The appointment of Mark Carney as the new governor of the Bank of England has received guarded approval from the financial press this week who hope that he will take a more active role in stimulating the UK economy. The Bank of England interest rate setting committee is meeting Thursday this week and is expected […]
01
Jul
Jul
Employers please note that the National Minimum Wage rates are increasing from 1 October 2013. They will be: Apprentice rates: £2.68 per hour. * But see note below. Under 18s: £3.72 per hour. 18 to 20 years: £5.03 per hour. Age 21 years and over: £6.31 per hour. *This is the rate for apprentices under […]
01
Jul
Jul
The Budget 2013 included a stated intention that HMRC would be enabled to take a fresh look at the possible manipulation of profit and loss allocations from partnerships to secure a tax advantage. HMRC has since published a formal consultation on anti-avoidance legislation for LLPs. The effective date for proposed legislative changes is April 2014. […]
01
Jul
Jul
There are a number of circumstances where care needs to be taken in the way in which claims are made for the business use of a vehicle, usually a car, which has duality of use – business and personal. We have listed below a few issues that businesses and private car owners should be aware […]
01
Jul
Jul
Readers may be interested to take a look at the conclusions reached by the recent G8 meeting at Lough Erne, Northern Ireland. Their full declaration is set out below: the aim is to improve tax transparency and to bring the international tax system into the modern age. The G8 Lough Erne Declaration – issued 18 […]
28
Jun
Jun
Communication is as much about non-verbal communication and listening as it is about speaking. Here are some crucial concepts that managers often forget: Listen with intent Most of us believe we have great listening skills. The fact is, most of us don’t listen well at all. Effective managers purposefully listen. They can easily change how they […]
28
Jun
Jun
It is expensive and time consuming to hire new employees. As such, businesses need to focus on keeping their staff satisfied in the workplace. Surveys provide vital feedback to management on matters such as: Compensation In general, management should have an idea if employees are satisfied with their current compensation. However, you will never really […]
28
Jun
Jun
In the UK today, millions of people are failing to save enough to have the income they would like in retirement. Life expectancy is increasing but people are saving less into pensions. To meet this challenge, the Pensions Act 2008 laid the foundations for a fundamental reform of workplace pensions requiring every employer to automatically […]
27
Jun
Jun
Generating PR for your firm is all about telling a story, raising awareness and ensuring that when a potential customer needs your product or service, your brand is the name that springs to mind first. If you really want to raise the profile of your business, you will need to develop a PR campaign, which […]