Back-office support for small businesses & charities

Admin,
lifted.

Bookkeeping, payroll, governance and the paperwork that keeps a small business or charity running — delivered with the rigour of the public and charity sectors, made simple for a small organisation.

What we do

More than bookkeeping

Take on as much or as little as suits you. Every service is delivered to the same standard — accurate, on time, and explained in plain English.

Bookkeeping & compliance

Books kept current, with VAT, payroll and filings prepared and submitted on time to HMRC, Companies House and the Charity Commission — no last-minute panic.

Payroll support

Your team paid correctly and on time, with payslips, pension auto-enrolment and RTI submissions all handled behind the scenes.

Governance & charity support

Constitutions, board and trustee governance, and setting up new charities, CICs and community groups — from people who run one.

Policy & document development

Clear, proportionate policies and procedures, drawing on policy work delivered in the NHS, the BBC and the charity sector.

Projects, teams & process

Standing up new teams, systems and projects — the structure and rhythm to make change stick, from 20+ years leading complex work.

Advice & connections

A steady sounding board, plus the local know-how to make the right connections — funding, partners and the people who can help you grow.

How we deliver

What it actually looks like

Good support is a rhythm, not a rescue. Here's how we'd approach the work you're most likely to need.

Compliant, always ahead of the deadline

The worst admin surprise is a filing you forgot. We map every deadline you have into one calendar we own — then work to it, not to the last minute.

  • Every deadline mapped: VAT quarters, payroll RTI, your Companies House confirmation statement and accounts, and the Charity Commission annual return
  • Books reconciled every month, so the figures are never a scramble
  • Returns prepared and shared for you to review, well before they're due
  • Filed on time, with confirmation sent to you and a plain-English note on where things stand

Setting up a charity or community group

Whether it's a charity, a CIC or a community group, we've done it from the inside — and we make the governance genuinely fit the organisation.

  • Choose the right structure and draft a constitution that fits
  • Define trustee and board roles, and the governance that keeps you safe
  • Register with the Charity Commission — and Companies House where needed
  • Put the core policies and financial controls in place from day one

Policies people actually use

Policy shouldn't be a document nobody reads. We write to the standard of large, scrutinised organisations — then make it proportionate to your size.

  • Drawing on policy development across the NHS, the BBC and the charity sector
  • Plain enough to follow, robust enough to stand up to inspection
  • Tailored to your risks — not a generic template with your name on top
  • Kept current as the rules and your organisation change

Standing up a new team or project

When you're growing or changing, we bring the structure to make it stick — two decades of leading high-profile projects, scaled to what you actually need.

  • A clear plan with defined roles and realistic milestones
  • The right processes designed and documented, ready to hand over
  • A steady hand to deliver — or to coach you through it
  • Grounded in recognised project methods, without the jargon
The experience behind Skylark

Senior experience, small-business focus

The help you get is grounded in how things really work — not just how they look on paper.

  • 20+ years leading high-profile projectsA public-sector career delivering complex, scrutinised programmes from start to finish.
  • Hands-on charity governanceIncluding leading an Edwardian entertainment venue that operates as a registered charity — finance, estates, governance and all.
  • Policy & process in complex organisationsPolicy and change work delivered across the NHS, the BBC and the charity sector.
  • Local insight as a district councillorA real understanding of the connections, networks and support small businesses need to grow.
About Skylark

Our team, ready to be your team.

From our founder

After more than twenty years leading projects across the public and charity sectors, I kept noticing the same thing — the local organisations doing the best work were the ones drowning in paperwork. Helping our local charities get their governance, policies and finances straight showed me just how badly that same support was needed by small businesses, and how rarely they could find it in one place.

So I started Skylark. Red tape only ever grows, and nobody goes into business to spend their evenings wrestling with it. My aim is a simple one: for our team to be your team — keeping the admin straightforward and the weight off your shoulders, so you can get on with what you do best and grow your business. We'll keep the rest running.

— Nick Whitehead, Founder
Get in touch

Let's take the admin off your plate.

Tell us what's piling up. The first conversation is free, and there's no obligation.

Emailhello@skylarkbusinesssupport.co.uk
Phone07764 184572
Find usMatlock Bath, Derbyshire