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This new charge will apply to certain loans to directors and employees that are still outstanding at 5 April 2019 and new arrangements put in place after that date. The charge affects arrangements involving loans made via Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) and similar disguised remuneration schemes adjudged by HMRC and the courts to be tax avoidance and liable to PAYE and National Insurance Contributions. There are new reporting and payment…  Read more

When you’re employed, your employer makes compulsory contributions to your pension via auto-enrolment (unless you opt-out). When you work for yourself as a sole trader, or you’re in a partnership, making pension payments isn’t mandatory. But, it’s still an important thing to consider. It is especially worrying that studies have found that 45% of self-employed workers between 35 and 55 have no pension. Retirement savings contributions are there to set…  Read more

Remote working has become more and more common as developments in technology have allowed us to communicate and collaborate no matter where we are. In fact, most of us are already logging on from home or holiday already. In May 2018, Swiss serviced office provider IWG released a study that found that 70% of professionals work remotely at least once a week. Sometimes called ‘telecommuting’, remote work is on the…  Read more

Your people are your business’s most important asset. As such, it is important to invest in their wellbeing. As global technology develops and demands on employees increase, it is not surprising that the terms ‘burnout’, ‘dissatisfaction’ and ‘distress’ are being increasingly reported across the developed business world. With increased absence, pressure is put on the rest of the team to meet deliverables, which can negatively impact team morale and increase…  Read more

Innovation can be driven by taking an ‘obvious’ idea from one context and applying it in another The successful development and implementation of new, innovative ideas are crucial in business. Your innovation could focus on improving business processes, bringing new and improved products and services to market, increasing efficiency or, most importantly, improving profitability. Being innovative in business isn’t all about being the next Steve Jobs or inventing the light…  Read more

One of the most common things holding people back from achieving their potential in business is the fear of failure. It is human nature to fear the unknown. When we push ourselves outside of our comfort zones, whether in business or in our personal lives, it is pretty normal to feel some degree of stress and anxiety. In business, many of us consider our work to be representative of who…  Read more

2018 has come and gone but your business must continue into 2019. Your year may start with your business plan for the year. Part of the planning process must include business goals which describe exactly where you wish to be/what you want to accomplish by a certain time. Goals can be for any part of the company or the company as a whole, ie. employees, customers etc. You should never…  Read more

Here are some of the top Business Trends to watch in 2019. Marketing will continue to become more personalised Marketing is becoming increasingly personal, and this trend will keep going as we move into the new year. No longer will stock images, generic campaigns or impersonal calls to action convince consumers. In order to appeal to increasingly sophisticated customers, you’ll have to provide high-value, targeted and personalised content. Technology will…  Read more

There are many highlights that we can take from 2018 but this will certainly be one of best ones. We were awarded the Panalitix Best Product and Service Offering award which recognised the work and effort we have put in to make our services the best possible for clients. The Panalitix Awards are a large scale event that accountants from around the globe enter and the Australian competition is always…  Read more

“Imposter Syndrome” can be described as a pattern of thinking that leads people to lose confidence in themselves, in their accomplishments and in their ability to do their job. This results in individuals becoming stressed about being “discovered as a fraud” by their peers. Imposter syndrome can be a very destructive disorder if left unchecked. It can turn positive moments into negatives and put a dampener on an individual’s work…  Read more

Recent industry reports from cyber security businesses such as McAfee and Kaspersky Lab have identified that mobile malware attacks are becoming increasingly widespread and more sophisticated. Most business professionals use smartphones these days. These devices are basically small computers and can be infected with malware in a similar way to a PC – usually through malicious links or attachments sent via email. As people are now using smartphones to access…  Read more

There is a trend towards businesses that seek to be more sustainable. These firms seek to have a minimal negative impact on the global and local environment, the economy, society and the communities in which they operate. Sustainable businesses are focused on the long term. They seek to make a positive impact through doing their bit about climate change, recycling, human rights, ethical supply chain management and so on. This…  Read more

You’ve done the work. You’ve invoiced the customer 60 days ago. You are still waiting to get paid 30 days after payment was due. It’s time to chase for payment. It’s never easy chasing customers for payment. However, this is business and you are entitled to be paid for the work that you have done. Unless your business is a bank, you are not in the business of providing credit…  Read more

Most, if not all, of your team will have social media accounts. What if you could get all of your team to like and share your business’s social media posts? Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and many more social media platforms are driving customer decisions. Messages and posts that come from friends and colleagues tend to be considered more trustworthy than something from a faceless corporate account. If your team members…  Read more

Most business people these days have too much information and not enough time. We don’t have the time to weigh up every facet of every decision. This tends to encourage us to take shortcuts where we can. As such, we often go into a meeting or a negotiation with an idea as to what the outcome might be. This is known as confirmation bias. It is our natural tendency to…  Read more

Xerocon 2018 is in the books and it was certainly an excellent experience – some great speakers, an amazing venue and enough delegates to make any other industry jealous of such a large event. Xerocon started on Wednesday 14 November and lasted 2 days, it had 75 exhibitors with Xero app partners and other software providers showcasing their products along with over 30 speakers across 5 stages of varying sizes.…  Read more

Phillip Hammond has delivered the Budget and promises that the end of austerity took center stage along with some brighter forecasts. What did it all mean for the business owner though? We have looked through the information and here is a summary of the Budget that will affect businesses: Business Rates Reform It has been announced by Phillip Hammond that £1.5bn would be injected into the UK business rates system…  Read more

Being an effective manager requires a strong work ethic and the ability to guide those on your team to work toward success. Taking a more mindful approach to managing your team can help you to bring out the best in people. Mindfulness can be defined as a “psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment”. Many people use mindfulness as an approach to self-improvement and…  Read more

Employee stress is a problem for all businesses (and all employees). Stress naturally occurs in the workplace. When left unchecked, it can wreak havoc on employee health and productivity. Relationships Relationships can make or break a work environment. When people don’t get along and don’t know how to communicate effectively, it can create a lingering tension in the office. Consider investing in some training. Training sessions can promote an understanding…  Read more

Co-working spaces were once the preserve of freelancers and creative types. Now medium to large sized businesses are getting in on the act too. The modern workplace is evolving. First we had flexible working. Then we had remote working. Now we are seeing an increased demand for co-working spaces – workspaces which are shared by people who don’t all work for the same business. So why have co-working spaces become…  Read more