Additional 1:1 training and support

This article explains the additional 1:1 support available from ExpensePlus.

In this article:

Types of 1:1 support sessions
Pricing
How to book

As well as the brilliant free training and software support which is included as part of the subscription to ExpensePlus, we also offer additional 1:1 training and support sessions which we charge for.

ExpensePlus has been designed to be simple to use, so for most churches and charities, the free 1-hour online tour typically provides sufficient training to get started. For churches and charities that want additional training, ExpensePlus also comes with free online training.

The majority of charities don't require additional support. However, we recognise that for some charities, 1:1 support can be helpful, particularly for users who are not trained accountants or aren't familiar with fund accounting, or have other things they need help with.

Whatever your reason for wanting 1:1 support and training, we are here to help!

Additional 1:1 support sessions

All our additional support sessions are online via Zoom. They are with an experienced member of our team (therefore called one to one or 1:1). Our team member will be happy to cover any questions that you have and give any support or training that you need.

Good to know: you will automatically receive the link for your session as part of the booking process, which you can share with anyone else in your team who needs to join the session.

Below are some types of support sessions or reasons you might book additional 1:1 support.

Setup support

If you are just getting started with ExpensePlus and would like 1:1 support to help get set up or to check that everything has been set up correctly, then we can help you with this.

Common things that churches and charities ask for support with include:

Checking funds and categories are set up correctly
Deciding how/whether to use category connectors, projects and transaction groups
Setting up opening balances to match prior year accounts
Handling prior year issues
Support with prior year accruals or deferrals reversals

Software training

We offer a comprehensive series of training sessions that are free to book. However, if you are looking for bespoke software training for your church or charity, along with the chance to cover particular topics in more detail, then we can provide this for you.

The training can be for you or for others in your team. In the booking form, let us know in the 'additional information' box what you need and which topics you would like to cover. Then we will be happy to create a custom training session for you.

Data migration

It's worth mentioning that you can import and reconcile data yourself. But if you need support with this, then we are here to help.

We do offer a data import service where we fully import your data for you.

However, if you need support with importing data then it is typically better (and much cheaper) to book a 1:1 support session, where we can help you with importing your own data.

We are experienced with importing data efficiently, so we can make the import process quicker for you. As part of working alongside you to import your data we will share lots of hints and tips, and answer questions and provide training along the way.

Year-end accounts / adjustments

Whether you create accounts on a receipts and payments basis or on an accruals basis, we have a brilliant task checklist to help you, as well as a training video:

If you need help with any of the tasks in the checklist, or if you have questions or would like us to review what you have done, then booking an additional 1:1 support sessions can help.

When it comes to creating your actual accounts, ExpensePlus has built-in templates that will enable you to create your own end-of-year accounts, or you can give access to ExpensePlus to whoever is creating your accounts.

If someone else creates your accounts, we always recommend that adjustments aren't made outside of ExpensePlus. Whilst it's the quickest option for the person creating accounts to do this, it then leaves you with closing balances in ExpensePlus that don't match with your accounts.

To avoid this, we always recommend comparing the balance sheet in your draft accounts with the balance sheet in ExpensePlus before signing off your accounts. If there are any discrepancies, you should understand what these are and make any adjustments needed within ExpensePlus.

If you need help with making these adjustments, or you've realised that there are discrepancies between your prior accounts and the data that is in ExpensePlus and that this is causing your opening balances for your next financial year to be wrong, then we can work with you to fix this.

Fund accounting support

If you are less familiar with fund accounting, then we can help you get to grips with what you need to know, and answer your fund accounting questions.

We recognise that for many churches and charities, the person responsible for or people involved in managing the finances may have no formal accountancy training. Or they may have some business accounting experience but not be familiar with charity accounting (which can be quite different).

Common things that churches and charities need help with understanding include:

What funds are, how they work, and which ones are needed
The difference between funds and bank accounts
What is needed at year's end to create accounts
How to correctly account for different transactions
How to find key information within your financial reports

Good to know: We highly recommend this charity essentials bookkeeping course. You can also access free resources such as our fund accounting blog and fund accounting videos.

Other support

If the support you are looking for isn't listed above, don't worry - we are happy to help.

Perhaps your charity finances aren't in a great place, and you could use some guidance and advice.

Whether you are looking for bespoke training, additional support, or something else, our additional 1:1 support sessions are there so that we can provide you with the help that you need.

Good to know: As part of the booking process, as well as letting us know the reason you would like to book a session, there is an 'additional information' box where you can provide more details.

If you know in advance which topics you wish to cover, or you have a list of questions you would like to go through, it's best if you add this information during the booking process. You can also send us a follow up email to support@expenseplus.co.uk.

What is the cost?

In order to cover the costs for providing additional support, we charge for these 1:1 additional support sessions at the following prices:.

1-hour session via Zoom - £45 + VAT
90-minute session via Zoom - £60 + VAT
2-hour session via Zoom - £75 + VAT
Half-day session via Zoom (3.5 hours) - £125 + VAT

Please note that the booking process flow is automated. Payment is taken via card at the point of booking. This can either be via business card if your charity has this, or via a personal debit/credit card (and you can claim the money back via an expense claim).

Good to know: ExpensePlus comes with free email support for any software questions, as well as free training - click here to find out more.

Session length

The length of session that would be best to book will depend on what you wish to cover. Additional questions or topics might also come up during the course of the session.

No two organisations are the same, but here is what we would typically recommend:

Where you have a list of quick questions or just need help with 1 or 2 specific things, we'd typically recommend booking a 1-hour session.
Where what you need help with is more involved (e.g. 1:1 setup support, or ensuring your opening balances match your prior year), then you should consider a 2-hour session.
We only recommend booking a 3.5-hour session if you are looking for 1:1 in-depth training, or if you would like help with bigger tasks, such as importing data.

Note: whilst we are happy to cover material that is covered in our training sessions, it's typically worth watching the relevant training sessions that we offer if you haven't done so already.

Good to know: bookings are non-refundable, but if you don't use the full amount of time that you have booked, then we will provide you with a coupon that can be redeemed against the cost of a future session.

Still unsure about how long to book? We recommend booking a shorter session, and then booking a further session if you need longer.

It's worth noting that often additional questions and topics do come up during 1:1 sessions. This might include questions that you think of, scenarios you wish to check, or we might spot something we think needs highlighting. For example, a question about how to record a particular transaction could highlight a problem with how your funds have been set up.

How to book

To book a session, click this link.

Please note that a card payment is required at the point of booking, which can either be a business card if your charity has this, or via a personal debit/credit card (and the money claimed back via an expense claim).

Choose the length of the session you would like to book