It’s nice to meet you!

2003, the Internet was still fairly new, Ipads had not yet been invented, and Nokia phones were all the rage. We were contracting and still having to use fax machines(!) and email Excel spreadsheets of our expenses. We couldn’t understand why someone had not developed a system where this could all be done online! So we decided to forgo the Contiki tours and settled down to gave it a go ourselves. As we worked away on the software we decided to test the waters by launching a free online company formation product in the UK at a time when formations could only be done by post. We were surprised by the uptake, and encouraged to keep building our online accounting product.

In 2005 we officially launched a new accounting service in the UK called No Worries Company Services Ltd with a handful of clients from New Zealand, and Australia. But as we prepared to enter the market we decided to try something different. Where other contractor accounting firms were charging their fees at 5% of the contractors turnover, we brought a radical new idea to the market – charging a flat monthly fee.  This quickly saw all our main competitors scramble to follow suit. We also had another secret weapon – online accounting software we had built ourselves, an accounting software built by contractors for contractors.

Hello Seagrave Road. The business had finally grown up and moved out of our flat into its own space. While we would bake in this small ground floor office in the summertime, we couldn’t be happier as we attached our little name plate outside the door and welcomed our first two employees. We also partnered with HSBC Bank to simplify the process of setting up a bank account for new contractors to the UK market.

We got a new logo and Companies House finally replaces its 20yr old system for company formation with a new online processing system. Finally our printer can take a breather! We now sat patiently waiting for them to look towards online filing of Annual Accounts and VAT returns. In the meantime we continue to listen to feedback from our clients and streamline our software while constantly talking with and encouraging Companies House and HMRC to move more of their reporting requirements and processes to online.

We now had over 10 years of user feedback that we had been using to constantly refine and update our software. Time for a thank-you gift: a brand new web app where they could complete core accounting transactions straight from their top of the line iPhone 4!

Up until this point the cloud-based accounting software NW had developed was known as “the portal” or “our software” or some other generic name. So we decided to give it a name and Joy Pilot was initially released under the name Simplifi to the world. It was rebuilt completely using modern industry standards. It’s actually one giant API with a nice looking UX/UI. All the functionality from the old system is retained, with far greater scope that allowed us to add new features like bank feeds, payroll integrations, receipt scanning, plus much higher security.

We get busy integrating UK payroll, bank feeds compliant with the new UK open banking regulations, and AI-enabled receipt scanning into Joy Pilot. Our smart reconciliation features now also start to take shape.

We all know what happened here! A new player burst on the scene: COVID-19. Thankfully, with a business that from its inception had been built to operate in the cloud meant we were easily able to adapt our business to have our employees all work from home during this time, even if that meant moving countries to be closer to family. This sees us downsize our physical office space as our virtual office grew with employees operating out of Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and the UK. COVID-19 also helped to renew our drive to be here for our clients and offer them the support they need to live their best lives. And truth be told, at this point we are excited at the new opportunities the new way of running our business and the changing contractor market offers.

After a crazy 18 months of focusing mainly on our employees and clients and helping them with some radical life changes COVID-19 brought to the world, we released our Joy Pilot software as a stand-alone product. You no longer need to be an accounting client of No Worries to gain full and exclusive access to the world’s best cloud accounting product for contractors, freelancers and small business owners. We now have nearly 20 years of first-hand experience doing this, and we’re ready to branch out. With users in the UK to Belgium (thats a random one ????) and New Zealand, Joy Pilot has been built to work in any country in the world…. so here we go.

In 2022, we achieved a record 2098 Git commits, mirroring our relentless drive for refinement. We proudly expanded our horizons, offering our New Zealand clientele seamless access to Akahu bank feeds, simplifying their financial endeavors. Security took a solid leap forward, too, with pivotal updates fortifying defenses against brute force attacks and amplifying password protections.

Bank reconciliations received a major upgrade, now adeptly accommodating foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, providing businesses of all sizes the edge in international finance. This past year was about delivering robust solutions, enhancing user experiences, and reinforcing trust across our digital landscape.

We look with pride at these advancements, knowing that each step we take is a stride alongside our cherished partners. Here’s to continued efficiency, security, and innovation in the years to come.

In a pivotal 2023, we proudly present our reimagined and rebranded accounting software: Joy Pilot. With a fresh identity and 1490 Git commits under our belt, we’re taking strides toward superior usability and functionality.

The launch of Akahu payment processing marks a milestone in convenience, allowing users to manage payments directly through Joy Pilot, streamlining your financial workflows like never before. As we embrace the new, we’ve stayed committed to our core with ongoing database enhancements aligning with Open Banking and AI advancements, ensuring your business stays ahead of the curve.

Joy Pilot’s rebranding isn’t just a change of name; it’s a promise of commitment to making your financial journey as intuitive and effortless as possible. Join us on this exciting journey where innovation takes flight.

In 2024, Joypilot.co sets a new industry standard with pioneering advances in AI, as we continue to redefine what’s possible in financial technology. We’re not just crafting software; we’re creating smarter, faster, and more intuitive ways to manage your business finances, ensuring that Joypilot.co remains at the forefront of innovation.

Voice-Enabled Invoice Creation: Simplifying invoicing like never before, users can now generate invoices seamlessly with voice commands, making the process effortless and intuitive.

Voice-Enabled Expense Creation: Logging expenses is now as easy as speaking.

AI-Powered Receipt Scanner: Our new receipt scanner uses cutting-edge AI to instantly process and categorize receipt information.