Admor Business Solutions

11/06/2026

Has your voluntary board ever got really bogged down in the minor detail?

I mean when you should be focusing on bigger issues and challenges.

Often I think this is because many board members can’t easily distinguish between their strategic role and the operational responsibilities that they should delegate to senior staff.

I appreciate if you are in a very small charities with little or no staff, this is a particular problem. Although governance principles still require you to distinguish your board responsibilities from your responsibilities as volunteers “on the ground”.

In my dealings with boards, I’ve seen some spend a lot of time on minor operational issues because they’re in their comfort zone, or because it’s a subject or issue close to their heart. Like the colour of the railings around the car park.

And this affects the board’s effectiveness.

So, what’s the solution?

While there is no magic wand, there are a few steps a board can take to re-focus on the longer term:

👉 Develop a 3-5 year strategic plan, incorporate milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and add it to the board agenda at least quarterly so the longer-term stays in focus
👉 Distinguish between board and senior management functions and responsibilities with (a) clear role profiles for board members and key post holders that maximise strategic issues and (b) a Scheme of Delegation & Matters Reserved for the Board that splits responsibilities clearly
👉Ensure that board meeting agenda items don’t include operational matters unless they are material and require oversight, discussion and action (and avoid AOB where possible as that often opens a can of worms that drags everyone into the weeds!)

While you and your board can take specific steps to refocus on strategic vs operational issues, there are overlapping issues that could be easily addressed and improved at the same time.

So, consider stepping back as a board and adopting a more holistic approach to reviewing board effectiveness and good governance across your organisation.

24/03/2026

Board Effectiveness - Myth or Reality? When I was a charity trustee I assumed our board was effective. So did the Chair and the rest of the board members. But we didn't measure it. Read my latest blog for insights into board effectiveness, what it is and how to begin to measure it.....

Board effectiveness - myth or reality reveals the benefits of self-assessing your board's practices & procedures against external benchmarks

15/01/2026

Improving Board Effectiveness for Voluntary Boards - explained

18/11/2025

HMRC - get ready for 31 January (webinar)

What is it about the word "tax" that fills people with a sense of dread and panic?

Especially those who are venturing into self-employment for the very first time.

Business taxes; registration; self-assessment returns; allowable expenses; tax deadlines; fines; penalties.... and so on.

It's a lot to take in while you're trying to navigate your start-up through your first sales; supplies; costs; websites; social media; marketing; logistics and all the rest.....

It can be a minefield.

And you can easily react by doing the ostrich thing and burying your head in the sand.

But it doesn't have to be like that.

I've been working with business start-ups for over 30 years.

And I still firmly believe that the best approach is to recognise and accept your lack of knowledge. Then seek support if it's not your speciality. Or if you don't know where to start.

Anything is better than ignoring it until it becomes a problem.

If you're recently self-employed and worrying about the 31 January 2026 self-assessment tax deadline or you just want to find out more about self-employment and how the business taxes work, join me on for this free webinar from Go Succeed NI.

I will be breaking down the self-assessment tax system into easy to understand bite-sized chunks so you can take your head out of the sand a bit.

It's all about taking a first step to understand something better and earn a bonus by worrying less at the same time.

Registration details are below and I look forward to seeing you there. If you're up for it.....

Buy tickets for this live stream on Thu 4 Dec 2025. Powered by glistrr.

18/07/2025

Is your business affected by late payments? Is your cash flow suffering? Well you might be part of the £112bn problem in late payments in the UK.

Read my latest blog for practical tips on what you can do.

Late payments are a scourge - here are some tips about what to do if this affects your business or charity

10/11/2024

Read my latest blog on how trustees can
develop high quality charity board papers......

21/08/2023

Check out my free webinar on Charity Governance and the Effective Board.....

Charity Governance and the Effective Board is a free webinar for trustees on how to assess your governance and make your board more effective

08/02/2023

Delighted to sponsor Antrim LGFA U16 player Alannah Greer, a great talent with a bright future.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=655215956606200&id=100063534041873

Tony Haren of Admor Business Solutions is very proud to sponsor Alannah Greer, U16 Antrim player.

As a Chartered Management Accountant practice, the company provides corporate governance and financial management advice to businesses, sports clubs and charities of all sizes. (Contact number 07828631021)

11/10/2022

🚨 Good governance is essential for any charity, to ensure that it meets acceptable standards 🚨

Why not try our easy-to-use web-based Charity Governance Assessment Tool, built to help you take control of your governance, avoid the need for paper checklists and save the cost of working with an external governance consultant.

👉 http://ow.ly/NJtY50L7fmX