Experts in Business

Marketing & Technology

Every business, small, medium or large requires marketing. Without marketing, you are going to have a tough time gaining customers, generating revenue and surviving. People often get confused about what marketing really is, but if asked, you can look wise and tell them: Marketing comprises of 5 key stages: - Getting people to know you - Getting people [...]

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New Year Facelift!!

I think it is safe to say that it has been one of the most turbulent years in modern history! there is hardly an industry that hasn’t been affected in one way or another by either the stock market fluctuations, currency fluctuations, inflation, interest rates, credit crunch, recession. I am not sure we have seen the [...]

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Business Payment Support Service

The Business Payment Support Service, announced in the Pre-Budget Report 2008, is designed to meet the needs of businesses affected by the current economic conditions. Any business that is worried about being able to meet tax, National Insurance or other payments owed to HMRC, or anticipates that payments becoming due will cause them problems, can [...]

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Proposed personal tax changes

The government has announced significant changes to the system of personal allowances and tax rates for the next few years. These mainly impact on those with higher levels of income. Allowances and rates The 2009/10 personal allowance will be £6,475. The basic rate limit will be £37,400. Therefore an individual will pay 40% tax rather than the [...]

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Standard rate VAT

The standard rate of VAT will be reduced from 17.5% to 15% for the period 1 December 2008 to 31 December 2009. The rate will then revert to 17.5%. No changes have been made to the 5% reduced rate or the 0% rate. The government will introduce ‘anti-forestalling legislation’ to prevent abuse of the reduction in [...]

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Are you up to date with recent changes to maternity leave entitlement?

Employers of expectant mothers whose babies were due on or after October 5 this year, found out that it is not just her that is starting out on a new journey. As a result of a ruling made by the High Court last year, October 5 marked the due date of changes that employers should [...]

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Minimum hassle for the Minimum Wage

Legal compliance is a cause of anxiety for many small business owners, and the rules relating to the National Minimum Wage is a classic example. Refusal to pay the national minimum wage is a criminal offence which could result in a fine or even a prison sentence. The National Minimum Wage applies to almost all workers. [...]

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Points based immigration system

As of the 27th November employers who wish to bring non-European Economic Area skilled and/or temporary workers into the UK will need to be a licensed sponsor. Sponsors will be responsible for providing all migrants with certificates of sponsorship and ensuring that their sponsor obligations are fulfilled. To obtain a sponsorship licence you must be: • A [...]

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Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008

On the 16th October 2008 the Health & Safety (Offences) Act 2008 received Royal Assent and will come into force on the 1st April 2009. This new piece of legislation has been in the pipeline for a while, and will give further back up to the Corporate Manslaughter Act, to ensure companies provide a safe place [...]

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Newsflash…..BoE reduces base rate to 2%

The Bank of England has today voted to reduce the Bank Base Rate 1.0 percentage points to 2.0%…. the lowest rate in over 50 years. The Council of Mortgage Lenders has welcomed today’s rate cut, and believe “it will help the wider economy, even if it cannot be reflected universally in lower mortgage rates.” The impact this [...]

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