Ever feel like meetings are quietly eating your week? One moment you’re chatting through payroll changes or VAT returns, and the next, it’s 6pm and you’re still drafting follow-up emails. Again.

We recently surveyed 276 accounting and bookkeeping firms. The results were eye-opening. If you’ve ever wondered just how much time meetings really cost—and what we could reclaim with a bit of AI muscle—read on.

The Hidden Timesink Lurking in Every Practice

Our survey gathered responses from firms of all sizes, though most (nearly 65%) had 10 staff or fewer. Client loads varied, but the typical firm manages 51–500 clients.

Now, look at how many meetings they’re packing in:

• 31.5% run 4–6 client meetings a week

• 18.1% have 7–10

That’s a serious chunk of the calendar—and the admin that follows is even worse. Nearly 1 in 4 firms spend 1–2 hours per meeting just handling the follow-up.

It adds up fast. The average firm clocks 6.6 hours per week on post-meeting admin. That’s 345 hours a year—or 43 working days. And we wonder why the Fridays vanish.

Where the Hours (and Profits) Leak Away

Manual follow-up workflow dissected

Most firms are still relying on handwritten notes or basic digital docs. Here’s how the old dance goes:

1. Scribble during the meeting (while nodding thoughtfully)

2. Reconstruct everything into an email, task list, and practice tracker

3. Chase missing bits you forgot to jot down

4. Worry you missed something important

No wonder the top complaints we heard were:

• “I can’t remember everything”

• “It’s a nightmare to track”

• “Takes forever to follow up”

The £24k–£31k price tag

If we value a professional’s time at around £120–£150/hour, those 345 hours of admin equate to roughly £41,000–£51,000 annually.

Even if we assume AI can only save 60% of that time, we’re still talking £24,600–£30,600 in potential gains per firm, per year.

And that’s before we factor in quality of service, team morale, or lost billable work.

The Vinyl Effect: 60% Faster, Zero Sweat

So what happens when a firm switches to something like Vinyl? We’ve modelled it out:

Across the year, it’s 207 hours clawed back—26 full working days. Just from meetings.

“But What About…?” – Busting the Big Concerns

We also asked firms what’s holding them back. Good news: over 70% have no major concerns. For the rest, here’s the honest lowdown:

• Security/privacy – Vinyl uses end-to-end encryption and keeps data close to home (UK/AU/NZ hosting options).

• Accuracy – You’re always in control. AI drafts; you approve.

• Integration – Works with your existing tools: Xero, Karbon, QuickBooks, etc.

• Learning curve – Most users are comfy within a week. No tech wizardry required.

• Client acceptance – Add a one-liner to your engagement letter and you’re sorted.

First Steps to Win Back Your Fridays

If you’re curious but cautious, here’s how we suggest dipping your toes in:

1. Pick three meetings next week to trial with an AI assistant

2. Use built-in consent prompts and default templates

3. Track:

   • Time spent post-meeting

   • Follow-up speed

   • Team stress levels (anecdotes count!)

After one month, compare. You might be surprised how much smoother—and calmer—your workflow becomes.

Parting Thought

Let’s revisit the big question: what would we do with 26 extra days each year?

More client strategy sessions? A quarterly offsite? Maybe even a proper holiday?

With a tool like Vinyl handling the meeting admin, it’s not just a dream. It’s time we stopped working weekends just to write up what we already said.