Shaun McGrail, 40, is finance director of Knowsley company I-Paye, which offers payroll services to self-employed contractors, and is a partner in its sister company PSG Accountancy
7am: My two-year-old daughter, Lily, is my alarm clock. She always calls for daddy – I like to think it’s because she’s a daddy’s girl but, more likely, she knows I will crawl out of bed first.
8am: After a quick shower, change and a bowl of cereal with my wife Gaynor and Lily, it’s into the car. Driving to work is a real joy as our office in Kings Business Park, Knowsley, is minutes from home.
9am: My first job is to check my emails and various bank balances. The company focuses on helping professionals in the oil and gas, IT consultancy and construction industries, to name a few, working not only in the UK but also in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A priority is to make sure all the accounts are up to date and that we are buying currency at the best possible rate.
10am: I grab a cup of white coffee and head straight into a meeting with my finance team. We are completing the accounts for February, tackling any problems and planning ahead for the financial year end.
11am: Head to a meeting with an insurance specialist to chat about an innovative idea we have which will help our customers to drive down the cost of their insurance premiums.
12pm: Back at my desk, I open a letter from Richard Branson inviting the I-Paye directors to dinner at his family home in Oxfordshire to celebrate our 7th place ranking in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 League Table. It’s a big event for us and an excellent chance to network with the directors of the other Fast Track 100 companies.
1pm: I hit 40 last year and have put myself on a healthy eating campaign, so cakes and cheese are banned. After a ham salad sandwich at my desk, I pop out for a walk round the local lake. It’s a good place to collect your thoughts before the afternoon gets too busy.
2pm: I give an update to the team in our sister company, PSG Accountancy, as I have just received confirmation that PSG Accountancy is now an ACCA registered practice. I am delighted with this.
3pm: I put a call into our software development team. We have invested heavily in a bespoke Microsoft system to give our clients the best possible service, and are in discussions with our developers to map out what the future looks like from a systems point of view. I want us to think proactively about how we work for our clients.
4pm: Quick catch-up with fellow directors Paul Hughes and my wife, Gaynor. We are a family-run business and we have grown rapidly since forming five years ago. Since then, we have looked after the affairs of over 20,000 contractors around the world. We are constantly coming up with new ideas to take the business forward.
5pm: At the end of the day, I make a final check with the management accountant to make sure there are no surprises for the morning.
6.30pm: I leave the office and head to the gym for a workout on the running and rowing machines. I steer clear of weights – I prefer a good cardio workout at the end of a busy day. And it’s also good exercise for the next skiing trip.
8pm: I arrive home and read The Gruffalo (again!) to a sleepy Lily.
8.45pm: Time for Gaynor and I to tuck into dinner and a cup of tea – alcohol is a weekend treat – then relax by shooting some pool. It’s much more fun than watching television. And sometimes I even win!
