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Steve Knowles

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MD, Knowles Warwick

85 points

My career started in accountancy and I am a qualified Chartered Accountant owning my own practice Knowles Warwick in Sheffield, England. I use the information derived from accounts and combine it with experience to advise businesses on how to achieve ...

My career started in accountancy and I am a qualified Chartered Accountant owning my own practice Knowles Warwick in Sheffield, England. I use the information derived from accounts and combine it with experience to advise businesses on how to achieve their ambitions. I have been involved with mergers and acquisitions in Europe, the UK and North America. In 2009 year my business experience has expanded with trips to China.I have established UK businesses for companys from the USA, Australia, & Italy. This follows on from work we have done for clients with head quarters in Holland, South Africa and South Korea.

I represent clients in disputes with the UK tax authorities, always interesting work.

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WEB: Tax Champion

April 9, 2012

Steve Knowles and 1 other person answered this question

What skills should an auditor possess?

I would say a better understanding of the situation than the client

Human Resources

June 20, 2011

Mike R selected a best answer for

The US is borrowing $0.40 for every $1 it spends. How long can this last? How can we stop?

May 31, 2011

Steve Knowles and 2 other people answered this question

What should U.S. business leaders do to restore confidence in America’s ability to compete globally?

I was in Shanghai airport a couple of years ago listening to an American businessman talking about the Chinese economy. He said to his friends/colleagues that if the USA wanted to understand what was happening in China they needed to get on a plane and ... more

General Management

Global Business

March 20, 2011

Steve Knowles and 27 other people answered this question

Best practices for gaining confidence as a public speaker?

Be as comfortable as you can with your subject and the practice, practice practice.

March 20, 2011

Steve Knowles and 7 other people answered this question

What non-monetary incentives does your company offer?

The biggest incentive we offer is flexi time. This means that subject to working an average of 37.5 hours and being there at certain times, staff can easily arrange their work and hime commitments. more

Human Resources

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation & Rewards

March 17, 2011

Steve Knowles and 9 other people answered this question

If your business ethics and credibility are challenged what steps do you take to address the issue?

First question is "when you look in the mirror are they right". If they are learn from it, apologise to the correct audience if you have done wrong. Tiger Woods had to apologise to the world, but most of us don't need to do that.
If ... more

March 17, 2011

Steve Knowles and 25 other people answered this question

What is one mistake that you would caution a new entrepreneur to avoid?

I would say that the biggest problem is not chsrging the market rate in a desparate attempt to make a sale. more

Entrepreneuership

March 7, 2011

Steve Knowles and 18 other people answered this question

What professional thank you gifts do you actually enjoy receiving?

Sometimes getting paid on time is enough. This is the best compliment to get

Relationship Building

March 7, 2011

Steve Knowles and 23 other people answered this question

What are your tips for effectively working from home?

Make a contract with friends and family that recognises that when you are at work, YOU ARE AT WORK. Not available for chats, coffee or any other kind of intruption. more

General Management

Stay at Home Mom

Work from Home Business

March 2, 2011

Steve Knowles and 8 other people answered this question

How do we innovate in the sales function? What is your top "innovative" idea in sales?

Try http://www.vee24.com/

Customer Engagement

Feb. 22, 2011

Steve Knowles and 2 other people answered this question

What are some good Incentives to encourage tradeshow attendees to visit your 10x10 booth?

The best one I ever saw was to ask "who is the President on a $2 bill?" and if they get it right give them a $2 bill more

Feb. 20, 2011

Steve Knowles and 3 other people answered this question

What are the top features that SMBs should look for in accounting software?

I would say talk to your accountant, if you have one, they will know your capabilities and what they will need to do plug the gaps.
To many businesses buy software and think that it solves their problems. My experience is that in most cases ... more

Accounting Software

Feb. 8, 2011

Steve Knowles and 8 other people answered this question

How do you ensure customers pay on time?

He who shouts loudest gets paid first.
Develop a policy of calling customers, gaining promises for payment, and then calling them again the day before it is due to check they have mailed it. Once you have it ring them again to say thank you. more

Accounts Payable

Feb. 8, 2011

Steve Knowles and 3 other people answered this question

How do you determine the line of credit you should offer a customer?

I would say this depends on your market place, in Italy you will not get paid in less than six months! If you trade in goods make sure you are paid before you pay your supplier.
If you trade in services then it must be before ... more

Accounting Software

Accounts Payable

Jan. 25, 2011

Steve Knowles and 6 other people answered this question

Why is accrual accounting essential to control?

Accrual accounting is critical to understanding what is happening in a business. If you have annual bills and you are preparing monthly accounts then you would have one big bill in the month it arrives and nothing in any other month.
It you buy inventory and ... more

Jan. 19, 2011

Steve Knowles and 5 other people answered this question

How can you know that you are really getting everything you need to be getting out of your CPA?

I have always believed that your CPA should be the CFO that you cannot afford on a full time basis. he should be asking challenging questions and thinking as much about tomorrow as he is about today (or yesterday). If you are not getting this ... more

Accounting Service Provider

Accounting Software

Jan. 3, 2011

Steve Knowles and 3 other people answered this question

Can a company tax prizes they give to employees?

This is an example of management not thinking about what they do. All the benefit of the prize has been lost in the disappointment of the unexpected tax bill. more

Financial Services

Tax and Regulation

Dec. 26, 2010

Steve Knowles and 6 other people answered this question

Accounts Payable Best Practices: What are your 3 tips for managing accounts payable?

At this point in the credit/banking cycle companies are often running on empty. If this is you then you have to act in a way which gives your company the best chance of surviving. The first thing I would recommend is that you get control ... more

General Management

Accounting Software

Dec. 26, 2010

Steve Knowles and 11 other people answered this question

Small Business Taxes Best Practices: What are your 3 tips for filing end-of-year taxes?

1. Think of your tax professional as part of your team.
2. Be timely and accurate without loosing site of the bigger picture
3. Start planning for 2011 on January 1! more

General Management

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