When starting a small business, one of the first things to be decided is the legal structure used for the business. It can either be a sole trader or limited company or a partnership. Setting up as a sole trader is the most popular legal structure in the UK, with approximately 3.2 million sole proprietorships in 2021. Sole traders accounted for 56% of small businesses in the UK. There were also 2 million limited companies, making it the second most popular legal structure.
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The current VAT threshold in the UK stands at £85,000. Any business that has an annual turnover of that value must register for VAT with HMRC, and when they do this they will receive a VAT number. Before you work with another business, you normally want to find out all you can about them and you can easily do this through a Google search. However, something you might not consider looking at is their VAT number, and this is actually something that you should definitely be verifying.
Over 672,890 start-up businesses were launched in the UK in the tax year 2018/19 – that’s equivalent to 1,844 new businesses per day. However it is a sad, but the inevitable, fact that not all of these will succeed in the long term. So what can you do to try and tip the scales in your favour? One of the most important things is making sure that you get off to a good start, so here are some tips for starting a small business, given by Jeff Barber, Partner at Selling My Business.
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One unfortunate truth of being in business is that you might at some point get sued or get into some legal trouble. While not every lawsuit will be legitimate, it’s important to know what to do when you do get sued so you are prepared.
[continue reading…]Disgruntled creditors get desperate, and when all approaches to recover a debt have failed, they may send a winding-up petition to the beleaguered company as a last resort to get paid. It’s an extremely serious move and not one that should be taken lightly as it’s typically preceded by a statutory demand. In the UK, HMRC is the most common business creditor and is normally aggressive in its pursuit of tax liabilities. The majority (60%) of all winding up petitions are served by HMRC.
Readers Questions: I’m buying a business with customers, can I contact them or not because of GDPR?
Readers questions: A small limited company has signed an agreement with me to provide certain services when its building project is complete. So my question is if the company is sold on, does the acquiring company have to honour this agreement with me?
Reviews can be an important part of attracting new customers for small businesses, and most consumers now utilise reviews and ratings to give them guidance on whether or not to use the services or products on offer.
Mental health issues in the workplace have been a hot topic for some time and now even the government is recognising the issue. The issue of mental health problems being neglected in the workplace has a negative effect on everyone involved. Therefore, the government has pushed to tackle the issue. A new online service for employers has been launched to help them support and manage their employees with mental health issues.
When it comes to hiring for any role, the main priority is getting the right candidate. You may need to look outside the UK if the applicants you are getting are not quite what you are looking for. There may be various reasons for wanting to employ people from overseas, however, whatever your reason you will need to adhere to certain rules and regulations.
If you are thinking of selling, renting out or building business premises, you need to be aware of what an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is and why you will need one. If you do not pay attention to this requirement and ensure that you have an EPC in place, you could end up facing costly fines. Here is a guide from EPC For You to get you prepared.
DBS (Disclosure and Barring Services) checks are sometimes a legal requirement when going through the hiring process. If you are a small business owner looking at recruiting for your business, you will need to familiarise yourself with DBS checks, if they are relevant. DBS checks, previously known as CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks, may be essential to working in certain places and positions.
GDPR is approaching, prowling behind us, waiting. On May 25, 2018, it’ll pounce. Despite this looming deadline, 52% of companies still don’t feel ready, expecting to be fined for non-compliance.
Paternity leave is a hot topic in HR. This guide will help small business owners determine whether their employees are eligible for paternity leave, the statutory allowance and pay they are entitled to, as well as providing information on shared parental leave, extra pay or time off, and antenatal appointments. [continue reading…]
