Martin Sugden was first introduced to Not Just Numbers on recommendation. ‘12 years ago I set up my legionella control and water treatment business, Glisten Water, and took on an accountant I’d found online,’ he explains. ‘At first it was manageable when it was just me. But as the business grew and I gained more orders, running everything on a spreadsheet was a VAT nightmare.’
It was a client and friend of Debbie’s, Paul Dodd, who introduced Martin to Not Just Numbers. ‘We got on really well and Debbie set our software packages up and running straight away,’ says Martin. ‘That was ten years ago, and we worked together right up until I sold the business in 2022.’
After the challenge of keeping track of his numbers on a spreadsheet, Martin soon adopted the new software packages that transformed his business. ‘Debbie set up our Xero account initially, then Chaser for following up unpaid invoices and Tripcatcher for tracking mileage,’ he explains. ‘Then, Not Just Numbers’ Payroll Manager Tracy set up BrightPay payroll software to help me manage people and payments. I threw a spanner in the works every single month, but she was incredibly thorough and patient – going back and redoing everything for me when I’d forgotten things! The system meant I only needed to input one line of detail instead of tracking 40 payments, which was a lifesaver.’
‘We were happy to get stuck in, allocating payments and creating invoices,’ Martin adds. ‘But I’m not an accountant, so I needed Debbie and her team to check everything we did was above board. Debbie also chatted through any concerns, points of improvement and areas of focus at our quarterly management meetings. That way, when the time came to exit, I felt confident we were in a good place.’
‘When I sold my business, we had to do financial due diligence as our accounts would be carefully audited,’ says Martin. ‘Yet the outcome really shows how talented Debbie is. Our auditor said they’d been involved in buying plenty of businesses, but our accounts were the best they’d ever seen. Everything was exactly right.’
Once the audit was complete, Debbie and the Not Just Numbers team continued to heavily support Martin through the sale and exit of his business. ‘It might have been a finite business sale, but it’s not the end of my time with Debbie,’ says Martin. ‘I’ll be keeping her on board to look after my own personal finances. It’s already giving me real peace of mind that every box is ticked correctly – as it will be with Debbie on hand!’
‘I’d absolutely recommend Not Just Numbers,’ concludes Martin. ‘They’re a team made up of great people, all friendly and willing to help. Of course, they always make sure everything’s legally correct and above board. But they do that so professionally and personally. Their engaging approach and flexible ideas make your numbers accessible and understandable, and your life so much easier.’
