Latest News

Changes to business rates and targeted retail, hospitality and leisure support

One announcement at the 2024 Autumn Budget, that may well have slipped through the net of some businesses, is the changes to business rates. Businesses will need to ensure that their rateable value for the property is fair and updated.

Cyber threats in the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector: Are You Prepared?

Tourism and hospitality businesses are increasingly exposed to cybercrime and fraud. Hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and leisure companies routinely process sensitive customer data, including bookings, payment details, and personal information – making them appealing targets for cyber criminals.

Kitchen Rivals presents unique insight into hospitality business for sector lead

Armstrong Watson's Matt Hutton works closely with many hospitality businesses but was given a unique insight into the sector when he took part in the Kitchen Rivals charity event in Cumbria. 

Six tips for a successful business expansion in 2025

Every business looking to expand needs to have a detailed vision of what it wants to achieve – whether this is expanding into new markets, attracting new customers, developing new products or services, or acquiring another business.

To do this successfully there are a few things to consider:

Reminder of holiday pay reforms for employers operating January to December annual leave

Employers operating annual leave on a calendar year basis will need to prepare ahead of the new holiday pay changes for seasonal and irregular hours workers impacting them from January 2025.

Tax changes for furnished holiday letting owners and businesses

Current tax perks a furnished holiday let (FHL) property has over a standard UK or overseas property business are set be lost, and income from these properties will be treated the same as a long-term let. This will have a significant impact on those who have invested in short-term property letting, either as an individual or as a business.

Preparing for April 2025 in the hospitality sector

Following the Chancellor’s recent budget, businesses in the hospitality sector will need to prepare as best they possibly can for the changes announced, many of which come into effect from April 2025.

6 tips to tackle rising costs in your family business

Even with the inflationary economic climate calming down, base interest rates remain relatively high and many businesses are experiencing rising costs. Cue the Budget 2024 and further costs pressures are set to come in 2025.

Autumn Budget 2024: Impact on hospitality, leisure and tourism

The hospitality, retail and leisure sector has had a turbulent few years with increased costs and the post Covid boom cooling significantly in the past year; businesses would have been hoping from some good news from the Chancellor. 

6 reasons to outsource your payroll

Outsourcing your payroll can bring many benefits to your business. Not only will it free up in-house staff to focus on core business activities and strategic tasks, but it can provide added peace of mind that the process is streamlined and compliant with ever-changing payroll legislation.