How Cube Accounting cut HR admin (and spreadsheets) by 50%

"Before Breathe, HR was a total mess – spreadsheets, papers, word docs, everything everywhere.

Now it's all in one place, secure, saving me loads of time and making life so much easier."

Meet Anne, the driving force behind Cube Accounting, a friendly Midlands-based company that's all about helping small, family-run businesses thrive.

When Anne started, it was just her and a tiny team of two, but she had big plans for her SME to grow (and it’s still growing).  

The challenge of using spreadsheets & paperwork for HR admin  

The problem was, everything HR-related was a bit messy – papers everywhere, spreadsheets, word docs, you name it, administrative HR was there being duplicated, unsecure and gathering dust.  

Nobody was keeping track of sickness, holiday management was confusing, and compliance was questionable (to name a few issues). 

Anne knew she needed to get organised if she wanted her business to scale and that’s when she discovered Breathe.  

"Before Breathe, I wasn't completely confident about our HR security and compliance. It was all a bit 'trust-based' with our team.

Now, everything's secure and properly organised with user access levels. I feel like I've finally ticked that compliance box.

It's such a relief to know everything's handled correctly and I can say confidently that we're secure." 

Why does compliance matter? If a UK business isn't legally compliant, it's playing a risky game with some serious potential consequences (ouch).

By keeping your SME compliant – you won’t be breaking the law. This includes: avoiding fines/penalties, legal action against you, reputational damage, at its worst – business closure or criminal charges.  

Why Breathe is the perfect replacement for spreadsheets and paper 

Anne simply needed everything in one place.  

Like most times when trying something new or for the first time, Anne didn’t think she’d be convinced that HR software could easily sort out her problems. But after a quick demo, Anne couldn’t believe how easy it was to use.  

“I was expecting Breathe to be tricky to use, but it’s so easy. Once I got going and was all set up, I wondered why I waited. My advice?

Don't put it off – like any system, it's way easier to set up when you're small. As a business owner, time is precious, and delaying just makes things harder down the line. I wish I'd done it sooner." 

For Cube Accounting, Anne needed a solution that could centralise all administrative HR information, which was simple, easy to use and cost-effective.

As a small business owner juggling multiple roles – Breathe offered the perfect answer to Anne’s problems.  

“You get a sophisticated HR system for a very small monthly cost. It's easily a 10 out of 10 for us for value for money.” 

How Breathe is the solution to manual administrative HR tasks 

Breathe has become the all-in-one HR system Anne didn’t know she needed.  

Moving away from HR chaos was crucial to support the business. Before Breathe, HR felt like a daunting, time-consuming task for Anne and would often lead to procrastination. 

Now, Anne enjoys using Breathe, and will tackle HR tasks right away, knowing all the necessary documents and tools are readily available, all whilst saving 50% of her time that she previously spent on HR admin tasks.   

"I absolutely love Breathe. If I had to narrow it down, the time savings and having everything in one place would be my top two benefits. For a small business owner like me, it's the perfect solution.” 

How Breathe improves the accuracy for HR data and people records  

Anne used to struggle with HR accuracy. She now values a centralised system and storage point for her essential employee data. And because it's so simple to use, she keeps it up-to-date.  

The best part? Anne now has confidence in the accuracy of her data and HR records. No more double-checking everything.

Breathe's single-point data entry helps to cut down mistakes and reduce potential for duplication, keeping everything consistent. This gives Anne much better control and makes her work life easier. 

“Before Breathe, I was always second-guessing HR records and accuracy. Now with Breathe, everything's accurate and in one place. I update it once and it's done. That confidence and efficiency is huge for me." 

How Breathe is the simple solution to holiday and absence management 

Holidays? Sickness? It was a muddle. Anne readily admitted she wasn't always confident in the holiday records, and managing sick time was difficult.

Now, using Breathe, Anne knows exactly who's off and when, instantly. All the employee information is right there, making it quick and easy to see and update, eliminating any guesswork.

"Breathe has made managing holidays and sick leave so much easier. I love getting those holiday request notifications and instantly seeing who else is off. Tracking remaining holiday and handling changes is a breeze now.  

And, I finally have a proper system for logging sick leave. Before, I wasn't tracking it properly, (which made absence visibility tricky and what to do with pay changes) but now I can see everything clearly. It's just so much better." 

How Breathe builds a compliant and secure SME 

Anne's scattered employee records – paper, spreadsheets, word docs, everything – created a compliance headache. She knew SME growth required proper systems.  

“I moved away from spreadsheets and the fragmented approach, because if you're trying to upscale a business, you've got to have systems and procedures and you've got to have software to help you.” 

With Breathe, Anne has one organised file for each employee, which her client manager can easily access.

Important policies and documents are all uploaded, saving time and making sure everything's compliant. Now Anne feels confident and in control, knowing her employee data is stored securely. 

The impact of using Breathe to replace spreadsheets and paperwork 

Breathe has truly transformed HR management for Anne at Cube Accounting. Where she once faced a mountain of paperwork and spreadsheets, she now enjoys a streamlined, centralised system. 

By using Breathe, Anne has significantly reduced her HR workload (she now spends 50% less time on admin tasks every week), but it's also given her greater confidence in the accuracy and compliance of her HR processes.  

“It's such a relief to have everything in one place. Now, I can easily access employee information, track holidays, manage absences, and stay on top of compliance, all within Breathe."  

Future plans for Cube Accounting and Breathe 

Anne's convinced that Breathe HR software, is key for her business to grow and if she were to ever move on, she knows she’s covered her due diligence by implementing Breathe into her business.  

"I would 100% encourage other SME business owners to use Breathe HR software, because it's so easy.

And if you've got a business where you are wanting to grow and you've got more than about three employees, you are just wasting so much time by not having it in software like Breathe."  

At some point in the future, Anne is looking forward to a simple handover when she brings in someone to manage HR entirely, something she couldn't have done before.

It's a no-brainer to get this sorted early on, especially if you're an SME planning to expand. 

Advice to other SME business owners  

Anne's advice to other SMEs and business owners is simple: don't wait to adopt HR software like Breathe. 

“My experience with Breathe is that it’s so easy to use and it’s so efficient. I just want to show other business owners a small demo, so they can see how easy it is and how everything's in one place.

And it's not in HR speak. It's just normal language that anybody could use that I think they'd want to start immediately.”  

She believes Breathe’s intuitive, jargon-free design makes it appealing for any business owner. Anne's glad she jumped in early, making life much simpler as Cube Accounting continues to grow. 

Cube Accounting is managed by Breathe Partner HR Dept South Warwickshire. While Breathe doesn't offer HR advice, our dedicated Partner network of HR consultancies works with our customers to offer support, advice and managed services.