Quarterly business review with your accountant
Every quarter, sit down with Buzz to see how the business performed against the plan, decide what to change, and leave with actions and dates. The review is part of Business Pulse, from £299 + VAT a month, including your year-end accounts and tax returns.
Run by Andy Jackson and Peter Allen · AAT licensed · ICPA member · FreeAgent and Xero partner
A 90-minute quarterly review
- 15 minSales and gross marginAgainst the budget, by customer, product or job type.
- 15 minPayroll and overheadsWhere each line sits against the budget, and why.
- 20 minCashThe forecast rolled forward, late-paying customers, and the VAT, PAYE and Corporation Tax coming up.
- 30 minDecisionsPrices, hiring, spending and borrowing in front of you this quarter.
- 10 minActionsEach one written down with an owner and a date.
Before, during and after the meeting
Before
We check the bookkeeping, reconcile the bank and close the quarter.
We produce the quarter’s profit and loss, balance sheet and cash, set against the budget, with written commentary on each variance that matters. You receive them in Buzz OS ahead of the meeting.
During
Ninety minutes, by video call or in person, on sales, costs, cash, decisions and actions.
We explain what caused each variance: more or less volume, a price change, a shift in margin, timing, or a one-off. Then we work through the decisions with you.
After
The decisions, the actions and any change to the forecast are written up in Buzz OS the same week.
The next review opens with that list, to check each action was done.
The action sheet from one review
A joinery workshop with six staff came into its third-quarter review £18,000 behind budget on sales, with £41,000 owed by customers and two of them past 60 days.
Four actions came out of the meeting. Each was checked at the next review.
| Action | Owner | By | At the next review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call the two customers past 60 days and agree payment dates | You | 2 weeks | Paid: £12,600 received |
| Add a 30% deposit to quotes over £5,000 | You | Next quote | On every quote since |
| Hold the planned hire until sales are back on budget for two months | You | Next review | Hire held; revisit in Q1 |
| Move the forecast’s timber purchase from November to January | Buzz | 1 week | Forecast updated |
An illustrative example. The business is not a real client and every figure is invented.
Quarterly or monthly reviews
Steady trading suits a quarterly review. A business with staff, borrowing or changing margins can switch to monthly at any time.
| Quarterly Business Pulse | Monthly Business Pulse | |
|---|---|---|
| Review meeting | 90 minutes every quarter | 60 minutes every month, ending with a monthly action plan |
| Management accounts | Every quarter, against the budget | Every month, against the budget |
| 12-month cash flow forecast | Rolled forward every quarter | Rolled forward every month |
| Between meetings | Your figures, KPIs and actions in Buzz OS | The same, plus priority support |
| Year-end accounts and tax returns | Included | Included |
| Fee | From £299 + VAT a month | From £499 + VAT a month |
See your Business Pulse fee
Answer four questions in the instant quote. Business Pulse is the last one, and the fee includes your year-end accounts and tax returns.
Run by Andy Jackson and Peter Allen · AAT licensed · ICPA member · FreeAgent and Xero partner
Questions about quarterly reviews
What is a quarterly business review?
A meeting every quarter to compare the business with its budget, understand what caused the differences, and agree decisions and actions for the next quarter. With Business Pulse it lasts 90 minutes and is based on management accounts and a cash flow forecast we prepare beforehand.
Who comes to the meeting?
You and anyone else who runs the business with you, such as a co-director or an operations manager, and your Buzz adviser.
Can the review be held in person?
Yes, or by video call with the figures shared on screen.
What do I need to prepare?
Up-to-date bookkeeping and any decisions you want to talk through. We prepare the management accounts, the forecast and the commentary.
Can I start with one review?
Yes. A single review meeting with management accounts is available on its own. Book a call and we will price it.
Talk to us about Business Pulse
Tell us about the business and what you need. A named person replies within one working day.
