The Ledger Lounge - Build A Better Business

The Ledger Lounge - Build A Better Business

The Ledger Lounge is an accounting and business advisory podcast brought to you by James Scott. Our aim is to help guide you through some of the regular issues that we help our clients with as they grow their businesses. Starting a business is a leap of faith and requires a lot of knowledge that many of us don't have when we start out - payroll, tax efficiency, self-assessments and lots more. We invite guests into the Ledge Lounge to share their experiences and hard-earned knowledge with you, answer your questions to help you build a better business.

Episodes

June 18, 2026 25 mins

Zack Mahar from Rowan Ashworth joins us to discuss the importance of adding social value in modern construction tenders, how a proactive accountant helps keep everything on track, and why offering opportunities to apprentices and T-Level students is good for everyone.

This episode of The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor and Katie Allen from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, ...

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Alan Beak is the founder of Ruger Barbers in Lees, Oldham. Ever since he started his first job at his local barber shop at the age of 12, Alan has been on the path to building a haircare brand that is known across the world.

As you'll hear in this fascinating interview with Lauren and Katie, Alan doesn't do things by halves, hates VAT and thinks nothing can beat the sense of achievement building a business brings.

This episode of T...

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It's never been easier to create a "side hustle" - a few extra quid on the side of your main income - but at what point does the tax man need to know?

Are you a regular seller of items on sites like eBay or Vinted? Did you know that there's limited to the profits you can make before you are required to declare it?

Don't worry because in this episode, we'll help you understand exactly what's what and what you need to do.

This episode...

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May 7, 2026 24 mins

In this episode of The Ledger Lounge, we break down one of the most important — and often misunderstood — financial statements in business: the Balance Sheet.Whether you're a business owner, bookkeeping student, finance newbie, or just trying to make sense of your company accounts, this episode explains balance sheets in plain English and shows why they matter far beyond year-end accounts.This episode of The Ledger Loun...

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April 23, 2026 20 mins

It's not easy to understand a set of accounts...that's what accountants are for, right?!

Well, yes, but as a business owner, it really does help you build a better business when you have a good understanding of the basics. So, in this episode we talk you through your income statement or if you are old school Profit and Loss account.

What’s turnover? What’s GP?

Listen and find out.

This episode of The Ledger Lounge is hoste...

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April 9, 2026 34 mins

Ian Taylor was born above his parents Baker's shop in Oldham, Lancashire. He now works as an events host, public speaker, trainer, professional networker and consultant but as he shares his story, he reveals why he will always be Bakersson at heart.

Please click the following links to learn more about Ian Taylor and the Oldham Business Network.

This episode of The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠...

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March 31, 2026 34 mins

Katie and Lauren are joined by Emma Husband, a financial planner who is passionate about helping women take better control of their finances.

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor and Katie Allan from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ⁠⁠⁠Become Content⁠⁠⁠ in Oldham.

The Ledger Lounge &n...

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In this episode of The Ledger Lounge, the we discuss how individuals and small businesses can prepare for Making Tax Digital (MTD) and why tax planning now is more important than ever.

With MTD for Income Tax on the horizon, taxpayers will move from annual reporting to more regular quarterly digital updates, meaning better record keeping and forward tax planning will now become possible.

Katie and Matthew explore the practical steps...

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February 26, 2026 26 mins

This episode of the Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor and Katie Allan from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ⁠⁠⁠⁠Become Content⁠⁠⁠⁠ in Oldham.

The Ledger Lounge – Friendly Disclaimer

Everything we chat about on The Ledger Lounge (and in these show notes!) is meant to be helpful...

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In this episode of the Ledger Lounge, we speak with a charity that is very close to our hearts. At James Scott we are patrons of local youth charity Madhlo, a state of the art youth zone in the centre of Oldham. We welcomed CEO Lucy Lees to discuss not only the brilliant work they do for the community of Oldham, but how supporting a charity works in terms of helping you and your business from a tax planning perspective.

This episode...

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In this episode, we break down the key announcements from autumn’s 2025 UK Budget and explain what they actually mean for business owners.

Budgets can be packed with headlines, but the real impact often lies in the detail. We cut through the noise to highlight the changes that matter most — from tax allowances and National Insurance to investment reliefs and payroll considerations.

Whether you’re a sole trader, comp...

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In this bonus episode, we focus on what last autumn’s UK Budget means specifically for construction businesses.

From subcontractors and sole traders to limited companies and contractors, the construction industry faces unique tax, cash-flow, and compliance challenges. We break down the Budget changes that matter most to construction businesses and explain how they affect CIS, employment costs, investment in equipment, and day-...

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December 11, 2025 29 mins

Handling payroll in-house can be a massive drain on time, energy, and headspace – and getting it wrong isn’t an option. In this episode, we’re joined by Natalie from Payroll Sorted to unpack the real benefits of outsourcing your payroll, what it actually looks like in practice, and how to know if your business is ready to make the switch.

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thomps...

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November 27, 2025 25 mins

With the 2025 Autumn Budget behind us and the final calls for MTD for Income Tax to be scrapped a distant memory, it’s time to turn to the practicalities.

Since recording HMRC have confirmed that there will be no late submission penalties for quarterly updates during tax year 2026-27. This means that the first wave of taxpayers joining MTD in April 2026 won’t need to worry about being late with their quarterly updates, ...

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November 13, 2025 26 mins

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in Oldham.

The Ledger Lounge – Friendly Disclaimer

Everything we chat about on The Ledger Lounge (and in these show notes!) is meant to be helpful, interesting, and easy to understand —...

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Mark as Played
October 30, 2025 32 mins

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

This week on The Ledger Lounge, Matthew and Katie chat with Zoe Bordiuk, the powerhouse behind The Card Machine Queen — a UK-based independent consultant who’s made it her mission to help small businesses stop overpaying on their payment systems.

Zoe breaks ...

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October 23, 2025 29 mins

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

It is recorded at and produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠KUPOD Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in Oldham.

The Ledger Lounge – Friendly Disclaimer

Everything we chat about on The Ledger Lounge (and in these show notes!) is meant to be helpful, interesting, and easy to understand — but...

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Cybersecurity isn’t just for big corporations — small businesses are one of the top targets for hackers in 2025. But how can you protect your business without a massive IT budget?

In this episode of The Ledger Lounge, Tom, Katie and Matthew talk to Steve Cockcroft about the real-world cyber threats facing businesses today and the simple steps you can take to protect your data, your customers, and your reputation.

Steve is...

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July 31, 2025 26 mins

This episode is the last one of our first ever series, or is it season, of the Ledger Lounge. Topics for discussion include the relentless development and implications of AI in life and accounting, old fashioned telephones and of course, what we've learnt about podcasting.

The Ledger Lounge is hosted by Matthew Taylor , Katie Allan and Lauren Thompson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Scott Accountants⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠in Oldham, Greater Manchester....

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July 24, 2025 28 mins

In this episode Matthew, Katie and Lauren take a deeper dive into the positives and potential pitfalls of Making Tax Digital (MTD), as HMRC prepare to roll out phase one in April 2026.

NOV2025 UPDATE - Since recording HMRC have confirmed that there will be no late submission penalties for quarterly updates during tax year 2026-27. This means that the first wave of taxpayers joining MTD in April 2026 won’t need to worry about ...

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