We spoke with co-founder of video insights software developers, VEO, Paul Miller to find out about his business journey, including how a successful R&D claim has helped his business grow during a key time.
Paul explains what it’s been like working with Blu Sky during their early days and through continuous growth over the years.
First tell us about VEO
VEO is a video insights app that enables users to easily find and analyse useful information that’s otherwise locked within their video content. Organisations and individuals use the app’s tools to improve what they do with the insights they uncover.
Our software can be used on any device, and it can be tailored to the outcome that the user wants or the specific thing they want to analyse. For example, you can create video tags that when used, highlight key points in a video that address a certain topic, or where the person demonstrates a certain skill. Because of its versatility, it’s used by educators, healthcare professionals and corporate companies around the world.
Support over the years
We’ve been working with Blu Sky for a few years now, they helped us in our early days by acting as a sounding board and setting up the accounting essentials.
When I started out, it was great to have the support of a team that had been through the start-up to scale-up journey themselves. They offered a lot of useful guidance and were very helpful when it came to any questions I had. It was also brilliant to draw on their expertise around tech company growth and the infrastructure I needed to create.
They always told me to treat your accounts as the nuts and bolts of your business and that getting it right was crucial for growth and progress. They really invested time in getting to know my business and what we wanted to achieve so they could tailor the advice and support to my needs, which was appreciated.
R&D expertise
The Blu Sky team recently helped us complete a successful research and development (R&D) claim.
The team helped us identify that the app developments we were working on would qualify for R&D tax relief. They collated all the relevant information, submitted the claim and answered all of our questions along the way. We were able to reinvest the money gained from the R&D claim, back into our product.
Tech enthusiasts
The fact Blu Sky embrace technology and actively look for ways to streamline and improve the way I need to complete accounting tasks, really appealed to me.
The team are experts in Xero, so they really do know the best way to use the platform. They’re always available to offer guidance on Xero if needed, especially when there are updates and new integrations. Through Xero and ongoing advice, the team help free up my time so I can focus on running the business.
Ongoing guidance
Blu Sky help us look ahead and prepare which has been incredibly useful over the years. Being able to talk about the future has helped us confidently make strategic decisions to grow our business.
The team has given us guidance on many topics including, funding, pension schemes, share schemes, management reports, year-end accounts and EMI. They really do have a whole range of expertise and we’re grateful that we’re able to access it whenever we need it.
It’s clear that the Blu Sky team care about the success of their clients because they’ve actively backed VEO and taken an interest in what we do from the start. I’m able to have regular catch ups with Blu Sky and know they’re available whenever I need them which is fantastic.
Looking for help with your scaling tech business?
Need help preparing for your future, with funding or the day-to-day accounts? Feel free to get in touch!