Monthly Update: April into May Edition
This is something new from me, a monthly update on what’s happening at Principle Point. If you’d prefer a copy of this going into your inbox every month you can subscribe or follow my LinkedIn Newsletter version. The choice is yours.
In this edition:
The January-March Slog
Shall we just call it MTD?
All This Talk About AI
Something Different: >6:30 Lisbon
What’s been on my record player
We made it through the January-March Slog
We’ve made it through the first few months of the year! January, February, and March always seem to be a bit of a slog, right? Trying to get everything rolling and chasing after accountants and bookkeepers at that time of year is always tricky. It feels like once those three months are out of the way, the rest of the year can really begin. Though, April has just flown by with the Digital Accountancy Show and Easter!
For me, things are looking clearer now. I can see what’s coming up for the next few months, and everyone seems to know where they stand after that initial rush. April and May always feel a bit like a new school year.
Speaking of education, there’s a lot of training clients going on at Principle Point, which is great. We’re kicking off three new projects with both new and long-time clients, but in different areas, so that’s exciting.
It’s all good, busy stuff, but there’s always space for more. So, if you’ve got a budget to spend on training, perhaps our new Finance Function 101 course if you’ve already done our Accounting 101 course or research, drop me a message and let’s have a chat.
Shall we just call it MTD? It’s the only one in town after all.
There’s a lot of chatter about Making Tax Digital for Income Tax right now. Things are starting to heat up. I’m trying to help people figure out how to best position their services around it, which is really interesting. Plus, there’s a bit of a mix as we’re talking to clients and accountants about MTD, but we’re also creating content for people. It’s about helping people understand what’s out there.
We’re still doing some training on MTD, making sure everyone’s up to speed on how it affects things. We’re also looking at how practices manage and distribute work because it’s not just about the software; it’s about how it’s all managed internally.
All This Talk About AI
You can’t escape AI at the moment, can you? I see so many people doing stuff with it, both vendors and firms, but it feels like it’s still quite difficult to make real headway. It takes a lot of time and effort to make it work, and I wonder if it feels a bit risky for some.
There are so many tools coming out, especially for things like data extraction and reconciliation, and it feels like a bit of a bubble, a bit like what we saw a few years ago with Expense Management, Payment Cards, and Practice Management solutions.
Everyone and their dog seems to have an idea about how to make it work, but it’s hard to tell which ones are actually good. How do you tell one vendor from another when they all sound similar? Unless you have a ton of time to check them all out, it’s just a lot of noise. I’m being a bit cautious and will see what proves itself in the long run.
Something Different: >6:30 Lisbon
Okay, so your event calendars are probably full, but if you want something a bit different, let me tell you about >6:30 Lisbon. It’s happening in early July 2025. Some of you might know I do a little gathering on a boat in Bristol each year, and we get a great mix of people. No selling, no presentations, just people chatting and getting to know each other.
This year, we’re going to Lisbon! It’s going to be a chance to meet some local accountants and tech folks there, as well as the usual crowd we get together. We’re trying to bring people together, share experiences, and see what happens. Here’s a link to book your spot and it would be great to see you there.
What’s been on my record player
Just before putting this together, I had these three albums on:
Fugazi - In on the Kill Taker: Really gets you going in the morning.
AIM - Cold Water Music: Some great instrumental hip-hop beats.
The Roots of Curtis Mayfield - Curtis: A real classic – and my new vinyl copy has the original calendar!
Cheers,
Richard Sergeant
Principle Point