A new Childcare Scheme will be introduced to support working families with their childcare costs and will replace the current salary sacrifice scheme. Unlike its predecessor, the new scheme will be available to the self-employed and those on a minimum wage. Also parents will be able to choose their own voucher provider, as the new system […]
National Insurance �2,000 employment allowance
The Government is to introduce an allowance of £2,000 per year for all businesses and charities to be offset against their employer Class 1 secondary NICs’ bill from April 2014. The allowance will be claimed as part of the normal payroll process. The Government will engage with stakeholders on the implementation of the measure after […]
The Personal Allowance Trap
As you may know, there is a nasty tax trap by reference to the gradual withdrawal of the personal allowance if your taxable income exceeds £100,000. This is via a reduction of £1 of allowance for every £2 of excess taxable income. For 2013/14 the trap potentially applies to even more taxpayers with the increase […]
Beginning the Marketing Journey
Marketing plays a key part in business development. So, what do you and how do you do it? First of all, remember the golden rule – “If nobody knows who you are, what you do and the how they could benefit from your product or service, the phone will never ring and you will fail […]
Tax Free Childcare
This new idea will eventually be worth up to £1,200 per child, and so will save a typical working family with two children under 12 up to £2,400 a year. It will not be phased in until Autumn 2015 and will ultimately be open to around 2.5 million families with children under 12. From the […]
The Budget 2013
PERSONAL Help for home buyers Two schemes are available. Help to buy: equity loan This scheme will run for three years from 1 April 2013 and is proposed to provide £3.5bn of additional investment. • The scheme will apply to new builds only • All house buyers can apply – this scheme is not restricted to first-time […]
Budget 2013 – a Budget for an aspiration nation?
The Chancellor delivered a bleak economic forecast when he stood up this afternoon, admitting growth in 2013 would be 0.6% – half the 1.2% he predicted four months ago in the autumn statement. However, growth forecasts for the economy in future years are forecast to be in more positive territory, with predictions of 1.8% growth […]
Build up Your Marketing Machine in 7 Steps
Whatever the size of your business, now is the time to really market yourself. Marketing is so important right now – we are living in a very competitive environment, new products and services are constantly being developed and all businesses need to make sure they are up with, and preferably, ahead of the competition. Many […]
Tips for Effective Meetings
Meetings are a fact of life in business. Some people love them, others think they take up too much time. The key is to ensure that meetings are effective and time efficient. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of meetings. Start on Time Time keeping is essential. Start every […]