From startup to success: Small business accounting guide

Accountancy
- - Accountancy Overview
    - Accountancy Overview We know that every minute counts in an accountancy practice and client relationships are everything to an accountant. Our software and services are designed to automate every possible aspect of your day to give you more time focussing on your clients. Find some of our most popular software and services below or use the menu to find exactly what you need.
      IRIS Elements Increase productivity with our cloud accountancy platform
      IRIS Accountancy Suite Software to help with even the most complex accounting & tax
      IRIS Hosting Create a cloud-based office so you can work from anywhere
      IRIS Outsourcing Cost-effective and reliable outsourcing of core accounting and payroll processes
      IRIS Affinity Discover our accountancy partner program!
    - Small to medium-sized accountancy practice? IRIS Elements is leading cloud-based accountancy software powering thousands of practices just like yours.
  - Bookkeepers & Small Practices
    - Bookkeepers & Small Practices A smaller practice doesn’t mean a less challenging environment. Find everything from tax and accounts preparation software to software for submissions to Companies House and managing your practice.
      IRIS Elements Increase productivity with our cloud accountancy platform
      Staffology HR & Payroll Visit our Staffology HR & Payroll website
      IRIS Outsourcing Cost-effective and reliable outsourcing of core accounting and payroll processes
      IRIS KashFlow Bookkeeping Makes bookkeeping quick & easy
    - Small to medium-sized accountancy practice? IRIS Elements is leading cloud-based accountancy software powering thousands of practices just like yours.
  - Medium Practices
    - Medium Practices We understand how pivotal our software is in helping some of largest accountancy practices achieve their success. From practice management to document storage and accounting and tax – all the software you need is here.
      IRIS Elements Increase productivity with our cloud accountancy platform
      IRIS Accountancy Suite Software to help with even the most complex accounting & tax
      IRIS Anywhere Combining world-class accountancy software and cloud technology
      Staffology HR & Payroll Visit our Staffology HR & Payroll website
      IRIS Outsourcing Cost-effective and reliable outsourcing of core accounting and payroll processes
    - Small to medium-sized accountancy practice? IRIS Elements is leading cloud-based accountancy software powering thousands of practices just like yours.
  - Large Practices
    - Large Practices We understand how pivotal our software is in helping some of largest accountancy practices achieve their success. From practice management to document storage and accounting and tax – all the software you need is here.
      IRIS Accountancy Suite Software to help with even the most complex accounting & tax
      IRIS Anywhere Combining world-class accountancy software and cloud technology
      IRIS Cascade HRi HR software for organisations with 250-10,000 employees
      IRIS Outsourcing Cost-effective and reliable outsourcing of core accounting and payroll processes
      IRIS Practice Engine Gain greater insights of your accountancy firm’s performance
    - Small to medium-sized accountancy practice? IRIS Elements is leading cloud-based accountancy software powering thousands of practices just like yours.
  - More Products
    - More products for all Browse our other software and services which help keep accountancy practices on top of their day-to-day tasks. Find cloud software to help you work remotely, iXBRL tagging, booking software and more.
      IRIS Appliance Boost IRIS Accountancy Suite performance for your customers
      IRIS Charity Formats Boost productivity for accounting & reporting in charities
      IRIS GP Accounts Software for GP accounting and bookkeeping
      IRIS Innervision Corporate lease management and accounting software
      IRIS iXBRL iXBRL compliance for accountants in practice and businesses
      IRIS iXBRL Tagging Service Create fully tagged iXBRL-compliant accounts
      IRIS Keytime Accountancy software for accountants in smaller practices
      IRIS Payroll for Accountants Manage multiple client payrolls
      IRIS Practice Audit Expert auditing and support for your business
      IRIS Practice Dashboards View your business performance for improved management control
      Lease Accounting Software Comply with the latest standards, IFRS 16 and FASB ASC 842
      Lease Management Services Flexible lease management services, tools and expertise
    - Small to medium-sized accountancy practice? IRIS Elements is leading cloud-based accountancy software powering thousands of practices just like yours.
  - Accountant in Business
    - Accountant in Business As an accountant in business you’ll require a variety of tools to get you through any financial year. Here at IRIS we’ve got everything you need from VAT filing software to tax and accounts production.
      IRIS Accounts Production Business accounts software for accountants in business
      IRIS Business Tax Helping in-house accountants complete quality tax returns
      IRIS VAT Filer Enables in-house accountants to make VAT submissions to HMRC
      IRIS Company Secretarial Create reports of client information
      IRIS Outsourcing Cost-effective and reliable outsourcing of core accounting and payroll processes
    - Small to medium-sized accountancy practice? IRIS Elements is leading cloud-based accountancy software powering thousands of practices just like yours.
  - Financial Management
    - Financial Management Staying on top of your business finances is crucial to its success. From analysis to planning, we have all the financial management software you need to thrive!
      IRIS Financials A leading unified ledger accounting system
      IRIS Financials Charity Edition A leading unified ledger accounting system designed for charities
      IRIS Analytics Business intelligence software to combine and analyse your data
      IRIS Assets Centrally manage and track assets and statutory compliance
      IRIS Invoice Matcher Automated reading, matching, & processing of incoming invoices
      IRIS Outsourcing Outsource your reporting, bookkeeping or other finance processes
    - Small to medium-sized accountancy practice? IRIS Elements is leading cloud-based accountancy software powering thousands of practices just like yours.
- - All Accountancy Products
- - Practice Management Software
- - Tax Software
- - Helpful Links
    - Become a partner
Education
- - IRIS Education Overview
    - IRIS Education Overview Education management solutions that save time, give a clear view and help you work together, so you can give your pupils the education they deserve.
      School Administration Free up teachers and staff to focus on delivering excellent education outcomes by automating administrative processes and making monitoring and intervention painless.
      School Administration
      School Management Information System (MIS)
      State schools: IRIS Ed:gen
      Independent schools: isams
      Parent engagement
      IRIS Engagement Suite
      Communication
      IRIS ParentMail
      IRIS Reach
      Online payment
      IRIS PlusPay
      Online forms
      Online Form Collection
      Absence Calling
      IRIS Absence Call
      Virtual Schools Attendance
      IRIS Looked After Call
      Cashless Catering
      BioStore Portal
      IRIS FasTrak
      Biometric Identity Management IRIS Biostore
      IRIS BioStore
      Workforce Management Improve outcomes by streamlining processes, prioritising staff wellbeing and providing fantastic CPD.
      Workforce Management
      Workforce Management for Schools and Trusts
      Human Resource Management
      Every HR by IRIS
      Payroll and Pensions
      Payroll and pensions management for schools and trusts
      In-house payroll
      Every Payroll By IRIS
      Fully-managed Payroll and Pensions Service
      Dataplan By IRIS
      Supply Staff Talent Pool Management
      Teacher Booker
      Pre-appointment Social Media Background Checks
      Social Media Check
      Finance and Compliance Save time and money with efficient financial, compliance and estate management software. Use your resources effectively, ensure your processes are compliant and keep your premises safe.
      Finance and Compliance
      Finance and Compliance for Schools and Trusts
      Finance Management for Trusts
      Financial Management System
      IRIS Financials
      Cloud Hosting
      PS Cloud
      Invoice Matching
      IRIS Invoice Matcher
      Financial Management for Schools
      Financial Management for Schools IRIS Financials School Edition
      Budgeting
      IRIS Financial Planner
      Compliance and Estates Management
      Every Compliance by IRIS
      School Data Analytics Consolidate data from MIS, HR, Finance, Compliance, Engagement and other systems.
      School Data Analytics Consolidate and overlay data from MIS, HR, Finance, Compliance, Engagement and other systems.
      Data Consolidation and Insights
      IRIS Central
    - Take Our 'Trust Quality' Quiz Take our quiz to get an idea of how closely your trust aligns to the latest DfE guidance.
- - Popular solutions
- - All Education Products
HR
- - IRIS HR Overview
    - IRIS HR Overview Human Resources teams are the heartbeat of any business big or small. Faced with the pressures of staying up-to-date on fast moving changes in the workforce, HR teams use our software and services to reduce resource-intensive tasks and help them focus on the human side! Find some of our most popular software and services below or use the menu to find exactly what you need.
      IRIS Cascade HRi HR software for organisations with 250-10,000 employees
      Staffology HR & Payroll Visit our Staffology HR & Payroll website
      IRIS Recruitment Software Recruitment software to help control and manage your end-to-end recruitment process
      IRIS Recruitment Services Fully managed recruitment services for all businesses
      IRIS HR Consulting & Services Enjoy worry-free HR and benefit compliance from our team of HR experts
      Looking for HR management in Education? Explore our workforce management solutions for schools and trusts.
    - Mission: Possible Configure your employee lifecycle. Deliver the ultimate hire-to-retire journey for your staff.
  - Small Businesses
    - Small Businesses Smaller businesses can easily get bogged down by HR. Find a range of HR software for small businesses that can automate tasks for you and help you avoid wasting valuable resources.
      Staffology HR & Payroll Visit our Staffology HR & Payroll website
      IRIS Recruitment Recruitment software to help control and manage your end-to-end recruitment process
      IRIS Networx Services Fully managed recruitment services for all businesses
      IRIS HR Professional Cloud HR software developed to simplify HR for SMEs
    - Mission: Possible Configure your employee lifecycle. Deliver the ultimate hire-to-retire journey for your staff.
      Discover Mission Possible today
  - Large Businesses
    - Medium & Large Businesses Don’t let a larger workforce bring your Human Resources team to a standstill. Our HR software can help your HR team thrive no matter how big your business grows.
      IRIS Cascade HRi HR software for organisations with 250-10,000 employees
      Staffology HR & Payroll Visit our Staffology HR & Payroll website
      IRIS Recruitment Recruitment software to help control and manage your end-to-end recruitment process
    - Mission: Possible Configure your employee lifecycle. Deliver the ultimate hire-to-retire journey for your staff.
      Discover Mission Possible today
  - Services
    - Services Some compliance and HR tasks are better left to somebody else. Browse our range of HR services to help ease pressures, save time and help offer expert guidance.
      IRIS Networx Services Fully managed recruitment services for all businesses
      IRIS HR Consulting & Services Enjoy worry-free HR and benefit compliance from our team of HR experts
    - Mission: Possible Configure your employee lifecycle. Deliver the ultimate hire-to-retire journey for your staff.
      Discover Mission Possible today
  - Recruitment
    - Recruitment Solutions Find a range of recruitment software and services to help you find and attract the best people for your organisation.
      Recruitment Software
      Recruitment Services
    - Mission: Possible Configure your employee lifecycle. Deliver the ultimate hire-to-retire journey for your staff.
      Discover Mission Possible today
- - All HR Products
- - HR Software
- - Helpful Links
    - Become a partner
    - HR Marketplace
Payroll
- - IRIS Payroll Overview
    - IRIS Payroll Overview Our software and services ensure every pay run is a success and all complexities are taken care of.
      Payroll Software HMRC Recognised payroll software tailored for businesses of all sizes.
      Payroll Software
      Cloud-based payroll for UK businesses
      Staffology Payroll
      Payroll software for complex payrolls
      IRIS Payrite
      Payroll Software for Schools
      Every Payroll
      Payroll Software for GP Practices
      IRIS GP Payroll
      Integrated HR and Payroll
      Intuitive cloud-based HR and Payroll software
      Staffology By IRIS
      Fully integrated HR and Payroll software
      IRIS Cascade
      Payroll Services Outsource your payroll to CIPP-accredited payroll experts.
      Payroll Services
      Let IRIS take care of your payroll
      IRIS Managed Payroll
      Managed Payroll for IRIS Cascade customers
      IRIS Cascade Payroll Managed Services
      Payroll Services for Schools
      Dataplan Payroll
      Tronc Services
      Troncmasters
      International Payroll Services
      IRIS FMP
      Bureau Payroll Software Payroll platform for payroll bureaus and accountants.
      Bureau Software
      Cloud-based payroll software for modern bureaus
      Staffology Bureau
      Payroll bureau software for complex payroll needs
      IRIS Payroll Professional
      Additional Payroll Offerings Additional products and services designed to streamline your payroll processing.
      Faster Payments
      Faster Payments
      Payslips
      IRIS My ePay Window
      Employee Data Platform
      IRIS Employee Verification
    - Staffology Payroll Staffology Payroll: UK cloud-based payroll software powered by smiles.
- - Popular Solutions
- - All Payroll Products
All solutions
Why IRIS?
- - About Us
    - About Us Overview We help improve the way people work by making business processes more efficient. Our software and services are used by accountancy and education professionals, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most essential operational business problems. From submitting a tax return and being paid on time, to improving work experiences and engaging with a child’s school, our customers save money, save time and know it’s right first time, every time.
      About Us
      Sustainability
      Society
      Our People
      Governance
      IRIS Companies
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - Leaders
    - Leaders
      Leaders
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - Experts
    - Experts
      Experts
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - Case Studies
    - Case Studies Discover how our solutions enable UK organisations to improve efficiency and look forward to their future.
      Case Studies
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - Affinity Partner Program
    - Affinity Partner Program Overview Unlock limitless growth opportunities by partnering with one of the UK’s largest privately held software companies. Tap into new markets, stand out in the industry, and deliver real results for your customers.
      Reseller partner program Grow your business as a channel partner
      Referral partner program Get rewarded for recommending IRIS solutions
      Accountancy referral partner program Drive practice growth and help clients thrive
      Education support partner program Support schools and trusts with IRIS solutions
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - Locations
    - Locations
      Locations
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - Careers at IRIS
    - Careers at IRIS Our people are our greatest asset. They enable us to be the innovative, market-leading, and high-performing company that we are today.
      Careers at IRIS We are committed to engaging, rewarding and empowering our employees, and this is central to what we do.
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - News
    - News
      News
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - Legal
    - Legal | Product and Services Legal Documentation Find details and review our consumer products and services General Terms and Conditions of supply.
      Product and Services Terms & Conditions
      Hardware Terms and Conditions
      Customer Data Processing Terms
      Privacy Policy
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
  - Contact Us
    - Contact Us IRIS is the UK’s market-leading provider of mission-critical software and services to the UK accountancy, payroll, HR and education sectors.
      Contact Us
    - Why IRIS? We help organisations to make better business decisions by developing integrated software solutions to minimise admin, make business processes more efficient and give more time to do what’s valued. Our software and services are used by accountants, schools, and teams in payroll, HR and finance to solve some of the most important operational business problems. These include the need to remain compliant with the law, drastically reduce time spent on administration and reporting; and generating actionable data insights to make better business decisions.
Support & Resources
- - Support
    - Support Browse our helpful support documents or find a list of options to get in touch.
      Help Hub Find specific help for your IRIS products.
      Contact us Find all the ways to get in touch.
  - Resources
    - Resources Find a range of helpful articles and resources to help you with Accountancy, Education, HR and Payroll.
      Blog Read helpful articles and the latest insights on our blog.
      Case Studies See how our solutions have helped our customers.
      Guides Find helpful advice around Accountancy, Education, Payroll, HR and more.
      Webinars Watch our free webinars and sign up for upcoming webinars.
      Talking Points Read a wide range of top level business topics around Accounting, HR, Payroll and more.
      Events Get details on IRIS events.
      Podcasts Join the IRIS team as they interview industry leaders.
Shop

Close Search

Call us on
0344 815 5555

Home | Guides | From startup to success: A small business accounting guide

We’ve created a comprehensive guide covering small business accounting, software and outsourcing. Our handy small business accounting guide also covers other compliance challenges you’ll face.