SJD, Nixon Williams, Clearsky & Parasol combine!

[northernladuk]

Well, I observe that the clients of these firms are not exactly benefiting from economy of scale, are they?

Or their size allows them to invest in cutting edge solutions.

[Fred Bloggs]

Or their size allows them to invest in cutting edge solutions.

Are SJD still using a spready?

[Maslins]

In general business terms it does seem to make sense. There aren't many industries that have maintained the same level of large numbers of relatively small firms as the accountancy world. I guess as with many other service based businesses it's because it's harder (though not impossible) to have consistency, as compared to a company selling widgets.

Time will tell whether the beneficiaries of the inevitable economies of scale will be the contractors or the shareholders (given private equity is involved, of course benevolence will be a key factor in the investment ).

However, as someone who did their initial accountancy training with Tenon, an acquisitor firm who basically went bust a few years back...and the main other acquisitor firm of the time Vantis going bust a few years earlier, it does make you wonder whether getting that streamlined national presence from buying up lots of independent firms can be easily done. I guess this is different though, as the firms were each largely national anyway, all already being focused on remote work for their clients, rather than very much having a local focus as would've been the case with the firms I mention.

Interesting times...but as someone said above, it does provide me with a bit of comfort that they must be confident that upcoming changes to IR35 (both those announced and those being considered) aren't likely to wipe out the contractor market any time soon.

[Lance]

Are SJD still using a spready?

Yes. I quite like the spreadsheet, but will swapping to a FreeAgent accountant in the next few weeks (primarily as a cost saving exercise).

[Darren at Fox-Bartfield]

Spreadsheet

Yes. I quite like the spreadsheet, but will swapping to a FreeAgent accountant in the next few weeks (primarily as a cost saving exercise).

Their spreadsheet option was pretty good for its time but with Making Tax Digital happening next year, something like Freeagent is going to become the norm for all. And makes sense from a business perspective with real time information, as long as it's kept up to date of course!

[VectraMan]

Yes. I quite like the spreadsheet, but will swapping to a FreeAgent accountant in the next few weeks (primarily as a cost saving exercise).

Spreadsheet is free. I still use it despite not being an SJD customer for a few years.

FreeAgent is pretty good though. I signed up for the trial last week and I was impressed.

[northernladuk]

To be fair to SJD they have always said they support Freeagent contractors but they just don't offer the package as part of their solution.

Problem is they advocate the spreadsheet as a cost saving and then they've increased their prices time and time again to the point new models have appeared that are not only cheaper but FA is included so the argument is a bit dead in the water now.

[Michael at BI Accountancy]

Are SJD still using a spready?

Word has it that they are indeed going over to a portal system (as per NW), however easier said than done for that many clients to shift!

[ContrataxLtd]

So what's the betting that in the coming months that all customers of SJD/NW/Clearsky get 'asked' to move on to the Vantage platform NW developed in a move to streamline processed, prepare for Making Tax Digital and to compete with Freeagent?

[Fred Bloggs]

Yes. I quite like the spreadsheet, but will swapping to a FreeAgent accountant in the next few weeks (primarily as a cost saving exercise).

IMO, you are unlikely to look back.