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SME’s now require job management software to operate their businesses and move into the digital arena; accountancy software is not the answer; it’s the second part of the solution. Practices can improve their service level, gain additional revenue and sell more cost-effective hours by recommending Jobmate to their clients. Jobmate is an off-the-shelf job management software for SME’s delivering visibility of everything they or their employees undertake, from creating quotations to planning work, timesheets, creating checklists, managing suppliers, sending purchase orders etc., seamlessly adding them to a job ensuring all costs are captured against the overall job and delivering a clear auditable trail.

The pandemic solidified the adoption and acceptance of digital in our lifestyles and businesses quicker than ever. Governments are seizing the moment to obtain more significant information about their citizens and business financial information, especially at the SME level. Primarily to reduce tax avoidance, make auditing more accessible, and gain the ability for like-for-like business comparisons at the touch of a button. The changes are non-negotiable; however, the delay in MTD ITSA does buy more time for the SMEs to learn and become digitised before the rules become mandatory. This delay creates an opportunity for accountancy practices to provide accountancy and real-time business job management software to the SME sector to be compliant, opening up new revenue avenues and improving their client relationships as the software will be more akin to their daily work life than accountancy packages; the SME will directly relate to the benefit of the software.

SME’s are also under pressure from their clients as they demand digital communications and payment options ensuring traceable transactions. It is claimed that 20-30% will now only deal with SME’s digitally, from enquiry to invoice.

A step change needs to occur in the software offering to SME’s. In the past, talk to an SME about going digital, and they replied, “Tax”, not understanding or appreciating the benefits operational software brings to their business.

Jobmate is an end-to-end job management software. We focus more on your client’s ability to operate a successful business by managing every operational aspect of their business to increase profitability and gain more time to grow or pursue other interests. A by-product of Jobmate is real-time bookkeeping information that Jobmate collects against every job, every expense, every purchase, travel, labour etc., with receipts attached. All stock and locations are also part of Jobmate; it is an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) for the SME!

Historically, larger organisations commission bespoke ERP software to operate all aspects of their business. It is expensive, often running into £’s million, long-winded to install and costly to maintain, hence well out of reach of the SME.

Jobmate is disrupting this marketplace and bringing ERP power to SMEs at an affordable price – starting at just £7.99 per month, including VAT.

Times are changing and the SME digital adoption is evolving into those “that do”, those “that kind of” and those “that don’t”. It really depends on their business aspirations and the perceived benefits it will bring them.

1. Those that “do”,
   1. Tend to be ambitious to grow their business and are often early adopters.
   1. Realising the real-time benefits that data delivers to make faster and better decisions to run their business.
   1. Seek to maximise time to grow or spend on other interests – lifestyle
2. Those that “kind of”.
   1. Know that digitisation is the way to go, but never find the time to focus on it.
   1. Have a fear of digital and learning systems and do not want to admit this.
   1. Numerous SME’s have signed up to use multiple apps; they are confused by different user engagements and are annoyed with innumerable subscriptions and the lack of connectivity between them. Hence question the value.
3. Those that “don’t”.
   1. Consider themselves at an age that it doesn’t matter and can’t be bothered. Retirement is calling.
   1. They are utterly perplexed with how digitisation will benefit them and stick to what they know.
   1. Believe that their accountant will solve the problem for them.

The “That Kind of” are seeking more intuitive software in one place to aid them in adoption. “That don’t” will either change once they experience more straightforward-to-use software, such as Jobmate, or become reliant on their accountant. The “That do” benefit from digitisation and seek more comprehensive platforms as per larger organisations.

The market is split with a higher proportion of SME’s, especially sole traders in the “That don’t” or “That Kind Of”. SME’s with employees are more likely to use job management software to manage employees work and have visibility of them.

The delay in implementing MTD ITSA has given more breathing space for sole traders, especially to get their heads around the digitalisation of tax and the collection of digital records. The shoebox filled with receipts is heading for retirement unless the sole trader expects his accountant to digitise these for him. Four returns and a final submission will increase the workload and costs of accountancy services and make for an unhappy client. There is also the question if the client will pay for the additional time. Many receipts are already digitally sent and easily lost in email boxes if not readily saved. Paper ones are becoming a thing of the past in a cashless society where transactions are on bank or credit card statements. Matching them will become harder across systems and different payment methods unless in a single software.

Jobmate offers accountancy practices a new approach to SME software from a pure business management perspective. Using the job management software for collecting bookkeeping information means their clients see value in the software on a personal level without double entry of financial information.

Final thought

End-to-end job management software is necessary for all businesses to evaluate their performance daily and make the corrections required to improve productivity and profitability. They need the visibility of information in real-time, supported with financial performance, to ensure jobs are costed correctly and managed efficiently. A seamless flow of financial data into accountancy packages reduces mistakes. It gives an advantage to forward-thinking practices to enhance client satisfaction through monitoring and early detection of potential client issues.

For further information about Jobmate, please visit their Partner Resource Centre page.