The Ledger Lounge - Build A Better Business

Zack Mahar from Rowan Ashworth joins us to discuss the importance of adding social value in modern construction tenders, how a proactive accountant helps keep everything on track, and why offering opportunities to apprentices and T-Level students is good for everyone. This episode of The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor and Katie Allen from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountant...

Alan Beak is the founder of Ruger Barbers in Lees, Oldham. Ever since he started his first job at his local barber shop at the age of 12, Alan has been on the path to building a haircare brand that is known across the world. As you'll hear in this fascinating interview with Lauren and Katie, Alan doesn't do things by halves, hates VAT and thinks nothing can beat the sense of achievement building a...

It's never been easier to create a "side hustle" - a few extra quid on the side of your main income - but at what point does the tax man need to know? Are you a regular seller of items on sites like eBay or Vinted? Did you know that there's limited to the profits you can make before you are required to declare it? Don't worry because in this episode, we'll help you unders...

In this episode of The Ledger Lounge , we break down one of the most important — and often misunderstood — financial statements in business: the Balance Sheet. Whether you're a business owner, bookkeeping student, finance newbie, or just trying to make sense of your company accounts, this episode explains balance sheets in plain English and shows why they matter far beyond year-end accounts. T...

It's not easy to understand a set of accounts...that's what accountants are for, right?! Well, yes, but as a business owner, it really does help you build a better business when you have a good understanding of the basics. So, in this episode we talk you through your income statement or if you are old school Profit and Loss account. What’s turnover? What’s GP? Listen and find out. This episode of...

Ian Taylor was born above his parents Baker's shop in Oldham, Lancashire. He now works as an events host, public speaker, trainer, professional networker and consultant but as he shares his story, he reveals why he will always be Bakersson at heart. Please click the following links to learn more about Ian Taylor and the Oldham Business Network . This episode of The Ledger Lounge is hosted by M...

Katie and Lauren are joined by Emma Husband, a financial planner who is passionate about helping women take better control of their finances. The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor and Katie Allan from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ⁠⁠⁠Become Conte...

In this episode of The Ledger Lounge, the we discuss how individuals and small businesses can prepare for Making Tax Digital (MTD) and why tax planning now is more important than ever. With MTD for Income Tax on the horizon, taxpayers will move from annual reporting to more regular quarterly digital updates, meaning better record keeping and forward tax planning will now become possible. Katie and...

This episode of the Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor and Katie Allan from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ⁠⁠⁠⁠Become Content⁠⁠⁠⁠ in Oldham. The Ledger Lounge – Friendly Disclaimer Everything we chat about on The Ledger Lounge (and in these sho...

In this episode of the Ledger Lounge, we speak with a charity that is very close to our hearts. At James Scott we are patrons of local youth charity Madhlo , a state of the art youth zone in the centre of Oldham. We welcomed CEO Lucy Lees to discuss not only the brilliant work they do for the community of Oldham, but how supporting a charity works in terms of helping you and your business from a t...

In this episode, we break down the key announcements from autumn’s 2025 UK Budget and explain what they actually mean for business owners. Budgets can be packed with headlines, but the real impact often lies in the detail. We cut through the noise to highlight the changes that matter most — from tax allowances and National Insurance to investment reliefs and payroll considerations. Whether you’re...

In this bonus episode, we focus on what last autumn’s UK Budget means specifically for construction businesses. From subcontractors and sole traders to limited companies and contractors, the construction industry faces unique tax, cash-flow, and compliance challenges. We break down the Budget changes that matter most to construction businesses and explain how they affect CIS, employment costs, inv...

Handling payroll in-house can be a massive drain on time, energy, and headspace – and getting it wrong isn’t an option. In this episode, we’re joined by Natalie from Payroll Sorted to unpack the real benefits of outsourcing your payroll, what it actually looks like in practice, and how to know if your business is ready to make the switch. The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan...

With the 2025 Autumn Budget behind us and the final calls for MTD for Income Tax to be scrapped a distant memory, it’s time to turn to the practicalities. Since recording HMRC have confirmed that there will be no late submission penalties for quarterly updates during tax year 2026-27. This means that the first wave of taxpayers joining MTD in April 2026 won’t need to worry about being late with th...

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in Oldham. The Ledger Lounge – Friendly Disclaimer Everything we chat about on The Ledger Lounge (and in these show notes!) is meant to be helpful, interesting...

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester. This week on The Ledger Lounge, Matthew and Katie chat with Zoe Bordiuk, the powerhouse behind The Card Machine Queen — a UK-based independent consultant who’s made it her mission to help small businesses stop overpaying on their pay...

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in Oldham. The Ledger Lounge – Friendly Disclaimer Everything we chat about on The Ledger Lounge (and in these show notes!) is meant to be helpful, interesting, an...

Cybersecurity isn’t just for big corporations — small businesses are one of the top targets for hackers in 2025. But how can you protect your business without a massive IT budget? In this episode of The Ledger Lounge, Tom, Katie and Matthew talk to Steve Cockcroft about the real-world cyber threats facing businesses today and the simple steps you can take to protect your data, your customers, and...

This episode is the last one of our first ever series, or is it season, of the Ledger Lounge. Topics for discussion include the relentless development and implications of AI in life and accounting, old fashioned telephones and of course, what we've learnt about podcasting. The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode Matthew, Katie and Lauren take a deeper dive into the positives and potential pitfalls of Making Tax Digital (MTD), as HMRC prepare to roll out phase one in April 2026. NOV2025 UPDATE - Since recording HMRC have confirmed that there will be no late submission penalties for quarterly updates during tax year 2026-27. This means that the first wave of taxpayers joining MTD in April 20...

In this episode, Matthew and Tom are joined by Sam from Swoop to discuss how they help SME's find the affordable finance they need to thrive and sometimes, survive. Click here to access our Funding and Finance page, with access to our Swoop portal. The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manch...

In this episode Matthew and Katie are again joined by Tom to discuss the benefits of getting on the pensions and savings train as early as possible. The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Oldham. Audio by Matt Dean...

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The only thing is Lauren couldn’t make it this time and so we drafted in the James Scott King, Tom the Don. Fresh from his exam success we discuss his route from 6th form to completing his ACCA exams. All achieved through apprenticeships. It is r...

Matthew and Katie are joined by producer Matt to talk about the benefits of getting an accountant on board with your business from the beginning. The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ James Scott Accountants ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Oldham. Audio by Matt Dean with vide...

In this episode Matthew and Katie scratch the surface on the huge topic that is VAT. The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from James Scott Accountants in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Oldham. Audio by Matt Dean with video by Eddie Corteen. The Ledger Lounge – Friendly Disclaimer Everything we...