For a London music accountancy firm, the best cloud setup pairs your practice software, including CCH, QuickBooks, payroll software and document management with FYI and INVU, with Microsoft 365 for email, files and collaboration, all wrapped in strong security and reliable, secure remote access. Done well, your team works the same way from the office or home, your data is backed up, and adding staff or clients is straightforward.
The software is only part of the picture. The setup around it, your email, documents, security and connections, is what makes the practice run smoothly. Here’s what a strong cloud foundation looks like.
1. Microsoft 365 as the hub
Microsoft 365 brings email, document storage, Teams and collaboration into one secure, managed place, with a single version of every file rather than copies scattered across PCs. It sits alongside your practice and document-management software and supports flexible, hybrid and home working.
2. Your practice software, available and reliable
CCH, QuickBooks, payroll software and your FYI and INVU document management all need to be available wherever your team works. Depending on your setup that means hosting them well, or providing secure remote access to them, and keeping them monitored, patched and performing through busy periods.
3. Security built in
Cloud doesn’t mean secure by default. You still need multi-factor authentication, application allowlisting, endpoint protection, email filtering and sensible access controls so people only reach the clients and data they need. For a practice holding sensitive, high-profile client data, this is essential.
4. Backups you can trust
Cloud services are resilient, but you’re still responsible for your data. Proper backup of Microsoft 365 and your practice data, tested regularly, protects you against accidental deletion, account compromise and ransomware, so you can always recover client information quickly.
A real example: a London music accountancy firm
We support a London music and entertainment accountancy firm whose whole team works securely from home with no disruption, running CCH, document management (FYI and INVU), QuickBooks and payroll software day to day. Security is layered with ThreatLocker application allowlisting, access restricted by location, managed email filtering and proactive patching, so the practice stays focused on a busy, growing client book instead of on IT. When something does come up, it’s resolved on a single phone call.
For most music and entertainment accountancy firms, this sits within fully managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month, billed per user, with secure remote access and the protection client data needs built in.
Why London music accountancy firms choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including London music and entertainment accountancy firms, and we know the software your practice runs every day: CCH, QuickBooks, payroll software (including QTAC), and document management with FYI and INVU. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support practices across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free cloud and IT review
Want a cloud setup that suits your practice and your software? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll show you how to get the most from it, securely.