Subscriptions a Sole Trader Should Review Every Quarter

Subscriptions are easy to start and easy to forget. For a one-person trade business they sit in two piles: the ones the business pays for and the ones you pay for personally. Both come out of the same pocket in the end, so review both every quarter.

Business subscriptions

List every repeating charge on the business account. Typical ones are accounting software, a job management app, phone and data, van tracking, trade body membership, tool insurance and cloud storage. For each, write down what it costs a year, not a month. Yearly figures make the decision easier.

Ask one question of each: did I use this in the last four weeks? If not, cancel it or downgrade it today.

Personal subscriptions that follow you to work

These are the ones people miss: streaming on the phone, a gym you no longer visit, meal boxes, and health products such as vitamins or supplements on a repeat order. Repeat orders are convenient, but check the renewal date and how to cancel. There is a useful checklist for buying a supplement online that covers what a listing should tell you before you sign up.

Set a renewal diary

Put every renewal date in your calendar with a reminder one week before. Annual renewals are where the money goes, because the price often rises and nobody checks.

Decide once a quarter

Pick a fixed date, such as the first Monday of each quarter. Twenty minutes is enough. Keep the list in one place so next quarter's review starts from this one.