Financial Challenges for Web Design & Development Shops
Scope Creep Kills Margins
You quote £20k for a Shopify build. The client adds three integrations and delays content for six weeks. You're still working on it in Month 5, but the budget ran out in Month 3.
Utilization vs. Bench Time
You have 8 developers on salary. If two of them are "on the bench" waiting for client feedback, your agency is burning cash. Tracking billable vs. non-billable time is critical.
Hosting & Plugin Costs Add Up
You pay for hosting, staging servers, and plugin licenses upfront. Recouping these costs from clients often gets messy, and thousands of pounds can slip through the cracks annually.
Accounting Services for Web Design & Development Shops
Project-level cost tracking – See real margins on every build before it's finished
R&D tax credit claims – Recover £8k-£40k annually on development work you're already doing
Time tracking that actually works – Know your true billable utilization rate and what to charge
Milestone billing frameworks – Protect cash flow with staged payments that match your cost exposure
Scope management guidelines – Understand how to value scope changes and charge for them
Developer capacity planning – Stop underutilizing your team or overcommitting on projects
What You Get
Project profitability reports delivered monthly to help you identify issues early.
R&D tax credit claims submitted to HMRC for development work you've already invoiced.
Cash flow forecasting that shows the pattern of your project cycles and payment milestones.
Strategic guidance on moving from fixed-price to hybrid pricing models that protect margins while staying competitive.
Complete tax compliance and corporation tax filing, including all capital allowances on equipment and software.
Insights into which service types (custom builds, WordPress, e-commerce) are profitable for your business.
Web Design & Development Shops Accountants Across the UK
We work with web design & development shops across the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh. All services are delivered remotely using cloud-based accounting tools.