If you are a small business with little time to do anything but run and market your company; and you long to streamline your office systems and enjoy a life free from the stress of bookkeeping, VAT and CIS returns, Payroll and other routine but time-consuming tasks; then a good piece of advice is to outsource.
Outsourcing your office administration and bookkeeping tasks saves you time, and can also save you money.
Taking on a professional company and letting them worry about filing your vital paperwork and making payments on time means that you could make savings by avoiding fines.
  How do you know whether you are claiming for every business expense possible? Are you confident that you are complying with each and every aspect of employer regulations? Do you really think do-it-yourself bookkeeping is an economical option? Or is it more like a false economy?   When you have decided that outsourcing your administration and accounting tasks is a good idea, and you have embarked on the search for a company to help, you should consider a number of factors:

1. Can the company provide a selection of checkable customer testimonials? Can they prove they are respected and trustworthy?
2. Does the company invest in their staff so that their staff deliver the very best service to you? Check whether they have been awarded the Investor in People standard.
   
3. Do they offer a flexible service that fits with your working hours and your budget?
4. Do they provide a variety of services that you can pick and choose as you need, rather than limited, off-shelf packages?
5. Do they have several years experience in dealing with a range of different businesses?
6. Are they available outside the nine-to-five so it is easier for you to speak to them when you are not working?
7. Are they certified by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers?

If you want to forget about the arduous tasks associated with running your business, and just get on with doing what you do best, then outsourcing to a well respected bookkeeping and office administration company could be one of the best business decisions you ever make!