How Piko Consulting set up in London without learning VAT or employment law
Nick Kelly built a communications consultancy in Wellington, then took it to London. He wanted to win work, not become a tax expert. Here is how we set his UK business up from scratch.
Running a UK business without becoming an accountant
Nick Kelly is a Prince2-qualified project manager. He started Piko in Wellington in 2016, running communications for central and local government, charities and NGOs. It began as four freelancers working together, with an accountant used mainly for the annual tax return.
Within six months, the admin was growing. Tax had to be set aside, expenses coded and transactions recorded, so Nick set up an accounting system. Moving to London meant starting again, this time with UK tax, banking, a legal entity and HR compliance to sort out.
Nick was clear about where his time should go. He had "no dreams of learning VAT or employment law."
Before
A New Zealand consultancy with no UK entity, no UK bank account and no UK payroll.
After
A viable UK business with banking, payroll and compliance in place, and a House of Lords contract.
One adviser for the whole setup
"It was one of the best decisions I made, getting the team at Paul Beare Ltd involved," said Nick. We set the business up from scratch, covering tax, banking, the legal entity and HR compliance.
Payroll was the biggest learning curve. Getting someone on the payroll and staying compliant takes care, so we handled payroll and VAT and advised on UK employment law.
- 1Setup
Business set up from scratch
We handled UK company formation and registrations with HMRC, the UK tax authority.
- 2Banking
Bank account opened
Nick called this one of the trickier tasks. Paul took the lead on the UK business bank account.
- 3First hire
Payroll and HR compliance
We set up payroll and guided Nick through the rules for employing staff in the UK.
- 4Year two
Running smoothly
Nick now knows what is coming up each year. We deal with anything unusual.
A viable business and a House of Lords contract
Piko is now a viable UK business and has secured a new contract with the House of Lords. In year two, Nick needs us less often, and his time goes on growth.
We also help him plan ahead. As Nick put it: "Unexpected bills, for example, are the worst things for small businesses." And beyond accounting, Paul has introduced him to other useful contacts in his network.
"That's a huge weight off my mind as it allows me to really focus on the interesting stuff."
Setting up a UK business from scratch?
Paul Beare helps overseas founders set up a UK company, from company formation and banking to payroll, VAT and HR compliance. Talk to our team about your plans.
