Accountants’ snappy idea to help bosses

Simon Cox of Forbes Watson who has launched Snap and Save

Forbes Watson has launched a new national service which allows business owners to log their receipts and expenses using the camera on their mobile phone.

Snap & Save is an online service combining the use of software such as Xero and SAGE, smartphone technology, and the expertise of the qualified accountants.

It is the brainchild of Simon Cox and his team at the firm, based at Melton Grove Works, Lytham.

Simon said it was something he had been working on for some time and was part of the drive to bring accountancy services right up to date.

He said it was designed for small business owners who want to spend more time on their business and less time doing bookkeeping and accounts.

Snap & Save users simply need to take a photograph of their weekly receipts using the smartphone app and the Snap & Save team will process this automatically on to the accounting software.

He said instead of having to go through reams of papers and receipts weeks after the events, a business owner can, for example, be on the road to see a client, stop to get a sandwich at a service station and can take a snap of the receipt, and using the smartphone app upload it to his account within minutes.

Simon, a former President of the Lancashire & Cumbria ACCA Network, and member of the ACCA Practitioners Panel in London, said: “Small business owners are often too busy to handle the day-to-day bookkeeping in the business and as a result it tends to not get done.

“Snap & Save gives them the advantage of saving time whilst having the accounts done in real time by experts.”

“For a reasonable monthly charge, users can have their accounts finished within days of the year end, and avoid nasty last minute tax bill surprises.

“I have worked in accountancy for 20 years and when I set up Forbes Watson three years ago I wanted to take a fully modern approach. We have a new website for the brand and it is going well.

“It will make life easier for people. We have clients all over the country and this will allow them to keep up to date more easily. It will save some people having to bring in their books once a month.”