FAQs
How do I know if I need Sure Thing's support?
You probably need us if you're experiencing any of these:
You're making important business decisions based on gut feel rather than clear financial data. Your books are always a month (or three) behind. You're spending hours each week on finance admin that isn't moving your business forward. You know you need better financial visibility but you're not ready to hire a full-time Finance Director or build an entire finance team.
We typically work with businesses turning over up to £2m - typically retailers, agencies, professional services and growing tech businesses. If you've outgrown basic bookkeeping but aren't ready for full-time finance hires, we're built for exactly this stage.
How do you differ from a high street accountancy practice?
We're not an accountancy practice, so we don't prepare year-end accounts, corporation tax returns, or statutory filings (although we work closely with some excellent firms who do, and we're happy to introduce you).
What we offer is the day-to-day finance function most accountancy practices don't provide: fractional bookkeepers who keep your records clean and current, Finance Managers who give you commercial insight and management reporting, and Finance Directors who provide strategic planning and decision support.
Think of it this way: your accountant looks backwards and keeps you compliant. We focus on looking forward and helping you make better decisions. The stuff you tend not to get from traditional accountancy practices, but is just as valuable: commercial finance, cash flow management, financial planning, business intelligence.
Both matter. They're just different jobs.
Do I have to work with the whole team, or can I just hire one person?
It’s absolutely fine to work with just one person. We have clients who only need a bookkeeper to keep their Xero tidy, or someone to handle their VAT returns, or a Finance Manager for a few hours a month.
We're completely flexible. Start with what you actually need right now. If your needs change (maybe you realize you'd benefit from FD-level strategic support, or you want to add payroll) we can scale up. But there's no pressure to take the full team if one person solves your problem.
Do you just do finance, or do you cover more?
Our core team is finance-focused. That's where our expertise sits and what we do best.
But we've built a hand-picked network of specialists we trust completely: personal assistants, virtual assistants, business coaches, and consultants across operations, HR, marketing, and legal. If you need support beyond finance, we're delighted to introduce you to the right people.
Many of our clients end up working with 2-3 people from our wider network. It means you get a cohesive team who all understand your business, rather than coordinating between random freelancers you found on LinkedIn.
Do I have to sign up for a set period of time, or can we see how it goes?
We pride ourselves on flexibility. There's no minimum term. Just give us a month's notice if you want to change the arrangement (scale up, scale down, or pause entirely).
Some clients start with a specific project (like migrating to Xero or cleaning up six months of backlog), then continue with ongoing support. Others jump straight into a regular monthly retainer. Either works.
We're not interested in locking you into contracts you don't want. If we're doing good work, you'll want to keep working with us. If we're not, you shouldn't have to.
Do you work remotely or in person?
Both. Many of our clients are local to Brighton or the South-East, so we meet face-to-face when it's useful. Others are based elsewhere in the UK and everything works perfectly well over Google Meet and Slack.
Whether you prefer the occasional coffee to talk through your numbers, or you're happy with purely remote support, we adapt to what works for you. Either way, you get the same level of service.
How quickly can you start?
Usually within a week or two, depending on what you need.
If it's ongoing bookkeeping or management support, we can often start immediately. Just a quick handover from your current setup (if you have one) and we're in.
If it's a bigger project (migrating software, untangling a mess, building new financial models), we'll scope it properly first so we're all clear on timelines and what success looks like. But even then, we're talking weeks, not months.