Accountex are excited to welcome Mhairi to the show for the very first time. Dr Mhairi Aitken is an Ethics Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute (the UK’s national institute for AI and data science), a Visiting Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She is a Sociologist whose research examines social and ethical dimensions of digital innovation. Learn more about her before attending her seminars…  1. How did you get into the profession?  My career has taken a fairly winding route! My background as ..read more

Today, investment platform Lightyear rolls out candlestick charts for extended financial analysis and announces the launch of fractional limit orders of US stocks to enable automated and precise portfolio weightings. Lightyear also announces 18 new financial analysis metrics, bolstering the data offering for European investors. Building upon its extensive array of analysis tools, Lightyear introduces candlestick charts to its platform. These charts offer a visually intuitive depiction of price movement over a designated time frame. Each candlestick illustrates the opening, high, low, and clos ..read more

Small businesses are under pressure, and accountants are being called upon to provide a much-needed lifeline. According to new research from Intuit QuickBooks into the top priorities for small businesses over the next 12 months, 41% are using the new tax year to herald in radical changes for their business. The findings, based on insights from small business owners and decision-makers, paint a sobering picture: almost all (99.6%) small businesses plan to change how they operate in the new tax year.  A further two in five respondents (40%) reveal that the current economic conditions have ..read more

IRIS Software Group (IRIS), a leading global software provider of accounting, edtech, HR and payroll solutions, today unveiled a series of product updates for its unified cloud accountancy platform, IRIS Elements, designed to automate workflows so accountancy practices can further digitise their operations without having to switch between multiple applications. IRIS has over 24,000 accountancy customers, 6,000 of which are now using Elements to run their practice. Elements automates workflows and utilises a single client record, enabling firms to onboard clients, produce and file accounts, co ..read more

Investment platform Lightyear today releases new analysis – alongside a vox pop video – that shows that the majority of Brits will miss out on £2,000 of interest in the next five years by keeping their savings in low-interest accounts. Lightyear’s analysis of savings data published by the Bank of England on 30.04.24 shows that the average interest rate on an easy-access savings account is 2.12%, much lower than the current base rate of 5.25%. But £1.16 trillion – 65% of all deposits – sits in these accounts and earns less than this average.1 Separate findings show that the top reason for savi ..read more

Giving businesses more control to design a better future. Castaway Forecasting, the leading provider of business forecasting and modelling solutions, unveils Castaway Cloud, a new and powerful SaaS app designed to revolutionise how businesses manage their performance, planning and decision-making processes. With an array of features tailored to meet the evolving needs of modern business, Castaway Cloud empowers customers to prepare for, and navigate, uncertain times with confidence and agility. Castaway Cloud is a complete rebuild of Castaway Forecasting’s industry-leading calculation engine f ..read more

Accountex London is excited to announce the launch of the Sustainability Zone, sponsored by Sage. It will be hosted by James Lizars, Founder of Thrive Accountants;  Laura Gelder-Robertson, Assessor at Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainable Leadership and Conrad Langridge, Marketing Manager at Sage Earth and other sustainability superheroes from the industry. Visitors will have the opportunity to ask the team about: – How Accountants can be Sustainability Superheroes – How Net Zero impacts small businesses – How businesses can kickstart their Sustainability journeys ..read more

The responsibilities of a bookkeeper have been undergoing a significant transformation in recent years, marking an exciting evolution. While traditionally centred on transactional tasks, today’s bookkeepers are embracing a more strategic and advisory role with enthusiasm. The same core tasks remain, but understanding financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting has grown in importance, particularly with access to larger swathes of data. The best bookkeepers are expected to pinpoint how an organisation can get ahead and are considered increasingly critical to its growth, alongside technology ..read more

Jeri Williams set up Smooth Accounting because she was tired of boring, old-fashioned firms who still corresponded via pigeon. With the help of her team, they have a modern approach to one of the world’s oldest professions. Fast forward 8 years and they have gone on to win several awards and expanded overseas with Smooth Accounting Dubai. Jeri strategically grew Smooth to run without her, so that she can enjoy her freedom and being around for her children. She now teaches others how to scale their accounting firms in The Accountants Wealth Academy. How did you get into the profession? I was g ..read more

There’s not long until Accountex London is opening its doors at London’s ExCeL to over ten thousand attendees.  With more exhibitors, speakers and feature areas than ever before, accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals from around the world are expected to attend the free annual event.   Attendees will have access to 300+ fintech and service suppliers offering software demos. As well as a diverse CPD accredited education programme made up of 250+ seminars.  Here are some of the new things that visitors can explore at this year’s show:    – HMRC ..read more