Imagine a friendly and efficient bookkeeping / accounting service that is cheaper than an in-house team and smarter than a one man band.
We could be your super efficient accounts department…
Imagine an accounting service that is more capable than most, less costly to run than a dedicated in-house team, and one that speaks the kind of plain English that you’ll readily understand.
…or we could rip through
your bookeeping a few times a year!
We’re equally happy interacting with corporate business systems and in-house accounts assistants, as we are sorting out jumbled piles of receipts and invoices and cutting through the paper trail of nastiness that the Tax and VAT people demand.
We are fully accredited by the AAT and we’ve been in business for over 20 years – so we must be doing something right!
The Team
We are currently seven people: Kate Graham, Ashley Jayne, and Richard Peel are the directors, and Ryan Cotton-Shutt, Phoebe Hughes, Lara Fear and Helen Dallimore complete the team.
Kate Graham - Director
Kate started the business in London in the 90s, shortly before moving west with her young family. Prior to that she worked as a nurse and in retail. The commercial highlight of this period was doubling the turnover of the highly successful ice-cream parlour in Harrods. In her spare time she enjoys hammering bits of metal, she calls it silversmithing.
Ashley Jayne FMAAT - Director
Ash is a Penzance lad! He started out working in a builders merchant before joining the Backroom in 2014. Since then he has smashed his way through AAT and ATT exams and is now our Operations Director. Outside work and family commitments he is passionate about old VW buses and runs the local VW club which, it would seem, mostly involves partying.
Ryan Cotton-Shutt MAAT - Director
Ryan completed a degree in Business Management in 2012. He joined us following a variety of management positions in retail in London. After recently completing his AAT exams he is now a qualified accountant and our office manager. He and his wife have a young family, so in his very limited spare time he likes to play basketball, golf and enjoys walking the beautiful Cornish coast.
Phoebe Hughes MAAT - Accountant
Leaving university with a degree in Environmental Resource Management Phoebe chased the dream and travelled the world surfing, but in 2015 she settled down to develop a career in accounting. She has now completed her AAT and is a qualified accountant. She stills spends her free time chasing the sun and camping in her old VW with her partner and their two whippets at every opportunity.
Lara Fear - Accounting Technician
Lara joins us having moved, with her family, to the delights of West Cornwall. To date she has had a varied career in retail, banking, training and accounting, primarily based in the Midlands. She is currently studying AAT and when not doing this, her collection of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, biographical and historical reading continues to grow and grow!
Helen Dallimore - Accounting Technician
Helen was a tax inspector with HMRC for 36 years!!! What she doesn't know about tax isn't worth knowing! Nevertheless she is working her way through the AAT qualifications in order to qualify as an accountant. She enjoys coastal walks with her dogs, playing euchre, gardening, collects first edition books, and on a Saturday night she can be found in her local pub pulling pints.
Rick Peel - Director
Rick joined the company in 2009 following the sale of his design / web development company, Designamite. He has been the FD and MD of several creative businesses and brings marketing and systems expertise to the Backroom, as well as a practical understanding of what fiscal reporting directors need to manage their businesses. Rick lives for windsurfing, if it's windy he'll be at a ‘board’ meeting!
Our Clients and Specialisms
Our clients typically work in the creative sector, although we have businesses of all shapes on our books. They vary in size from individual artists, and makers to London based businesses with up to thirty members of staff.
- Creative businesses
- Artists, actors and directors
- Holiday letting / Airbnb
- Small businesses & sole traders
Services
First and foremost we always communicate in plain English – there is no accountants technobabble here!
Along with the usual accounting and bookkeeping services, we do everything we can to help your business run smoothly.
General Bookkeeping including:
- Bank and credit card reconciliations
- Supplier bill processing and / or payment
- Sales invoicing and debtor management
- Project profitability and management reporting
- VAT Returns
- Payroll management
- Workplace Pension administration
- Preparation of books for 3rd Party Accountants
Accountancy Services including:
- Management accounts and business performance reporting
- Self Assessment, Partnership, and Corporation Tax Returns
- Annual Accounts
Other Services include:
- Project management systems
- Database systems development
- Marketing advice and business mentoring
- Training clients how to bookkeep and use software
Contact Us
Much of our work comes from London and the big cities, we also have a growing local client base in West Cornwall.
You’d be welcome to visit our offices in Penzance – just drop by and say ‘hello’.
Tel 01736 364 330
Feel free to give us a call, email us at office@backroom.biz, or fill out the form below.
Address and opening hours
31 & 32 Causewayhead, Penzance, Cornwall TR18 2SP
9am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.