(Data Source) As another year draws to a close, local SME businesses will be forgiven for looking forward to drawing a line under it. With 2019 sales growth barely nudging 1%, it has been a year of focusing on not slipping backwards, rather than the usual mantra of continually signing up new accounts. When commentators…
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Boris Johnson has announced plans to postpone the cut in Corporation Tax to 17% (down from 19%) that was due to take effect from 1st April 2020 in order to save £6bn, stating that the money would be better spent on other ‘national priorities’, including the NHS. It is not clear when, or indeed…
As we edge ever closer to what looks more and more likely to be a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, SME business owners should now be readying their businesses. There is clearly no certainty over quite how affected we shall all be by Brexit. However, there are sensible risk management mitigation steps that business owners may wish…
For some privately owned companies, negative profit and loss reserves means that they are unable to pay out dividends as they do not have enough distributable reserves. However, they might have a significant share premium reserve, which is a non-distributable reserve. The Companies Act 2006 allows a private company to utilise the share premium account…
The government is consulting on proposals to significantly change the role of Companies House, with the aim of ‘increasing the transparency of UK corporate entities and helping combat economic crime’. The consultation considers reform to: the information that companies are required to disclose increasing the checks on the information disclosed measures to improve the…
So, you’ve decided to go it alone. You’ve identified a niche for your idea, your product or the service you can offer. It may just be that you want independence and greater recognition for your expertise. We have many start-up businesses looking to us for help and advice. These range from spare room endeavours…
Business owners, like the rest of us, will be all too aware that Christmas is a ‘challenging’ time. A short working month usually means less production, less sales and less payments from customers. Add to this cost of staff Christmas bonuses, various festive jollies and large tax bills just around the corner in January, and…
So now that we can finally see what Brexit might mean in reality, with the publication of the Draft Brexit Agreement, everyone is still unhappy. After much talk about what we wanted, which was leaving the EU club, whilst cherry-picking retention of access to the Single Market and a borderless border in Ireland, it has…
From 1 March 2018, most businesses and shops will only accept the new plastic £10 notes, which feature Jane Austen. The new polymer notes are more secure and harder for fraudsters to counterfeit. They also have raised bumps and dots in order to help blind and partially-sighted users to identify each banknote. From 1 March…
A confirmation statement (CS01) must be filed by a company every year to confirm the information held about them at Companies House. Even if the details on the CS01 haven’t changed since last year’s statement, you must still submit one. This is usually within 14 days of the anniversary of incorporation of the company…
