# Proactive accountancy starts before the reminder

A deadline is easier to manage when the required information, the person responsible and the next action are clear before a reminder needs to be sent.

![A deadline timeline showing the request being set up before a reminder, with the required information, responsible person and next action made clear](https://dutysharp.co.uk/resources/files/202609/proactive-accountancy-starts-before-the-reminder/acaa577b3675d6c7/image/cover.png)

- Published: 2026-09-25
- Canonical: https://dutysharp.co.uk/resources/proactive-accountancy-starts-before-the-reminder

A reminder email is often the most visible part of chasing information, but the work to manage a deadline can start much earlier.

## Set up the request around the deadline

For each deadline, the practice needs to know what information is required and who needs to provide it. For example, a request for bank statements might need to go to the company director. Making those details clear gives the request a defined starting point.

It also helps to decide what should happen if the information does not arrive. The next action might be another follow-up or a conversation with the client. The appropriate action will depend on the request and the practice's process; the important thing is to know what comes next.

## Make the next action clear

When the request, owner and follow-up are clear, a deadline can be managed as a process rather than left until the last-minute scramble. A reminder then becomes one step in that process, rather than the point at which the practice first has to work out what is missing and who to contact.

DutySharp is built to give each client request a clear next action and a secure place for the response. How does your practice organise client requests before a reminder is due?

[Explore DutySharp](https://dutysharp.co.uk/#request-access).