tell us! We won’t be offended, but we don’t want to keep bugging you after you’ve made a decision
Step 6 – The Onboarding Admin
The first job for the team after you accept your proposal is to do a little happy dance!
And then we’ll get to work!
You’ll be sent an Onboarding form, this covers all the info we need to get you set up fully on our systems, all the boring usual stuff like your address, and UTR & NI numbers etc.
Our Operations Team will then send you a link to complete a Biometric ID & Proof of address check for our Anti-Money Laundering checks (we do not for a second suspect you of criminal activity, but this is a legal requirement before we work with you on financials!)
We will also wait for your go ahead on contacting your previous accountant to request handover.
We’ll get started ASAP on any registrations and urgent pieces of work, and, you may well receive something lovely in the mail…!
Step 7 – The Onboarding Meeting
You’ll be asked to book in your Onboarding Meeting with the member of the team who will be looking after you day-to-day. They will talk you through what the next few weeks will look like (clue: lots of brown envelopes from HMRC!), and will discuss how each of the services work, what info we’ll need from you, and the time frames etc that you can expect from us too!
Step 8 – The Life of a PPF Client
The PPF team gets to work!
We never want to bug you unnecessarily (you inbox is full enough already, right?) so, you may not hear from us super often as we work away in the background, but, we will always be in touch with any queries or information you need, and, of course, our inboxes / phonelines are always open when you have a question or need a chat!
You will start to notice the weight of the world lifting from your shoulders and feeling able to spend more time doing what you love with who you love.
Hopefully, you’ll be spreading the love too, and we have various ways of expressing our gratitude too!
Step 9 – The Ongoing Collaboration
We will be conducting quarterly, or monthly, depending on what you have chosen, reviews into your business and providing you with a report with all kinds of insights and info – not least of which estimates of the tax you will owe you can save and plan for that throughout the year.
We’ll ask you to book in a chat after you’ve been with us for 6 months, to check in, see how you’re feeling about it all and check that you’re getting everything you expected from us and more.
And then, each year, about 2-3 months before your financial year end, we will invite you to book in your Annual Review meeting. Here, we have a look over how the year has gone, and ensure you’re in the best position for saving what you can on tax, and being able to pay it!
Finally, we will review your services with us, and set you up with a new proposal for the coming year!
Want to enquire to work with us?
We hope this has covered everything you’ll need to know to give you that little push to get in touch.
If you have any further questions though, or suggestions for what we could add, feel free to get in touch with us at hello@pinkpigfinancials.co.uk.
