This week I have been at a client’s offices in west London. But rather than at a client’s on audit, I have been ‘helping’ out. The client is a property investment firm, with substantial assets invested, but there are only two in the finance team and the financial director is to go on paternity leave imminently.
The problem is that there are a couple of large deals being done, and they cannot afford to be out of action at this time. So I have been roped in. His accounting assistant is a part qualified ACCA, but she does not have the time to ensure the record keeping is up-to-date, let alone produce timely management reports.
Fortunately my tasks are clearly defined, one of which is to set up a system of monthly reporting as the two biggest projects taken on are jointly funded by a bank and private equity firm. This is much more my cup of tea than teaching the bookkeeping staff how to manage debtors and creditors on Sage Line 50!
But it illustrates the problems that all small businesses can have with staff management. As it means they will effectively be understaffed until he returns, as my own firm cannot spare me full time to go to them, as the firm is also a small business.
I wonder if his wife is really giving birth, as it seems convenient that his paternity leave corresponds to the cricket world-cup.
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