Partner relationship: Sage
Established in the north east of England in 1981, Sage is a leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and we have been working closely with them for a number of years. They work with more than 6 million businesses worldwide but despite their global success have stayed true to their roots; keeping their UK headquarters in Newcastle upon Tyne where their story began.
Sage offers a number of small business, cloud-based software solutions used by SMPs and SME clients to reduce admin and gain greater control of cash flow. The software streamlines operations by automating invoices and payments, forecasting cash flow, issuing electronic receipts, paying staff and managing tax and compliance.
At ACCA we are always looking for new ways to help our members, and add value to their membership. We recognised that Sage UK had a mutual interest in supporting SMPs and SMEs through the current economic uncertainty and a partnership between us meant we could push forward with this support together.
One of the areas we identified for additional help is where ACCA practitioner members are looking to set up their own practice. As the pandemic took hold, we saw an increase in practitioners taking this step, either because of redundancy or furlough, or just deciding the time was right to make that change. We explored how, through a partnership with Sage, we could support this important group in their new ventures.
Starting a business is hard, cash flow is tight, and so in November 2020 we launched an offer, in collaboration with Sage, aimed at helping ACCA members who are setting up in practice. Members who take advantage of this offer, when licensed as ACCA practices, receive complimentary Sage software for their initial 20 clients during the first six months of being in business.
As well as complimentary software, Sage is offering support by providing a practice success manager and enablement experts, together with a detailed, bespoke onboarding programme. The aim is to help ACCA members maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of their new practice. Products included in the offer are:
Sage Accounting – to manage accounting in the cloud and give clients valuable, real-time insight based on their business performance.
Auto Entry** – automate processes and save time by capturing or automatically fetching and posting information from suppliers directly to the accounts system.
Sage Business Cloud Payroll – a simple, 4-step payroll process that’s perfect for businesses with 1-50 employees.
Online Compliance – Sage’s Final Accounts & Tax solutions are perfect for practices whose clients are small and micro-entities.
Sage 50 Cloud Payroll Bureau*** – an efficient, accurate and reliable end-to-end payroll. Sage Payroll Bureau makes it simple to manage clients’ payroll from one place.
Online Bureau** – a boost for the Sage Payroll Bureau solution to connect with clients through a secure online portal to save time collating and sharing vital payroll data.
The interest from ACCA members has been high and we’ve already had a number sign up to take advantage of this offer in the short time it’s been available. We’re eager to get them off to the best possible start and to support these small businesses in contributing to the economy from the moment they begin trading.
We’re delighted that our partnership with Sage can provide ACCA members setting up in practice the access to software and valuable advice and support that they need at this critical time.