Frequently asked
Questions we hear
most often.
Plain answers, written the way we'd answer them on a call. Skip ahead to the section that fits, or read end-to-end — most of these come up at some point in the first conversation anyway.
Six topic areas
Skip ahead
to what you came for.
If you don't see your question here, the assistant or a structure review will catch it. We'd rather you ask than guess.
01 · About us
What we are
and aren't.
Are you accountants?
No. Unlock Your Business is a business consultancy and coordination service. We are not accountants, tax advisers, or scheme promoters. We work alongside your accountant — we don't replace them.
Will you give me tax advice?
No. We do not provide tax, legal, or regulated financial advice. Where specialist advice is needed, we coordinate with the right partner from the network and the responsibility for that advice sits with them.
What do you actually do, then?
We add a visibility and structural layer. We get the picture clear with bookkeeping first, review the shape of the business, and connect you to the right specialist conversation when one is needed.
Who is this for?
Owner-managed UK limited companies that want to be properly seen before they are properly structured. Most clients are turning over £500k–£25m, but the visibility-first approach applies more widely.
Will you tell me what structure I need on the first call?
No. We don't guess early. The point of the first step is to get visibility in place so the next conversation is grounded in facts, not assumptions.
Do you promise a tax saving or take-home outcome?
No. No tax outcome, saving, or take-home position is guaranteed in advance. The Structure Calculator returns categorical results — Green, Amber, or Red — never a savings number.
02 · Bookkeeping & visibility
Why visibility
comes first.
Do I have to start with bookkeeping?
In almost every case, yes. Bookkeeping is the visibility layer. Without it, structural decisions get made from delayed or incomplete information. We can occasionally pick up further along, but visibility is the floor.
Is UYB Bookkeeping just admin?
No. It is the visibility layer. The point isn't to file paperwork — it's to make sure you can see what's happening now, not wait until later to understand what already happened.
My accounts are months behind. Is that a problem?
No — it's a common starting point. In many cases, getting current is the first step. Construction and project-based businesses especially.
Do I have to leave my current bookkeeper or accountant?
No. We work alongside your existing team. UYB Bookkeeping is the layer that gives the rest of the picture room to breathe — your accountant remains responsible for what they're already doing.
What software do you use?
We work with the major UK platforms (Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent) and don't force a switch. The bookkeeping layer is process-led, not tool-led — what matters is that the picture is current.
03 · Structure & next steps
When structure
is the real question.
What is a Structure Review?
It starts with a free discovery call — less than an hour, no obligation. If the picture supports going further, the paid Structure Review is a focused review of the way the business is organised: how value, risk, and profit are sitting today, and whether the current setup still fits. The output is a written read with categorical findings — never a savings number.
What does the Structure Calculator tell me?
It returns a categorical result: Green (likely still serving you well), Amber (some signs worth examining), or Red (a likely gap between how the business is organised and how it could be). It will never quote a saving.
Will you tell me to set up a holding company?
Not on its own and not on a first call. If a holding-company conversation is relevant, it would happen with the right specialist after visibility and a structure review have made the case clear. We don't recommend structures we haven't seen the picture for.
I'm worried about corporation tax. Can you help?
Often the tax outcome is a symptom of structure and timing. We start with visibility, look at how the business is organised, and bring in a tax specialist when the picture warrants it. We won't make the call ourselves.
I'm thinking of selling the business. Where do I start?
Sale-readiness usually means structure, founder dependency, and how clearly the value can be explained to a buyer. We start with visibility, run a structure review, and bring in M&A or wealth-planning partners when relevant.
04 · Specialist services
Prosper², Meredith,
UYB IP, partners.
Is Prosper² software?
No. Prosper² is a service-led pathway focused on visibility and commercial understanding — financial clarity, profit leak, profitability, decision quality.
Is Meredith a payment processor?
No. Meredith is a commercial agent for payment — not a Stripe or a GoCardless. They take on the invoicing relationship with your customers, raise the invoice, collect the money, and pay it through. The specialist will confirm whether it's the right fit for your situation before anything is set up.
What is UYB IP?
A route for businesses with hidden structural value sitting in methods, systems, frameworks, or technical know-how that hasn't been formally recognised. The first step is visibility, then a review of whether anything could be structured commercially.
Who are the partners and how are they chosen?
A small network of firms, each one we'd recommend to a friend — operational delivery, IP, M&A, wealth, audit & accounts, bookkeeping & ops, and legal & disputes. They sit on the Partners page. Each operates under their own professional responsibilities. We don't earn from packaging them up; if the fit isn't right we say so.
Do you take a referral fee?
Some partners pay a coordination fee, some don't. Where a fee exists, it's flagged before the introduction. The decision-making bar is fit, not commission.
05 · Industries
Sector context
shapes the read.
I'm in tech. Is this just about IP?
Not only. It can include structure, visibility, and how value is currently sitting inside the business. UYB IP may be relevant later, but the first step is usually visibility.
I'm in construction and my accounts are behind. Can I still start?
Yes. Getting current is often the first step. Project profitability, lumpy cashflow, and admin debt are common starting points for construction businesses.
I run a small agency. Am I too small?
Not necessarily. Margin, methods, and founder dependency can matter more than size alone. Many agencies carry hidden structural value in how they deliver work.
I run an e-commerce business. Is this just about payments?
No. For e-commerce we usually look at channel visibility, margin by SKU, where brand value sits, and how the trading setup is organised. Payment-flow questions sometimes lead to a Meredith conversation — but Meredith is a commercial agent, not a payment processor, and only fits a specific shape of business. The Structure Review will tell us either way.
My industry isn't on the list. Should I still get in touch?
Yes — start a conversation anyway. The four sector routes here cover where we have the clearest patterns today, but the visibility-first approach applies more widely. We'll point you at what fits.
06 · Working with us
Process,
price, and what to expect.
How does the first conversation work?
A 30-minute call to understand the business shape and what brought you here. No structure recommendations on the first call — the point is to listen, ask better first questions, and agree the right next step.
Is there a fee for the first call?
No. The first conversation is free. The Structure Review is a short paid engagement; bookkeeping and specialist services are quoted on context.
Where is my data stored?
Application and intake data is stored to prepare your first conversation. Bookkeeping data lives in the platform we agree (typically Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent), under your own subscription. We don't hold financial data outside the tools you've chosen.
Do you take on every business that applies?
No. If we don't think we're the right next step, we'll say so on the first call. We'd rather pass on a fit than push something that won't help.
How do I cancel or pause?
Bookkeeping engagements are month-to-month — 30 days' notice. Specialist work runs on its own engagement terms, agreed with the relevant partner before any work starts.
Still wondering?
“We'd rather you ask than guess. There is no hard sell on the other end of a question — only a clearer first conversation.”
Couldn't find your answer?
Ask the question
your way.
Book a 30-minute call, or talk to the assistant first if you'd rather sketch the question out before a conversation.