5 Signs You’ve Outgrown Your Online Accountant (And What to Do Next)
Published on May 17, 2025
Online accountancy services like A-Wise, Crunch, or other fixed-fee platforms are great for startups and sole traders — they help you stay compliant, file returns, and avoid tax trouble.
But as your business grows, those services often can’t keep up.
If you’re constantly behind on bookkeeping, juggling spreadsheets, or explaining things to your accountant — it may be time to bring in a full-time finance assistant.
Here are 5 signs you’ve outgrown your online accountant — and how a finance assistant can help you take back control.
1. You’re doing more financial admin than actual work
You didn’t start a business to become your own bookkeeper.
If you’re spending hours each week on:
- Chasing invoices
- Organising receipts
- Reconciling transactions
- Preparing spreadsheets for your accountant
…it’s time to delegate. A full-time finance assistant handles your day-to-day finance tasks — so you can focus on growth, not admin.
2. You need weekly support, not monthly reports
Online accountancy packages usually work around your inputs: you upload documents, they file reports. But if you don’t have time to prepare those inputs, it breaks down.
A finance assistant can:
- Keep your bookkeeping up to date daily
- Reconcile accounts in Xero/QuickBooks
- Prepare payroll and expenses
- Help with supplier and client payment tracking
This kind of ongoing support is beyond what fixed-fee services can offer.
3. Your business is growing, and so is the complexity
The more you grow, the more moving parts there are. Whether it’s ecommerce orders, client invoices, or payroll for a growing team — one-size-fits-all accountancy just doesn’t cut it.
With a finance assistant, you can:
- Stay on top of cash flow
- Get monthly summaries prepared for your accountant
- Keep your systems (Xero, Dext, PayPal, etc.) organised
- Handle the detail work before it snowballs
4. You want support, not just submissions
You need someone who’s in the business — not someone who pops up once a quarter to file a return.
A YTA finance assistant is:
- Full-time (45 hours/week)
- Aligned to UK working hours
- Trained in UK finance tools
- Fully dedicated to your business
They’re not a service provider. They’re your team member — just based offshore.
5. You’re not ready to hire in the UK — but you still need help
Hiring in-house can cost £30k+ per year. And that’s before pensions, NI, or overheads.
With YTA, you get:
- A full-time, experienced finance assistant
- For just £900/month
- Working securely, with your systems and your workflows
It’s cost-effective, scalable, and stress-free.
✅ The Next Step: Hire Your Full-Time Finance Assistant
If your business is too big for fixed-fee accounting and too busy for DIY finance admin — you’re exactly who we help.
At YTA, we provide trained, English-speaking, full-time finance assistants who work directly for you, remotely from Sri Lanka, starting at just £900/month.