The Ledgers blog
Accounting, in plain English.
Straight answers to the money questions every UK founder runs into — and how to keep clean books without becoming a bookkeeper.
Accounting for non-accountants
Plain-English answers to the questions every UK founder eventually asks.
4 guidesRun your books
How to keep clean books — bank feeds, VAT, invoicing, payroll, year-end — without becoming a bookkeeper.
4 guidesManaging investors
Getting investor-ready, surviving the raise, and reporting like a pro afterwards.
7 guidesStart here
Latest
Best accounting software for non-accountants UK
Most "best accounting software" lists rank tools for bookkeepers. This one ranks them for non-accountants. The criteria that actually matter, an honest look at Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Sage — and where Ledgers fits.
7 min readVATHow to do a VAT return for the first time
Filing your first VAT return? Here's exactly what to expect, what counts, a box-by-box walkthrough, and the first-return quirks like pre-registration VAT — plus how Ledgers builds the whole thing for you.
6 min readAfter the raiseHow to keep multiple investors updated (without 12 separate emails)
Raised from a dozen angels and SEIS investors? Here's how to keep them all updated without sending 12 separate emails — one source of truth, scoped access for each.
5 min readAfter the raiseHow to report to investors without a finance team
No CFO, no finance team, still expected to report to investors? Here's how to do investor reporting properly at seed stage — plan vs actual and a scoped investor room.
5 min readAfter the raiseHow to write a monthly investor update (template + the faster way)
A simple monthly investor update template you can copy — what to include, in what order — plus the faster way to write one in minutes from your live numbers.
6 min readAfter the raiseInvestor update examples that actually keep investors engaged
Real investor update examples — the good, the boring and the worrying — plus what actually keeps investors engaged, and the faster way to write yours.
5 min readAfter the raisePlan vs actual: how to show investors you're on track (or own it when you're not)
Plan vs actual is how you show investors you're tracking the plan you raised on — or own it honestly when you're not. Here's how it works, and how to run it automatically.
6 min readAfter the raiseSEIS/EIS compliance after you raise: what you must not miss
Raised under SEIS or EIS? The relief can be clawed back if you slip up in the three years after. Here's what to watch — including the 3-year rule — in plain English.
6 min readSwitching / comparisonXero alternative for founders who aren't accountants
Xero is powerful — but it assumes you already think like a bookkeeper. Ledgers is the Xero alternative built for UK founders who have zero accounting fluency. Here's an honest comparison.
5 min read