Rural Commerce And Retail Businesses

Do you operate a retail business in the UK countryside? We are Roake & Cook, chartered accountants who support rural businesses with a modern approach. We are passionate about helping our clients thrive in the countryside they love.

We are committed to helping your rural business grow sustainably, and as a small firm with big values, we like to offer a personal service to each client.

Invested in your long-term success

At our small, client-focused firm, your business’s needs take centre stage. We take the time to deeply comprehend your specific requirements and obstacles, crafting custom solutions that nurture your success and growth.

Our approach is designed to make you feel supported and empowered. When it comes to boosting your profits, we offer more than just number-crunching. We recognise that for rural retail businesses, pricing is a critical factor in profitability. We’ll help you find the right price points by analysing your products, local market conditions, and competitors, enabling you to maximise revenue.

We can also assist you in streamlining payment systems, reducing costs and improving cash flow, all aimed at making your financial processes feel more efficient. Our modern approach to accounting means you’ll benefit from improved financial information, including regular reports and forecasts, ensuring you have the insights you need to confidently make decisions that will drive your business towards greater profitability.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW WE CAN HELP YOU:

Commerce and retail businesses face many challenges, from changing consumer habits to the rise of e-commerce and managing brand loyalty. The cost-of-living crisis and the reduction in footfall on high streets have further increased pressure on operating margins.

Bookkeeping

In our opinion, this is one of the most crucial parts of any business. Having up-to-date and accurate financial information is the cornerstone of all aspects of your business.

Being able to track the profitability of different product lines and sites, forecasting cash flow, and calculating break-even points for new products, are all facilitated by good bookkeeping.

We provide bookkeeping services, to free up your time and let you focus on running your business, and we also assist in implementing new software and provide training for those who wish to do it themselves.

Customer Retention

We work with you to identify key performance indicators for your business. These could be financial, such as turnover and gross profit margins, or they could be non-financial, such as return on ad spend, follower growth on social media or lifetime value of a customer.

For any customer-focused business, customer retention is key. You want repeat transactions.

We help you identify, measure and track these indicators, and then how to improve those indicators to benefit your business.

Staffing

The constant changes to the National Living Wage will mean your staffing costs are increasing. We help you understand how those changes impact your bottom line and work with you to ensure systems and processes are in place to make your business as efficient as possible.

Tax Services

Tax savings play a vital role in your business's cash flow. No one wants to pay unnecessary tax, and our expert knowledge of capital allowances, tax-efficient remuneration, and tax planning opportunities helps ensure this is not the case for you.

Forecasting tax bills and building them into cash forecasts enable better decision-making and planning.

Stock Management

Ensuring you have the right systems and processes in place is vital to monitoring stock availability and ordering.

Having software that integrates with your bookkeeping software saves significant time and money, rather than having to rely on separate systems.

We work with you to improve these systems, providing time and money savings, as well as ensuring customers are kept happy.

Embrace modern accounting for greater visibility and control

Take control of your finances with modern accounting. With our assistance, you can embrace your numbers and have greater visibility over your business, empowering you to make informed decisions. We use cloud-based accounting software and tools to provide you with real-time insights into your financial performance. We’ll also help you to implement best practices and streamline your accounting processes.

Deeply engaged to the rural community

As part of the rural community ourselves, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that rural businesses face. You can trust us to provide insightful advice and tailored solutions that align with the specific needs of your rural business.

Martin and Helen Cook

Contact Roake & Cook today to schedule a consultation and experience the difference a modern approach to rural accounting can make.

Our husband and wife team brings a personal touch to our services. We genuinely care about our clients and go above and beyond to deliver exceptional service. You won’t be treated like just another number; instead, you’ll experience the warmth and dedication that comes from working with a team that genuinely values your success.

Building lasting relationships is at the heart of what we do.

Here are some examples of clients we have in the Rural Commerce And Retail Businesses industry and some key examples of how we have helped them:

Heather, Farm Shop

Heather has a family farming business, with a farm shop that sells their own produce, as well as a wide range of local produce from other farms. With labour issues requiring Heather to spend more and more time in the shop, the family were struggling to keep on top of how the business was performing.

Having been approached to help, we proposed moving from their old desktop bookkeeping software to a more modern cloud offering. This allowed real-time reporting, with imported bank transactions, connected payroll, and time savings on bookkeeping.

Setting up a Chart of Accounts to allow reporting on the farm enterprises, as well as the farm shop and other activities, now helps have clear and concise weekly reports across the business.

With stock management and card payment systems now connected to the bookkeeping software, the process is less complex, less time consuming, and is more accurate and up to date.

Tax estimates are provided, as well as forecasting VAT bills. All of which mean no last minute notice of tax bills.

We have helped introduce electronic timesheets and payroll is now all processed digitally, with no manual timesheets or payslips.

With us taking care of the numbers and providing weekly reports, Heather has freed up her time to focus on running the business. More time, less stress, and the information needed to move the business forwards.

FAQS SPECIFIC TO RURAL COMMERCE AND RETAIL BUSINESSES:

How can I keep track of the different income streams in my business?

We understand that most rural businesses have diversified their operations, particularly so with garden centres. Keeping track of each part of your business is key in understanding where cashflow issues are arising, or if there is an underperforming part of the business.

Through the use of enterprise tracking, up to date and accurate bookkeeping, and easy to understand financial reporting, we help clients monitor, measure and track each part of their business.

Accurate bookkeeping is a must for any business, but knowing how to use those numbers is key.

Labour costs and supply are a constant battle, what can I do?

With minimum wage rates and tax changes constantly changing, ensuring you are on top of these is vital in ensuring employees are paid correctly and all reporting is completed on time.

Accurate payroll helps reduce employee turnover rates, and forecasting can help understand how changes to wage rates and taxes will impact your business when they come into play.

How can cloud accounting software help my business?

Regular and accurate bookkeeping, combined with the use of modern software, allows business owners to know how their business is performing now – not 9 months after their financial year- end.

Having your numbers at your fingertips allows faster decision-making and removes the worry about how your business is performing.

Implementing time saving features such as automated invoicing, digital time-sheets and automated debt control all free up time.