Understand your numbers. Make better decisions.
Monthly management accounts, cash flow forecasts and Power BI dashboards for owners of growing UK businesses. You get accurate books and a clear monthly picture of profit, margin and cash, for a fixed monthly fee.
Free and no obligation. You talk directly to Patrick, the founder.
- Works with Xero and Power BI
- Fixed monthly fees, confirmed in writing
- Read-only bank access
- Free 30-minute discovery call
You have the numbers. You just can't see what they're telling you.
Most small businesses get their accounts once a year, months after the period they describe. By then the decisions about pricing, hiring and cash have already been made.
You're not sure which jobs, clients or services actually make money
Turnover is up, but it doesn't feel like profit is. Without margin by job or client, the busy work and the profitable work look the same.
Cash is tight one month and fine the next
VAT, wages and supplier bills land at once, and you can't see the squeeze coming until it's in the bank balance.
Your figures arrive too late to change anything
When the year-end accounts show a problem, it's a problem from last year. Decisions are made on gut feel in the meantime.
You've outgrown basic bookkeeping
You need someone to interpret the numbers and plan ahead, but a full-time finance director isn't affordable yet.
Numbers arrive late, or not at all
Reports come once a year, or the books are a few months behind.
Decisions are made blind
Pricing, hiring and spending are based on the bank balance and gut feel.
Monthly reporting you can act on
Accurate books, monthly management accounts and a rolling cash forecast with commentary.
Decide with the numbers in front of you
A clearer view of profit, margin and cash every month, so you can act while it still matters.
Finance support that grows with your business
Start with accurate books, add monthly reporting, then forecasting and dashboards when you need them.
Bookkeeping and Xero
Accurate, reconciled books in Xero, with digital records kept ready for Making Tax Digital. The foundation every report depends on.
Financial FoundationsManagement Reporting
Monthly management accounts with KPIs, margin by job or client and plain-English commentary on what changed and why.
Explore management reportingCash Flow Forecasting
13-week and 12-month cash forecasts that show the squeeze coming, so you can act early. Prepared for you, with the assumptions written down.
Explore cash flow forecastingVirtual CFO Support
Finance partner support for growing businesses: budgets, scenarios, forecasts and a regular finance review, without a full-time salary.
Explore virtual CFO supportPower BI Dashboards
Sales, margin, cash and KPIs on one screen, updated from your data. Click a number to see what's behind it.
Explore Power BI dashboardsFinancial Health Check
Not sure where to start? A structured look at your records, margins and cash position, with clear priorities.
Get a health checkBuilt for owner-managed businesses turning over £100k to £5m
Every business model has its own financial pressure points. Reporting is shaped around yours.
Construction companies
Job costing, stage payments, retentions and subcontractor costs, with a cash forecast built around your contracts.
Construction finance supportTrades businesses
Electricians, plumbers, heating engineers and builders: know which jobs pay, price with confidence and plan for quiet months.
Trades business reportingAgencies and digital studios
Margin by client and by service, utilisation and cash runway, so you can reprice, rescope or hire with the numbers behind you.
Agency reportingConsultants and professional services
Engineers, surveyors and consultancies: steadier cash, faster debtor collection and tidy monthly numbers without the evening admin.
Professional servicesGrowing SMEs
B2B, wholesale and specialist businesses that have outgrown gut feel and need forecasts, budgets and a monthly finance review.
Scaling businessesNot sure you fit?
If you're an owner who wants a clearer view of profit and cash, the sector matters less than the questions you want answered.
Ask PatrickYear-end accounts tell you what happened. Monthly reporting helps you decide what happens next.
Your accountant keeps the tax and year-end work. Holding Accounts adds the monthly picture in between.
What year-end accounts give you
- Statutory accounts and your tax position
- A look back at the full financial year
- Compliance with Companies House and HMRC deadlines
- Usually delivered some months after the year ends
What monthly reporting from Holding Accounts adds
- Profit and margin every month, not once a year
- Margin by job, client or service, so you know what pays
- A rolling cash forecast, so the quiet months don't come as a surprise
- Plain-English commentary on what changed and what to look at next
Works alongside your accountant
We do not prepare tax returns or statutory accounts, act for you with HMRC, run payroll, hold client money or give investment or regulated financial advice. We can work alongside your accountant or tax adviser, or introduce one.
Three clear packages. No hourly billing surprises.
Choose the level of support you need now and move up as the business grows.
Financial Foundations
Owners who want accurate, up-to-date books they can rely on.
From£150a month
Depending on transaction volumes. Fixed in your engagement letter before work starts.
- Bookkeeping and transaction processing
- Bank and credit card reconciliations
- Xero setup and support
- Digital records kept ready for Making Tax Digital
Management Reporting
Owners who want to know how the business is really doing, every month.
From£300a month
Depending on transaction volumes. Fixed in your engagement letter before work starts.
- Monthly management accounts
- KPI reporting and gross margin analysis
- Profitability by job, client or department
- Plain-English commentary on what changed and why
Business Performance Partner (Virtual CFO)
Growing businesses that need forward-looking finance partner support.
From£500a month
Depending on transaction volumes. Fixed in your engagement letter before work starts.
- Everything in Management Reporting
- Cash flow forecasting and budgets
- Scenario planning and financial modelling
- Power BI dashboards
- Regular finance review meetings
Prices start from the amounts shown and depend on transaction volumes and the services you need. Your fee is confirmed in a written engagement letter before any work begins. One-off projects, such as record clean-ups, Xero migrations and dashboard builds, are quoted separately. Not VAT registered, so no VAT is added.
From first call to first report in about four weeks
- Free, 30 minutes
Discovery call
We talk about your business, your goals and what you need from your numbers. No obligation.
- Week 1
Onboarding
Identity checks for directors and owners, as the law requires, and a written engagement letter setting out services and fees.
- Weeks 2 to 3
Setup
We review your records, set up Xero, read-only bank feeds and secure document sharing, and tidy up the books.
- Week 4 onwards
Monthly reporting
Your first management report, then monthly reporting. We aim to have figures with you by the 10th, once records are complete.
Clear standards, plain English and one person who knows your business
Fixed monthly fees
Clear packages, confirmed in your engagement letter before work starts. No open-ended hourly billing.
Insight, not just records
Every report comes with plain-English commentary on what the numbers mean for your next decision.
Your money stays with you
Read-only access to bank data. We never hold client money or make payments on your behalf.
How your data is protected
Two-factor authentication on every system, encrypted devices and secure document sharing.
One person who knows your business
You work directly with Patrick, the founder, every month.
Insured and registered
Professional indemnity insurance in place, and registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ZC086598).
Patrick Holding
Founder, Holding Accounts
I'm Patrick Holding, founder of Holding Accounts. I set up the practice because too many business owners only see their numbers once a year, when it is too late to act on them.
I combine bookkeeping and management accounting with Power BI and data analysis, so owners get the monthly picture they need to protect margins, plan cash and make decisions with more confidence. When you work with Holding Accounts, you work with me directly.
Get the 13-week cash flow forecast template
A practical weekly layout: receipts and payments, VAT, wages and loan repayments, and a closing cash line that shows the tight weeks before they arrive.
- Built for Excel and Google Sheets
- Simple instructions on the first tab
- No sign-up to a mailing list unless you tick the box
Practical guides for business owners
Short, useful reads on margins, cash and reporting.
Frequently asked questions
What does Holding Accounts do?
Holding Accounts is a finance partner for owner-managed UK businesses. We keep your books accurate in Xero, then turn them into monthly management accounts, cash flow forecasts and Power BI dashboards, so you can see how the business is performing and make decisions with the numbers in front of you.
Do you prepare tax returns or year-end accounts?
No. We do not prepare tax returns or statutory accounts, act for you with HMRC or run payroll. We work alongside your existing accountant or tax adviser, or can introduce one. Your accountant handles the year-end; we help you understand the other 364 days.
How much does it cost?
Packages start from £150 a month for Financial Foundations, £300 a month for Management Reporting and £500 a month for Virtual CFO support. The fee depends on your transaction volumes and the services you need, and it is fixed in your engagement letter before any work starts. One-off projects are quoted separately.
What is the difference between bookkeeping and management reporting?
Bookkeeping records what happened: sales, costs and bank transactions, kept accurate and reconciled. Management reporting explains what it means: profit and margin by month, which jobs or clients make money, how cash is moving, and what to look at next. Good management reporting needs good bookkeeping underneath it.
What does Virtual CFO support mean?
It is finance partner support for businesses that need forward-looking help but not a full-time finance director: cash flow forecasts, budgets, scenario planning, Power BI dashboards and regular finance review meetings. It is management information and planning support, not regulated financial or investment advice.
Do I need to use Xero?
Xero is the system we work in. If you use something else, moving to Xero can be quoted as a one-off migration project before any monthly work starts.
How soon will I get my monthly figures?
We aim to have your monthly figures with you by the 10th of the following month, once your records for the month are complete. Your first management report usually follows about four weeks after onboarding starts.
Is my financial data secure?
We use read-only access to your bank data, two-factor authentication on every system and secure document sharing. We never hold client money or make payments on your behalf.
What size of business do you work with?
Owner-managed UK businesses turning over roughly £100k to £5m, particularly construction and trades businesses, agencies and digital studios, consultants and professional services, and growing B2B firms. Everything is delivered remotely, so anywhere in the UK is fine.
What happens on the discovery call?
It is a free, no-obligation 30-minute conversation with Patrick. We talk about your business, how you currently see your numbers and what you want from them. If Holding Accounts is a fit, you get a short proposal with one recommended package. If not, you will still leave with a clearer idea of what to look at.
Let's look at your numbers together
Book a free, no-obligation 30-minute call. We'll talk about where your business is, what you need from your figures, and whether Holding Accounts is the right fit.
- A straight conversation about your numbers, with no jargon
- Clear next steps and a recommended package, if we're a fit
- Free, with no obligation to go any further
Prefer a reply or a callback?
Leave your details and Patrick will get back to you personally.