1. Here are a few details about what we do and how we do it.

2. Contents
Why read this book? 4
Why Crunchers? 4
Why me? 5
Our purpose 8
Vision 8
What we want for you 8
Working with us 8
The hours we work 9
Quality assurance 9
Video conferencing 9
Guarantees 10
How we work out our prices 12
No hourly or day rates 12
Our side of the bargain 14
Your side of the bargain 15
Why give us feedback? 17
An offer for you 19
Some words from customers 21
Appendix 1 – Improving the Numbers 24
Appendix 2 – Make an extra £500,000 25
Appendix 3 – No charge for time 26
Appendix 4 – Positive tax planning 27
Appendix 5 – An Alternative Accounting Company 28

3. Why

4. Why?
Why read this book?
There are a numbers of reasons to
read this book:
- To get to know the company who
could be providing you with a very
important and private service
- To understand that not all account-
ants are the same
- To know how to ensure you don’t
overpay an accountant
- To appreciate how working with
an accountant can transform your
business and life
Before you read this book, please
know that we appreciate that
Crunchers is not right for everyone.
We say this because we know that
for us to do a great job we have to
genuinely like and care about you.
So, if you have what we call a
corporate mindset, and expect
everyone to jump when you whistle,
then please look for another firm to
work with. We believe customers
and suppliers need to respect each
other and both win.
If you are looking for the lowest price
then we would suggest you stop
reading and cancel any meeting we
have booked. Yes, we offer low prices
for basic work but we are not the
cheapest – our work is done to a high
standard and we expect a fair price
for the work we do.
Why Crunchers?
Traditional Accountants base their
business on charging for time. This
means they are focussed on work.
Crunchers have adopted a different
model; that’s why we call ourselves
Alternative Accountants - we focus
on value.
That is why we offer low prices for
basic accounting work and have
developed a unique approach to
business development called
“Improving the Numbers”.
Our low prices don’t mean reducing
our standards. We are able to offer
low prices by:
- Developing our own software for
clients to use

5. - Partnering with the best
technology companies in
the world
- Training clients how to use
software properly
- Developing great internal
systems
- Giving you the choice of what’s
included in your agreement
Working with us to improve your
business results is optional. But,
to encourage you to make a start
there are some free resources to
get you going. And, as a client you
can attend events.
Why me?
My name is Hamish Sheppard, I
live in Edinburgh and I’m happily
married to Melissa - together we
have two boys; Cameron and
Kieran.
Originally, from Speyside, in the
North East of Scotland, I came
down to the ‘bright lights’ of
Edinburgh to attend Napier
University. At Napier University,
I studied for a BA in Accounting,
qualifying in 1992. After passing,
my degree, I started my first
accounting job, at the age of 22.
Whilst working, I continued my
studies, and gained my professional
qualification in 1994. Since then I
have been a qualified Chartered
Management Accountant, and also
a certified Member in Practice, of
the professional body.
Over the years I’ve studied and
learned a few things that will
help you.
I’m pretty sure I can save you some
money, time and hassle (and protect
you from the tax office) by using my
accounting, tax, and software
knowledge.
And, although I don’t have a magic
wand, I’m happy to offer my support
to improve your business results. I use
the “Improving the Numbers” system
and the experience I’ve built up over
the years.
I’ve worked with many businesses that
have probably experienced many of

6. the same frustrations and problems
that you will. I undertake ongoing
research into entrepreneurship so
I can offer input on a wide range of
business topics. And, I can hold you
accountable!
As well as being a qualified Accountant
with the Chartered Institute of
Management Accountants, I’m also
a Xero qualified Practitioner. We
know that most small business
owners have no training in business,
often little experience and usually
no professional support. We have
therefore put education at the heart
of our business.
As a business we need to keep
learning and developing ourselves.
The beauty of this is that we pass
on that learning to our clients. We
run regular seminars designed to
make business skills, practices, and
ultimately a business mindset,
available to small business owners.
Sadly many small business owners
end up slaves to their businesses -
working long hours for little reward.
We do not believe in suffering!
We set out to work with business
owners to have abundance in
their business, ultimately leaving
them free to create, explore and
ultimately contribute back to
their community.

7. Principles

8. Crunchers Principles
Our purpose
The Crunchers aim is to improve the
lives of business owners.
We do this by taking away hassle and
stress with a cost effective accounting
service. And, we help entrepreneurs
build great businesses with
“Improving the Numbers”.
Our motto is -
Grow, Be Free and Have Fun!
Vision
Our vision is not to charge anything
for year-end accounts and to have a
guaranteed formula for building a
great business.
Technology and laws need to develop
and change before we can offer free
accounts. But, we are moving in the
right direction.
Improving the Numbers is extremely
well researched and each element is
supported by real world examples.
What we want for you
Our aim is for you to be happy,
whatever that means for you.
We want you to enjoy using us as
your accountants. We want you
to feel that what you pay us is an
investment and that you genuinely
like working with us.
We know the only way we can be
truly happy at work is if the people
we help are also happy. To help us
we have decided to approach our
work a little differently. We’d like
you to think of us as your
“financial friend”.
Working with us
We are committed to:
- Being friendly
- Fairness
- Mutual respect
- Professionalism
- Being honest
We understand that many people
find bookkeeping, VAT and
accountancy a mystery. That’s
normal so relax because we
understand most business owners
are in the same boat.
All clients receive a “Financial Policy”
which helps them manage their
business finances.

9. We will take you through our
software training system so you
use your accounting software like
a professional bookkeeper. And,
we use Plain English Campaign’s
principles and philosophies in
everything we do, including this
book.
All of this means that you will
understand us, your accounts
and taxes.
The hours we work
Because workflow varies over the
year, we work different hours at
different times.
There should never be any last
minute rushes because the timelines
are known well in advance. As a
general rule we don’t work weekends,
although we do often work late one
or two evenings a week.
Our use of technology allows us to
work remotely – we all have lives
outside the office and like you we
want to spend time with family and
friends.
Quality assurance
We have developed a professional
but commercial approach to work.
Working with small businesses means
we need to be pragmatic but we
can’t compromise on standards. This
would expose our clients and us to
unnecessary risks.
We have our own robust systems and
make use of the tax office Toolkits.
This helps protect clients in the event
of an enquiry.
Video conferencing
We like online meetings using Skype
because it’s like being face-to-face
without the hassle and cost of travel-
ling.
If you are new to online meetings then
give them a try – we can even share
screens so it’s like we are sitting next
to you.

10. Guarantees
We have a number of guarantees:
- We respond to all communication
within two working days, usually
faster
- If we make a mistake, we will be in
communication quickly, openly and
do whatever we can to make good
the situation
- If you get a penalty or fine with
HMRC that is down to an error on
our part, we will pay that fine
- Following ethical and professional
codes from our Professional Body –
the Chartered Institute of
Management Accountants
- Last but not least we promise to
bring an open and engaged attitude
to your business, the problems and
opportunities it faces

11. Pricing

12. The Crunchers' Pricing
How we work out our prices
Price should not be an issue because
we are focussed on low costs for
year-end accounts and tax returns.
Before we start working together we
'invest time with you, discuss your
business needs, and put together a
bespoke package to meet your
requirements.
No two businesses or people are the
same which is why we don’t have
one price.
Easy payment terms
We operate a monthly pay-as-you-go
basis so you are always up to date
with us.
Budget to first class
We offer flexible pricing and (if you
want) we will remove all the non-
essentials, like a budget airline.
On the other hand, we can add in
extra and offer you a first class service
– the key to getting the right price is
appreciating what you want.
No hourly or day rates
We do not have day or hourly rates
because we believe this approach to
pricing is counter-productive.
Instead, we will provide you with
a fixed price based on a good
understanding of the nature of the
work and what you want to achieve.
Our approach to pricing means we
are encouraged to invest upfront and
are always looking for and developing
ways to help your business succeed.
As we work together and build a
relationship we can explore all the
services we can offer.
Our aim is that 50% of our new
business comes from referrals so
we really do want you believing
Crunchers offers a great deal.

13. The
Bargain

14. The Bargin
This section sets out the basis of our relationship.
Our side of the bargain
To offer you the best price service
Train you fully on bookkeeping or accounting software and
ensure that you are equipped with the financial skills to run
your business
Return your calls and emails within one business day
(this is our minimum service standard)
Tell you in advance the cost of our work or advice and only
start the work once you have agreed to the fixed price
Do our best for you at all times
Tell you how to keep you tax bill as low as possible
Help protect you from the tax office
Keep developing ways to help you improve your results
Apologise and make amends if we make mistakes
Complete your work on time and professionally

15. Your side of the bargain
Maintain your books and records in accordance with
the guidance and training we give you
Supply complete and correct information so we can
complete our work in a timely fashion
Return our calls and emails within two business days
Pay us on a pay-as-you-go basis
Tell us if there is something that upsets you
Tell people about us and provide testimonials and case
studies, if you feel we have done a good enough job

16. Feedback

17. Feedback
Why give us feedback?
If we do a great job tell us
because it makes us feel
good and encourages us
to do more good work.
But, if you ever feel we’ve let you
down, then also tell. Unlike some
businesses, we genuinely do want to
understand if anything frustrates you,
so we take steps to fix it. We welcome
constructive criticism because it helps
us develop Crunchers.
However, sometimes mistakes will be
made because we are human – but
we want you to know that they will
be put right.
As you would probably expect, we use
numbers to help us grow and improve
so it’s likely you will get emails from
us asking for you to score us. These
only take a second or two to complete
and we’d appreciate your input.

18. The
Offer

19. The Offer
An offer for you
We hope you found our Welcome
Book interesting and useful – we
look forward to speaking with you
so we can discuss how best we can
work together.
Our initial discussions will focus on:
Financial systems
Controls and reporting
Tax Planning
Business performance review
Based on our discussions we will
give you our recommendation on
how best your accounting needs
can be met.
If Crunchers can help, we’ll give
you an outline proposal which we
can turn into a fixed price agreement.
We often give a few options for you
to choose from so you get what you
want at the price you want.
What we do understand is that you
will not appoint us unless you are
convinced of the benefits.

20. Testimonials

21. Testimonials
Some words from customers
Hamish is an extremely professional individual. He demonstrates not only
mastery for his core role, but also has the ability to quickly understand and
operate business processes and systems.
His contribution is always top class. Alongside his brilliant work ethic he is also
a great team player who effectively works with a mix of people with differing
levels of financial acumen and always gets the best out of everyone.
I would strongly recommend Hamish to any business; SME or large and
would certainly invite him back to join us on any future projects.
- Shereen Kenyon –
Hamish really delivered for us across a range of activities including
accountancy, analysis and stakeholder engagement.
He consistently produced high-quality work within tight deadlines, was
an excellent colleague and fitted in well to our team. I would have no
hesitation in hiring him again or recommending him to others.
- Ian Kernohan –
Hamish s an extremely capable individual who is quick to the nub of an issue
and equally quick to the solution. His work was viewed at Director level and he
frequently prepared briefs for the Board.
- Iain Ross –

22. Hamish brought stability to the financial reporting in a time of change,
and was consistently proactive and responsive to ever changing demands
for information, both from myself and from the wider business.
- Richard Cooper –
Hamish was exceptionally supportive as my Finance Business Partner. He
is highly technical, with a very good understanding of business and project
needs.
- Martin McGinn –
Hamish is commercially focused and detail orientated finance manager with
a great breadth of experience of industries, systems, reporting and accounting
requirements.
I was always able to fully rely on Hamish to deliver results, find smart solutions
to tricky problems and resolve any issues arising from the high pressured and
demanding project environment he was working in.
- Miriam Gilbert –

23. Appendix

24. Appendix 1
Improving the Numbers
Appendix 1
Improving the Numbers
Improving The Numbers is an
approach to maximising results
for lifestyle business.
It is designed for business owners
who are open-minded and willing to
experiment and explore new ways
of thinking.
A lifestyle business is far more
complex than a corporate business.
With a lifestyle business, the owner
is also the shareholder, manager as
well as the worker so there are non-
financial reasons why someone sets
up a business.
These include:
- A sense of freedom
- Fun and enjoyment
- To make a difference
- Personal financial freedom
Improving the Numbers seeks to help
business owners achieve their goals
and addresses many common issues
faced by lifestyle businesses such as:
- Creating a healthy work-life balance
- Achieving financial independence
- Enjoying healthy profit margins
- Eliminating the stress of business
- Creating a business with value that
can be sold
- Enjoying work and feeling a sense
of pride
- Feeling respected and value by
customers
- Making the most of low cost
marketing
- Working with employees that care
The content is taken from a wide
range of sources. Our research has
uncovered many powerful concepts,
methodologies and ideas that are
ideally suited to start-ups and
ambitious small businesses.
Some of the content is very obvious
and common sense but, very often
they are not common practice. Some
ideas are counterintuitive and others
are unconventional.
Feel free to take what you want and
play with it. Ignore what you feel
isn’t right for you but be prepared
to be challenged.

25. Appendix 2
Make an extra £500,000
Hard work will only get you so far….
as a small business owner (with
limited resources) you need to
work smart.
Knowing how to work smart is about
educating yourself on all aspects of
business, not just what you do.
Research into the value of education
(by jobs search engine Adzuna)
reveals that a top degree nets
£500,000 over a person’s working
lifetime.
We believe that studying all
aspects of Entrepreneurship can
give businesses owners the edge
over their competition. This could
be far more than the £500,000
because there is no limit to what
can be achieved in business.
Start with making use of the free
resources in the member’s area of our
Website.
Use Agile Business Planning which has
been proved to increase growth
potential by 30%.
Develop targets and budgets and
break them down to daily and weekly
actions.
Use Key Predictive Indicators for the
business, project and your people to
develop a high performance culture.

26. Appendix 3
No charge for time
Some people want to know more
about why we don’t charge time
because it is so different to other
accountants.
The truth is that after researching
different pricing systems we’ve come
to the conclusion that time based
billing is bad for us and our clients.
A time based billing mindset ends up
with us being uncompetitive in the
long run because there is no incentive
to innovate. This is the problem with
the whole accounting profession –
they are reactive and have not inno-
vated anything of value.
In the short term, clients pay more
than they need to and don’t enjoy
any extra value.
A common example of clients paying
more than they need to is book-
keeping mistakes.
Instead of accountants showing
clients how to prevent mistakes,
most just correct the mistakes in the
year-end accounts work. This justifies
the higher charges than necessary,
even though this extra work could
be eliminated.
At Crunchers we believe this is
unethical. Instead, we show clients
how to do their bookkeeping properly.
This saves costs at the year-end but it
also means the reports in the year
are correct.
Our approach gives owners better
information which helps with business
decisions and increases piece of mind.
It also protects the business in the
event of an investigation by the tax
office.
There are millions of small businesses
in this situation, so there is hundreds
of millions of pounds being unneces-
sarily taken by accountants because
of time based billing.
But, by far the biggest cost is the
opportunity cost. If accountants had
a different mindset they could use
the savings to offer business advice.
In this way, there are hundreds of
millions of pounds that could be
added to the UK economy.

27. Appendix 4
Positive tax planning
At Crunchers, we take the view that
as your trusted adviser we must do
our best to help you organise your
affairs to pay the minimal amount
of tax without unnecessary risks.
We do not use structured schemes
for tax planning. However, we do use
advanced tax planning strategies to
ensure our clients do not pay more
than their fair share of tax.
If you want more money in your
pocket, we recommend working to
increase your profits rather than
taking risks by trying not to pay your
fair share of tax.
The Crunchers tax planning approach
includes everything you’d expect from
a really good accountant, plus a bit
extra.
We cannot list all our tax planning
tactics because they change on a
regular basis but they include:
- Making sure you know what you
can claim
- Maximising your business expense
claims
- Advising you on the most tax
efficient trading structure
- Maximising any loss reliefs
- Utilising tax free allowances
- Offering to help you maximise
benefits such as tax credit claims
and child benefit
- Extracting profit from your
company tax efficiently
- Ensuring you take advantage of
the various VAT schemes
- Ensuring you know what
documentation you need to
support tax planning

28. Appendix 5
An Alternative Accounting Company
As you may have gathered, Crunchers
is not a typical firm of accountants.
We hope this Welcome Book
encourages you to look at us
differently.
If you haven’t already guessed, we
want you to see us as a group of
people who wants to help you
achieve your personal goals and
dreams.
We can do so much more than
accounts and tax returns and want to
form a real business partnership with
you.
We hope you found our Welcome
Book helpful and interesting and we
look forward to working with you in
the near future.