Finance & Admin prompts

Write a payment chase.

CLIENT: [NAME/TYPE OF CLIENT]
INVOICE: [NUMBER, AMOUNT, ORIGINAL DUE DATE]
DAYS OVERDUE: [NUMBER]
PREVIOUS CHASES: [NONE / DATES AND WHAT WAS SAID]
RELATIONSHIP: [new client / long-standing / ending / we want more work from them]
OUR LEVERAGE: [e.g. work in progress we could pause, contractual late fees, nothing]
ANY REASON THEY MIGHT HAVE: [dispute, cashflow, process, unknown]

Write the message appropriate to this stage:
- Under 10 days overdue: assume process, not refusal
- 10-30 days: assume it needs a person, name one, ask for a date
- 30-60 days: state consequences plainly, once
- Over 60: formal, reference the contract term, state next step and date

The message must:
- Lead with the invoice number and amount in the first line
- Ask one specific question that can be answered in one line ('can you confirm the payment date?' not 'can you look into this?')
- Give them an easy out if the reason is process (wrong PO, wrong contact, missing detail)
- State the next step and when it happens
- Be under 120 words

No 'hope you are well', no 'just checking in', no exclamation marks, no apology for chasing.

Also give me the follow-up message for if this gets no reply in 7 days, and the point at which I should stop emailing and call.

Build a budget.

WHAT THIS BUDGET IS FOR: [DEPARTMENT / PROJECT / YEAR]
PERIOD: [TIMEFRAME]
KNOWN COSTS: [PASTE EVERYTHING YOU KNOW - AMOUNTS, FREQUENCIES, MESSY IS FINE]
EXPECTED INCOME OR BUDGET CEILING: [AMOUNT, if any]
CURRENCY: [CURRENCY]

Produce:

1. BUDGET TABLE - Category | Item | Unit cost | Quantity | Frequency | Annual total | Fixed or variable | Confidence (known / estimated / guessed)

2. SUMMARY - totals by category and by fixed vs variable, with each as a % of the total.

3. ASSUMPTIONS - every assumption you had to make to complete a line. Each with the item it affects and roughly what it is worth if wrong.

4. WHAT IS MISSING - costs commonly forgotten in this type of budget that I have not mentioned. Check at least: taxes, insurance, software renewals and seat growth, payment processing fees, recruitment costs, equipment replacement, training, professional fees, bank charges, currency exchange, and inflation on multi-year items.

5. SENSITIVITY - the three lines where a 20% error moves the total most.

6. IF I HAVE TO CUT 15% - where it comes from, in order, and what each cut costs operationally.

Rules:
- Show arithmetic for any derived figure.
- Do not invent a number I did not give. Mark it [ESTIMATE] and state the basis, or [NEED FIGURE].
- I am not asking for financial advice, only for this arithmetic organised properly.

Review this agreement and tell me what to pay attention to. You are not a lawyer and neither am I - this is a reading aid, not legal advice.

AGREEMENT:
"""
[PASTE]
"""

MY SIDE: [customer / supplier / employee / contractor / landlord / tenant]
WHAT I AM TRYING TO ACHIEVE: [GOAL]
MY CONCERNS: [ANYTHING SPECIFIC]

Produce:

1. PLAIN SUMMARY - what this agreement does, in five sentences.

2. KEY TERMS TABLE - Clause | What it says in plain words | Why it matters to my side | Unusual? (standard / worth querying / unusual)
   Cover at minimum: term and renewal, termination rights on each side, notice periods, payment terms and late consequences, liability caps, indemnities, IP ownership, confidentiality, non-compete or exclusivity, change-of-control, governing law and dispute forum, and automatic renewal.

3. ASYMMETRIES - anywhere the two parties have different rights for the same situation. List every one.

4. WHAT IS MISSING - protections normally present in this type of agreement that are absent here.

5. QUESTIONS FOR A LAWYER - the specific five questions worth paying for, phrased precisely.

6. RED FLAGS - anything that would make me want to negotiate before signing.

Quote the clause number and text for every point. Do not paraphrase without quoting. Where a term's effect depends on jurisdiction, say so rather than guessing.

End with the standing reminder that this is a reading aid and a lawyer should review anything material.

Reconcile these two transaction lists and find the differences.

LIST A (e.g. our records):
"""
[PASTE]
"""

LIST B (e.g. bank statement):
"""
[PASTE]
"""

PERIOD: [DATES]
CURRENCY: [CURRENCY]
KNOWN TIMING DIFFERENCES: [e.g. payments take 3 days to clear]

Produce:

1. MATCHED - count and total value. Do not list them individually unless the count is under 20.

2. IN A NOT IN B - table with every field, plus a 'likely reason' column (timing, not yet cleared, duplicate in A, missing from B, cancelled).

3. IN B NOT IN A - same structure. Flag anything here as higher priority: money moved that we did not record.

4. PROBABLE MATCHES WITH DIFFERENCES - pairs that look like the same transaction with a different amount, date or reference. Show both rows side by side and the delta.

5. DUPLICATES - within either list.

6. RECONCILIATION SUMMARY - Total A, total B, difference, and the difference accounted for by each category above. These must add up. If they do not, say so explicitly rather than forcing them.

7. NEEDS A HUMAN - the items that cannot be resolved from this data alone.

Show the arithmetic in section 6. Do not round. If a date format is ambiguous (DD/MM vs MM/DD), say so and state which you assumed.

Write a client quote.

CLIENT: [NAME/TYPE]
WHAT THEY ASKED FOR: [THEIR REQUEST, IN THEIR WORDS]
WHAT I WILL ACTUALLY DELIVER: [YOUR SCOPE]
PRICE AND BASIS: [AMOUNT, AND WHETHER FIXED / DAY RATE / MILESTONE]
TIMELINE: [DURATION AND ANY DEPENDENCIES ON THEM]
WHAT I NEED FROM THEM: [ACCESS, CONTENT, APPROVALS, DECISIONS]
CURRENCY AND PAYMENT TERMS: [DETAIL]

Structure:
1. Understanding - their problem in their words, two sentences. Shows you listened.
2. What is included - specific deliverables, each with a one-line description of what 'done' means
3. What is not included - the adjacent things they will assume are in. Be thorough; this section prevents the argument.
4. What I need from you - with dates, and what happens to the timeline if each is late
5. Timeline - phases with dates, marking which depend on their input
6. Price - the number, what it covers, and what triggers an additional charge
7. Revisions - how many rounds are included and what counts as a revision versus a new request
8. Payment terms - schedule, method, late terms
9. Validity - how long this quote stands

Rules:
- Section 3 must be specific. 'Additional work' is not an exclusion; 'migration of historical data prior to 2024' is.
- Section 7 is where fixed-price work goes wrong. Define a revision precisely.
- No hourly estimates unless the basis is a day rate.
- Under 700 words.

Organise these expenses.

EXPENSES:
"""
[PASTE - DATE, DESCRIPTION, AMOUNT, ANY NOTES]
"""

PURPOSE: [expense claim / departmental review / client rebilling / tax preparation]
PERIOD: [DATES]
CURRENCY: [CURRENCY]
POLICY RULES I MUST FOLLOW: [PASTE, or 'none given']

Produce:

1. CATEGORISED TABLE - Date | Description | Category | Amount | Business purpose | Receipt? (Y/N/unknown) | Policy compliant? (Y/N/unclear)
   Use standard categories: travel, accommodation, subsistence, software, equipment, professional fees, training, marketing, other.

2. TOTALS - by category, and grand total. Show the arithmetic.

3. NEEDS ATTENTION - anything missing a receipt, missing a business purpose, above a policy threshold, personal-looking, duplicated, or dated outside the period.

4. MISSING INFORMATION - for each row where I have not given enough to categorise or justify it, the specific question to answer.

5. IF THIS IS FOR TAX OR A CLIENT REBILL - note which items commonly require additional substantiation, and what that is.

Rules:
- Never invent a business purpose. Write [PURPOSE NEEDED].
- Flag rather than exclude. The decision to drop a line is mine.
- Do not give tax advice. Flag items where the treatment depends on local rules and say an accountant should confirm.

Compare these supplier quotes properly.

WHAT WE ARE BUYING: [DESCRIPTION]
QUOTES:
"""
[PASTE EACH QUOTE, SEPARATED BY ---]
"""
OUR REQUIREMENTS: [WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED]
EXPECTED USAGE/VOLUME: [DETAIL]
HOW LONG WE EXPECT TO USE IT: [TIMEFRAME]

Produce:

1. NORMALISATION TABLE - restate every quote on the same basis: same period, same unit, same inclusions. State every adjustment you made.

2. TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP over my stated timeframe - including setup, onboarding, training, per-unit or per-seat growth, support tiers, overage charges, renewal uplifts, and exit/migration costs. Mark anything not stated in a quote as [NOT STATED - ASK].

3. WHAT EACH ONE EXCLUDES - the gaps between each quote and my requirements list.

4. NOT COMPARABLE - things that differ in kind rather than price: support hours, SLAs, contract length, termination rights, data ownership, where the data is held.

5. THE QUESTIONS TO ASK EACH SUPPLIER before deciding - specific to what each quote left vague.

6. RANKING - on total cost, and separately on fit to requirements. Say plainly if the cheapest does not meet the requirements.

Rules:
- Never compare headline prices without normalising first.
- Renewal uplift and exit cost are the two most commonly omitted figures. Always flag them if not stated.
- Do not recommend a supplier on price alone.

Build a month-end close checklist.

BUSINESS TYPE AND SIZE: [e.g. 20-person services firm, one accountant]
ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE: [e.g. QuickBooks, Xero, Tally, Excel]
WHAT WE DO NOW (messy is fine): [DESCRIBE THE CURRENT STEPS]
TEAM AND ROLES: [WHO DOES WHAT]
DEADLINE FOR CLOSING: [e.g. working day 5]

Produce a checklist table with columns:
Step | Task | Owner | Due (working day) | Depends on | Evidence of completion

Group the steps into: cash and bank, receivables, payables, payroll, accruals and prepayments, fixed assets, reconciliations, review, reporting.

Then add:
- THE CRITICAL PATH - the 5 steps that most often delay the close, and how to start them earlier
- CONTROLS - where a second person should review before moving on
- MISSING STEPS - things commonly forgotten in a business like mine that I did not mention; mark each [CONFIRM] because you do not know our policies

Rules: do not invent account codes, tax rules or local regulations. This is a process checklist, not accounting advice.

Explain these financial statements to my client in plain language.

CLIENT: [WHO THEY ARE AND HOW FINANCIALLY CONFIDENT THEY ARE]
STATEMENTS (paste figures or a summary): [P&L / BALANCE SHEET / CASH FLOW]
PERIOD AND COMPARISON PERIOD: [PERIODS]
WHAT THEY ASKED OR WORRY ABOUT: [QUESTION]

Write:
1. THE HEADLINE - 3 sentences on how the business did, in everyday words
2. WHAT CHANGED AND WHY - the 3-5 biggest movements, each with the figure, the change, and the likely reason. If the reason is not in the data, write [ASK CLIENT: ...] rather than guessing.
3. CASH vs PROFIT - explain the difference using their own numbers if they differ
4. WATCH POINTS - up to 3 things to keep an eye on
5. QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS at our next meeting

Rules:
- Use only the numbers provided. Show any calculation you make.
- No jargon without a one-line explanation.
- Do not give tax, legal or investment advice - flag topics that need a proper professional review instead.

Write a document request message to my clients for [TAX RETURN / YEAR-END / AUDIT] season.

MY PRACTICE: [DESCRIBE]
CLIENT TYPE: [individuals / sole traders / small companies]
DOCUMENTS I NEED: [LIST]
DEADLINE: [DATE]
HOW TO SEND THEM: [portal / email / WhatsApp / in person]
CONSEQUENCE OF MISSING THE DEADLINE: [e.g. late filing risk, extra fee]

Produce:
1. THE MAIN MESSAGE - short intro, a checklist grouped by category, the deadline in bold, how to send, and who to contact
2. A SHORT VERSION for WhatsApp or SMS (under 60 words)
3. REMINDER 1 (two weeks before) and REMINDER 2 (three days before), each shorter and firmer
4. A "WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE IT" section explaining what to do if a document is missing

Tone: friendly and organised, never scolding. Plain words, no jargon.

Help me set my freelance / consulting rates.

WHAT I DO: [SERVICE]
MY EXPERIENCE: [YEARS, SPECIALISM, RESULTS]
MARKET / CLIENTS: [WHO AND WHERE]
TARGET YEARLY INCOME BEFORE TAX: [AMOUNT AND CURRENCY]
BUSINESS COSTS PER YEAR: [SOFTWARE, EQUIPMENT, INSURANCE, ETC.]
REALISTIC BILLABLE HOURS PER WEEK: [HOURS]
WEEKS OFF PER YEAR: [WEEKS]
WHAT OTHERS CHARGE (if known): [RANGE]

Calculate, showing the arithmetic:
1. My minimum hourly rate to hit the target (target + costs / billable hours per year)
2. A day rate and a half-day rate
3. Three project price examples for typical jobs: [DESCRIBE 2-3 TYPICAL JOBS]

Then:
- Compare with the market range I gave and say whether I am under, within or over
- Suggest when to use hourly, day or fixed-price, and the risks of each
- Write 2 sentences I can use when a client asks "why this price?"
- Point out any assumption that looks unrealistic (e.g. 40 billable hours a week is rarely achievable)