Strive Business Solutions

Strive Business Solutions We offer friendly, affordable bookkeeping and business support you can rely on.

AAT qualified and certified in QuickBooks, Xero and Sage, with 20+ years’ experience helping businesses stay on track! We know first hand the trials and tribulations SMEs face when juggling so many areas of business, and that’s why we’re on hand to help – as much or as little as you need! Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re an established business, we can help take some of the pressure off

, or help you to grow by outsourcing some of the tasks that take up your time – or building you a new website. Our goal is to make all our offerings as transparent and affordable for businesses of all sizes. We focus on finding efficient solutions across all of our services, so we have worked on creating partner relationships with a wide range of services providers to give you everything you need – from the best accounting softwares & auto-entry apps, to business bank accounts and business insurance. We are fully complaint and monitored externally for GDPR and are regulated by the IAB for Anti-Money Laundering & Counter Terrorist Financing. Alongside this we are certified in, and partners with Sage Accounting, QuickBooks and Xero. We are also partners with Starling Bank for business banking, and Edison Ives for business insurance – and we’re members of the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, Erewash Partnership & The FSB. Our accounting staff are AAT qualified, and we work on continuous development across all of our sectors, ensuring we are up to date with all current legislation and processes. We also offer comprehensive packages for start-ups, that can include as many or as few of our services as you need, tailored to you! For more information on any of our services please get in touch on 0333
335 5137 or check out our website!

Ok, you don’t have to answer that here...But unpaid invoices have a habit of quietly building up in the background while...
28/05/2026

Ok, you don’t have to answer that here...

But unpaid invoices have a habit of quietly building up in the background while you’re busy running the business.

And let’s be honest, chasing payments can feel awkward, time-consuming, and easy to keep putting off until the numbers start getting bigger than expected.

We recently helped one business reduce aged debtors from £160k to £20k by improving follow-ups, resolving queries quickly, and keeping payments moving consistently. This meant they had clarity and the freedom to grow, hire new staff and win new contracts.

We’ve shared the full case study here: www.strivebusinesslimited.co.uk/post/case-study-how-better-credit-control-reduced-unpaid-invoices-by-140k-for-one-client

If cash flow is starting to feel tighter than it should, get in touch; we’d be happy to chase it up for you.

www.strivebusinesslimited.co.uk/contactus

Three things you need to know about Making Tax Digital 👇1. If you’re self-employed and earning over £50k, MTD rules alre...
21/05/2026

Three things you need to know about Making Tax Digital 👇

1. If you’re self-employed and earning over £50k, MTD rules already apply from April 2026.

2. From April 2027, the threshold drops to £30k, meaning a huge number of sole traders and small businesses will also need to comply.

3. If you’re VAT registered, MTD for VAT is already mandatory.

The good news?

HMRC will not apply late submission penalty points for missed quarterly updates during the first tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027). But Penalties will still apply for late tax returns or if you pay your tax bill after the due date.

If you’ve been putting this off, you still have time to get set up without immediate submission penalties.

What does MTD actually mean?

✔ Using compatible accounting software
✔ Keeping digital income and expense records
✔ Sending quarterly updates to HMRC
✔ Submitting your tax information online instead of through the old annual process

Once the system is set up, most businesses find it far more manageable than they expected.

If you’re unsure where you stand, speak to us.

We’ll explain what applies to your business, get you set up with MTD-compliant software, and help make sure everything is running properly going forward.

Send us a message here or visit our website to get in touch:
www.strivebusinesslimited.co.uk

Prices shouldn’t stay the same year after year, because your costs don’t.What we often see with small businesses is this...
14/05/2026

Prices shouldn’t stay the same year after year, because your costs don’t.

What we often see with small businesses is this:

Prices get set… and then left alone, meanwhile, behind the scenes:

• Supplier costs creep up
• Software subscriptions increase
• Fuel, materials, wages all shift over time

Individually, they might not feel like big changes, but together, they slowly eat into your margins, and because it happens gradually, it often goes unnoticed until things start feeling tight.

So what should you do instead?

You don’t need to make big, sudden jumps, in fact, that’s usually what causes friction.

A better approach is:

1. Review pricing regularly (at least once a year)
Not necessarily to increase every time, but to stay aware of where your margins are.

2. Make smaller, gradual adjustments
A 3 to 5% increase is far easier to absorb than a 15% jump after years of no change.

3. Be clear and confident
You don’t need to over-explain or apologise. A simple, professional message is enough:
“As part of our annual review, our prices will be adjusting.”

4. Focus on value, not just price
If your service has improved, your experience has grown, or your demand has increased, your pricing should reflect that.

5. Apply changes to new clients first (if needed)
This can be a softer way to transition before adjusting existing clients.

The key thing to remember:

Holding your prices steady might feel like you’re being fair to your customers…
but over time, it often means you’re being unfair to yourself, and a business under pressure isn’t sustainable for anyone.

Small, consistent adjustments are normal, and when handled properly, most customers understand that.



www.strivebusinesslimited.co.uk

£160,000 in unpaid invoices reduced to £20,000.This recent client case study highlights how consistent credit control, w...
11/05/2026

£160,000 in unpaid invoices reduced to £20,000.

This recent client case study highlights how consistent credit control, weekly invoicing and faster query resolution helped improve cash flow and reduce administrative pressure across the business.

Many overdue invoices are linked to missing information, approval delays or unresolved queries that gradually build up over time. With a clearer process in place and regular follow-up, outstanding balances began to reduce steadily, and invoices moved through payment approval far more efficiently.

The result was improved visibility, stronger cash flow, and greater confidence to support future growth.

Read the full case study on our website.
www.strivebusinesslimited.co.uk/post/case-study-how-better-credit-control-reduced-unpaid-invoices-by-140k-for-one-client

Using one bank account for both personal and business?It might seem easier… but it creates more problems than it solves....
07/05/2026

Using one bank account for both personal and business?

It might seem easier… but it creates more problems than it solves. Here’s why separating them matters:

1. Clearer tracking
When everything runs through one account, it’s harder to see what your business is earning and spending.

2. Less admin
No more digging through personal transactions to find business ones. It saves time every single month.

3. Cleaner records
If HMRC ever needs to see your figures, separate accounts make everything easier to explain and evidence.

4. Better decisions
When your numbers are clear, it’s much easier to understand cash flow and make confident business decisions.

It’s a small change, but it makes a big difference. If you’re trying to get more organised this year, this is one of the easiest wins.

Making Tax Digital is now live.If you’re a sole trader earning over £50k, you now need to:• Keep digital records• Use ap...
30/04/2026

Making Tax Digital is now live.

If you’re a sole trader earning over £50k, you now need to:
• Keep digital records
• Use approved software
• Submit updates to HMRC every quarter

But let’s be honest…

A lot of people have been busy running their business and haven’t got round to sorting it yet.

If that’s you, don’t worry. You’re not too late.

We help you:
✔ Get set up with the right software
✔ Move away from spreadsheets and paperwork
✔ Make sure everything is compliant
✔ Keep it simple going forward

👉 Send us a message or visit the website and we’ll help you get set up properly.

If your finances feel harder than they should… It’s usually not the numbers. It’s the system behind them.We regularly se...
23/04/2026

If your finances feel harder than they should… It’s usually not the numbers. It’s the system behind them.

We regularly see businesses juggling:

• Multiple spreadsheets
• Manual data entry
• Disconnected tools that don’t talk to each other

And over time, it creates confusion, wasted hours, and unreliable reporting.

Our Financial Systems Review service fixes that.

We:
✔ Map how money moves through your business
✔ Remove duplication and unnecessary admin
✔ Set up the right tools... properly (Dext, Xero, QuickBooks)
✔ Keep everything structured as you grow

The result?
Clearer reporting, less admin, and systems you can finally rely on.

If things feel more complicated than they should be, it’s probably time to take a look.

👉 Visit our website or send us a message to get started.

www.strivebusinesslimited.co.uk/financial-systems-review

Tide & Strive have joined forces to offer you free business banking• Free to open• Apply in under 10 minutes• No impact ...
17/04/2026

Tide & Strive have joined forces to offer you free business banking

• Free to open
• Apply in under 10 minutes
• No impact on your credit score to open an account
• It’s fast, it's free, secure - 24/7 fraud monitoring and in-app support.

Apply today: https://www.tide.co/partners-business-account/?ref=STRIVEF2F

Most businesses submit their year-end accounts and move on, but that’s only half the job.If you take a bit of time to lo...
16/04/2026

Most businesses submit their year-end accounts and move on, but that’s only half the job.

If you take a bit of time to look at your numbers, you’ll usually spot things that are easy to fix, and make a real difference over the next 12 months.

• More profit from the same revenue.
• Better control of your costs.
• Fewer surprises during the year.

Read the full breakdown in our latest blog: www.strivebusinesslimited.co.uk/post/are-you-missing-this-step-after-year-end

Running a charity comes with a different level of responsibility when it comes to finances.It’s not just about tracking ...
09/04/2026

Running a charity comes with a different level of responsibility when it comes to finances.

It’s not just about tracking income and expenses. It’s about having clear visibility of restricted and unrestricted funds, producing reports trustees can rely on, and making sure everything is aligned with Charity Commission requirements.

As organisations grow, that financial structure becomes even more important.

• Clear reporting.
• Strong governance.
• Systems that support both day-to-day management and year-end compliance.

That’s where specialist support makes a difference.

At Strive, we work with charities and CICs to provide structured bookkeeping and accounting that’s built around how the sector operates. From grant-funded payroll through to trustee-ready reporting and year-end accounts.

Everything organised, compliant and easy to understand.

We’ve outlined how we support charities in more detail on our new page.

If you’re reviewing your current setup or preparing for your next reporting cycle, we’d be happy to talk it through.

www.strivebusinesslimited.co.uk/bookkeeping-for-charities

Address

Ripley
DE53BU

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+443333355137

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