Experts can be expensive. Add up the cost of employing a specialist in any area of business. They probably command a pretty high salary to start with. That's without the cost of the various benefits that they may require such as a company car or pension plan. Add to that the employer's national Insurance contributions and the overheads such as their office, and maybe even a secretary or PA and your expert is a very expensive proposition.

It is hardly surprising therefore that so many businesses are outsourcing many of their accountancy, sales and admin functions.  It seems an obvious solution for many small and medium size businesses but even some of the biggest businesses in the UK are starting to take advantage.

If you run a small business, it may be that you're the person who does everything from product design to sales. On top of that, you might spend hours doing VAT returns or acting as a payroll bureau for your staff. The time spent doing these routine tasks is a drain on the business resources. Specifically, it's a drain on you.

Take payroll as an example. This is one of the most complicated areas of taxation. You have to get it right to keep not only H M Revenue & Customs happy but also to ensure that your staff feel that you are looking after them and their interests.

Dataplan specialises in payroll services. There is no need to subscribe to expensive binders full of incomprehensible jargon which have to be updated every other week. Instead you can rest assured that your payroll is in safe hands.

Written by Alison Clynes
Published on August 17, 2009