From 6 April 2016 employees of contracted-out defined benefit (DB) schemes will automatically be brought back into the State Pension scheme and will no longer be able to use a contracted-out salary related (COSR) occupational pension scheme to contract out of the State Scheme. Employees will, depending on their level of earnings, start to accrue […]
15
Feb
Feb
Overseas expansion Given the increasingly global business world that we all now inhabit, perhaps 2016 is the year to consider expanding your business into overseas markets. Consider these factors when creating your overseas expansion strategy: Economic conditions: Probably the most important factor to consider is the economic performance of the country in which you want […]
10
Feb
Feb
HMRC are consulting on the details of the higher rates of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) on purchases of additional residential properties announced in the 2015 Autumn Statement. The Government will include detailed rules in the Budget on 16 March 2016. The higher rates will not apply if at the end of the day of […]
08
Feb
Feb
Social Selling With social media platforms making major moves to enable social selling with original brand content, businesses will have to expand their messages in order to influence their target markets. As users’ activities continue to evolve, businesses will have to innovate their social selling strategies. That’s all the more reason for businesses to focus […]
03
Feb
Feb
From 6 April 2016 the Employment Allowance increases from £2,000 to £3,000, but if you’re the only employee in a company, and also the director, your company will no longer be eligible for the NICs Employment Allowance. HMRC is currently consulting on the draft legislation for this change which will mean that the £3,000 allowance […]
01
Feb
Feb
Motivating and retaining talented employees is important in any business. Setting goals, standards and objectives for employees and putting an appropriate appraisal process in place allows your team of people the opportunity to have their hard work recognised by the business. The best way to do this is to clearly set out and agree expectations […]
18
Jan
Jan
Why do some people bounce back from difficult situations more easily than others? How is it that they are more resilient? Training can help. Managers can help their teams to become more resilient and confident. Training your people to handle difficult situations helps them to respond appropriately. Letting people fail – Allowing people to fail […]
11
Jan
Jan
Many businesses recognise that going paperless is the future. Converting physical into digital files and storing them in an organised system has multiple benefits, not least protecting the environment. A firm can also benefit from reduced operational costs, increased working efficiency and protection against data loss as electronic files can be backed up quite easily. […]
04
Jan
Jan
Regardless of the type of business that you run, your customers will have one thing in common. As a result of technology, they are bombarded by marketing messages. Customers are more time-poor than ever before so if you want your marketing communications to stand out, you should consider cutting down the length of your messages […]