Reviews can be an important part of attracting new customers for small businesses, and most consumers now utilise reviews and ratings to give them guidance on whether or not to use the services or products on offer.
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Businesses often think of training as a benefit for the employee – a way to build skills and level up in their career. Sometimes this kind of thinking hinders companies, especially small ones, from offering comprehensive training and implementing training programmes. However, this narrow view only harms businesses, big and small, in the long run.
Readers question: I have set up my own catering company at the moment and I am doing the food in a large Irish bar in Edinburgh. I will be paying my employee and buying all the food stock etc. My query is, would I be better off being an employee of my company and paying tax NI as normal with the addition of employer NI, or would I be better to take dividends monthly as my salary, my salary will be £40,000 per annum.
January 31st has now passed. Most people spent the arrival of February with their tax return submitted well in advance, while others were exhausted after rushing to file it. And a few will have missed the deadline altogether.
Digital Marketing: simple or complex? Broken down, the principals, the channels and the objectives are pretty straightforward. Designing the right strategy, however, is where things become a little obtuse. All channels need to work in conjunction, and require constant attention, while your tactics need to evolve as your data does. On all channels, knowing and understanding your audience is essential.
We are still not sure what kind of Brexit we will get. Even assuming a ‘good’ Brexit, will we be thrown into another recession? Will history repeat itself and, if so, what will this mean for start-ups, SMEs, and investors?
Readers Question: I was wondering how do I record refunds that I give to clients for services not received in my accounts. Should I amend the invoice or does it go on my expenses side?
For any business to prosper, whether it be a small start-up or a global conglomerate, instigating a good ethic of teamwork is absolutely essential. Having good teamwork in a company can improve morale, build productivity and ultimately result in a happier, more effective and ultimately, more successful workforce and business.
When you are busy and know you have money coming in it can be tempting to avoid the question: Is my business truly making a profit? You start a business with a purpose in mind and achieving that requires profit whether the aim is to support your family through to changing the world. Often the purpose is undermined because the business owner does not know enough about how to create the profits they need.
Each business will have a set of company values and a company culture that is adhered to by the majority of their employees. It’s important as the boss and the business owner to set these values and culture as they need to go hand in hand with your business brand and image. Although these are internal matters, it helps your employees stay in tune with your business brand. For example, if you are preaching gender equality, your company values and culture need to reflect and support that.
A company retreat can seem like a pre-paid vacation to some and yet another work obligation to others. Companies today are recognising more and more that company retreats are highly valuable for the morale and overall productivity of their employees. At the same time, companies that have never run a retreat before may not be entirely sure where to start.
Readers Question: I do fostering and am classed as self-employed and I have an accountant that deals with my accounts and also my personal allowances with the tax office. I am thinking of running a property business – buy to let and set up a limited company. Will I need a different accountant to deal with my small business company hence 2 accountants?
History has a habit of looking unfavourably towards individuals and corporations who don’t hold up to the scrutiny of modern morality. This is evidenced by the demonisation of all slave traders, colonisers and sexual exploiters of history, who often were simply doing what was ‘perfectly legal’ in their period of history.
It’s fair to say that cruelty-free is having its moment. From animal welfare and non-animal testing to veganism, increasing numbers of people are demanding transparency from businesses in terms of their practices.
Here are some tax and finance tips which could help you save money as a limited company owner, based on our experience of running limited companies, and dealing with accountants and tax advisors over the past 15 years.
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Most small business owners will have heard of Making Tax Digital (MTD), but what exactly is it and what does it mean for your business? It’s been a hot topic in the world of finance and accounting since the government announced its plans in the spring 2015 budget. There’s no shortage of information and tax advice relating to MTD, and in fact, it can feel like there is an overwhelming amount. For those of us who aren’t financial experts, it can be confusing and hard to understand exactly what the obligations of small business owners will be under the new rules.
In the latest survey carried out by Instantprint, it was found that the East Midlands, Leicester topped the list of places for millennials to start a business. The research took into account what is important to millennials, their core values and the challenges they face when it comes to starting a business.
PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, is an extremely valuable advertising technique that is especially cost-effective and streamlined making it most useful for small businesses. As a small business owner, you are, naturally, always searching for ways to cut back on costs whilst remaining highly competitive. Being able to guarantee a sort of success with your advertising campaign can be one way to do just that.
The prospect of quitting your day job and becoming your own boss can be very appealing and is the most common reason for venturing into franchising. If you are considering taking this step yourself, there are, however, several things you should be aware of right from the start. Although it may not seem that way, the decision to buy a franchise can quickly be regretted, if you don’t realise the challenges and nuances it entails, since underestimating them can have severe future consequences.
Every eCommerce brand has a goal to increase traffic and grow revenue. It can be incredibly frustrating when the campaigns you painstakingly develop start pushing more leads to your eCommerce store but fail to generate the expected sales.
