Latest News

'Get a Future' project banks nearly £25,000

After weeks of voting, Carlisle Youth Zone have won the public vote for funding from the Aviva Community Fund banking nearly £25,000 in the process.  The money will be used to fund the ‘Get a Future' project, a collaboration with Armstrong Watson which aims to give young people the skills for a future career.

Have you registered your Trust?

All trusts who have a liability to any form of tax in the tax year ended 5 April will need to register the trust with HMRC through their new service. This is in addition to the completion of an annual taxc return. Therefore even trusts who have previously registered with HMRC will need to register online. Emily explains who this affects, what is required when registering, when the deadlines are and how we can help.

45 ways to increase your retail profits

It is fair to say that retail is unquestionably facing its toughest times in recent years, with the threat that the internet poses, increasing employee costs and reducing family income, all leaving less money available for retail spending!

We believe its the independent retailers that add character to our high streets so download our top 45 steps to increasing retail profits and get ahead...

Here's our top 5 steps to guarentee 

1. Create a great window display.

Is your organisation living in the Dark Ages?

Does your business have effective internal communication? If something happened to your business, would everyone know what to do? Nick discusses the importance on internal communication and how vital it is to record documentation in order to help if an issues arises.

How do law firm partners get paid?

How does your remuneration package compare with other Law Firms?

Is remuneration in line with appraisal and how does the war for talent impact on incentive schemes, benefits, bonus and salaries?

What should be in my fee earners appraisals and how do law firm partners get paid?

We’ve surveyed over 40 legal practices across the UK to find out. Click on the link below to view our findings…

Are You Entitled to Bad Debt Relief?

With the recent news that Carillion has gone into liquidation, many small and medium businesses are left worried that they may be out of pocket, or even worse, depending on their exposure to Carillion. They good news is that these businesses can obtain VAT bad debt relief  on the amounts owed to them by debtors. Stephen goes into detail about the circumsatnces that will make businesses eligible for bad debt relief. 

Are rates of pay and skills shortages limiting the manufacturing industry?

In recent times the national living wage (NLW) and the national minimum wage (NMW), have been introduced to ensure workers earn sufficient funds to afford a decent standard of living.

The Manufacturing Industry and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

For those of you with a good grasp of numbers, the fourth Industrial Revolution would suggest that there have been three earlier ones. 

The First Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in the late 1700s to the early 1800s.  This included the coal, iron, textiles and rail roads and early introduction of machinery, steam power and the rise of the factory system.

Spotlight on Manufacturing: Is servitisation the future and what is the Internet of Things?

I recently bought a pair of running shoes.  It occurred to me that there was a time when I would have simply wandered around the shop to check that they were comfortable and, if they were, I’d have bought them.

Nowadays when I buy running shoes, I’m sold on the technological advancements.  I want to see gait analysis to ensure the running shoes will match my style of running and I want to be offered additional products and services to enhance my running.

Changes to the Charity Commission Annual Return

All charities whose annual income exceeds £10,000 must complete the annual return.  The Annual Return 2018 applies to all charities with financial years ending from 1 January 2018.  Charities have ten months from the end of the financial year to complete the return.