Government penalties are increasing!
Companies house- Tell them about any inaccuracies
- Help them work out what extra tax is due
- Give them access to check your figures
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400 Bricks – How to properly place employees – 4 steps
1. Put 400 bricks in a closed room.
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Business support policy should not be driven by central Government, say advisers
In December 2009 Cobweb carried out its latest survey of UK business advisers to find out their opinions on whether business support policy and delivery should be driven locally, regionally or centrally (ie nationally).
The survey was carried out among subscribers to Cobweb’s BAD News service and 254 individual business advisers participated. Respondents were located across the whole of the UK and were working for (or with) a range of support agencies including regional Business Links, local enterprise agencies, local councils, Chambers of Commerce, RDAs, charities and trade associations, as well as independent business advisers and consultants.
The headline results reveal that only 11% of respondents believe that support policy, strategy and delivery should be driven centrally, with over 80% saying policy should be decided and driven without any central Government influence or control. Almost half of survey respondents were of the opinion that business support should be entirely locally driven, as far from the centre as possible.
Download full report: http://www.cobwebinfo.com/servlet/file/pdf006_complete.pdf?ITEM_ENT_ID=13363&COLLSPEC_ENT_ID=439
Read more: http://www.cobwebinfo.com/site/article_detail/item13346/
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How to beat rising card processing fees
Keeping costs down is essential for firms, but many have seen charges for a fundamental part of their business – processing card payments – rise in recent months.
All card payments and transactions must be processed via an ‘acquirer’, with most firms automatically using their bank for this, and acquirers will charge for the service.
According to Accept Cards, an independent price comparison service, many acquirers have raised their charges in recent months.
Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/work/small-business/article.html?in_article_id=496555&in_page_id=1
Contact now to find out how you can reduce costs: paul.green@mgba.co.uk
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The National Apprenticeship Service will provide up to 5,000 Apprenticeship Grants for Employers of 16 and 17 year olds
Last year, despite tough labour market conditions, over 70,000 16 and 17 year olds started an Apprenticeship. Despite this there are still many more young people who want to learn whilst they are in work and we are determined to make sure that the opportunities are there for them to do so.
The new Apprenticeship Grant: AGE 16 and 17, of £2,500 is to enable employers to offer 5,000 new Apprenticeship places and take on an unemployed 16 or 17 year old apprentice immediately. The £2,500 grant is in addition to the costs of training which is met by the National Apprenticeship Service.
Read more: http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Employers/AGE16and17.aspx
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Treasury calls for more choice in business finance
Work to increase options for UK businesses in need of non-bank finance is the subject of a discussion document released by the Treasury. The document seeks views on the barriers to more diverse financing for firms with the intention to introduce proposals for reform later in the year.
The document focuses on a range of issues relating to business finance including:
* credit assessment and monitoring;
* corporate transparency;
* transparency in the pricing of bank loans
* UK investor preferences;
* non-bank loan markets and high yield bond markets.
More info: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=410255&SubjectId=2
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£25.6bn employment bill risks job creation and recovery
New research from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) reveals that upcoming employment regulations and taxes will cost UK businesses a staggering £25.6 billion over the next four years, which could adversely impact on future job creation.
Despite official unemployment figures likely to surpass 2.5 million, and companies continuing to struggle in difficult trading conditions, a blizzard of fresh red tape and taxes directly related to employment are planned between April 2010 to April 2014 – with no less than eight major changes in 2011 alone.
Over half – £14bn – of the £25.6bn comes from employer National Insurance contributions, which will see a 1% increase from April next year.
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Marketing budgets reduced at even slower rate
The latest IPA/BDO Bellwether survey published today (18th January 2010) reveals that marketing spend fell for the ninth quarter running in Q4 but with the rate of budget trimming the slowest since Q1 2008. Companies were the most optimistic about the financial outlook for their industries in almost five years — with 35 per cent of firms surveyed seeing improved prospects, consistent with growing confidence in the ongoing economic recovery. Budgets for 2010 have also been set higher on average compared to 2009 spend.
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Over 140,000 Companies Show Real Signs of Financial Distress in Q4 2009
Over 140,000 companies experienced Significant and Critical financial problems in Q4 2009; 6% higher than in Q3 2009 but 14% lower than the same period in 2008, reflecting:
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ICAEW guide to taking advantage of economic upturn
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has published guidance on how businesses can take advantage of the economic upturn when it happens. ‘From Survival to Sustainability’ covers issues such as looking at new markets, managing cash and understanding risk.
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