Category: Business

Small and micro-sized businesses can apply for government vouchers of up to £5,000 for specialist advice to boost their cyber security, and to protect new business ideas and intellectual property. The vouchers enable firms to access services from the UK cyber security industry. This new scheme will also help businesses to adopt Cyber Essentials, the … Continued

Ombudsman Services is launching a new service that will accept all consumer complaints. The newly created consumer ombudsman will be able to receive complaints relating to the conduct of sectors that don’t have a current ombudsman. This includes retail, home maintenance, improvement or installation services, second-hand cars, car repairs and car servicing. The ombudsman is … Continued

In line with the government’s commitment to free data, Companies House announced recently that all public digital data held on the UK register of companies is now accessible free of charge, on its new public beta search service. This provides access to over 170 million digital records on companies and directors including financial accounts, company … Continued

A plan to improve the productivity of UK businesses has been published by the Treasury. The policy document identifies 2 key areas to stimulating productivity in the UK: long-term investment and a dynamic economy. Among the measures included in the strategy are: the government aims to increase business investment by lowering personal and business taxes, … Continued

When the United Kingdom replaced local GAAP with a new standard based on the IFRS for SMEs in 2013, the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (FRSSE) was retained. Now the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has issued a suite of changes that update and, in many cases simplify, UK and Ireland accounting standards and include … Continued

More than 4 in 10 small and micro businesses have experienced digital crime, according to a survey by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). The survey of 1,000 business owners with less than 49 employees reveals that 42% have suffered online security issues. Important figures: 23% have had business computers infected by viruses 22% have … Continued

The ICAEW technical guidance [TECH 09/14BL] came into effect on 1 April and is a step in the right direction in the completely unregulated area of commercial service charges. Unlike residential property service charges, commercial charges are not regulated by overriding national legislation and property owners and managers are encouraged to follow ‘best practice’ as … Continued

A range of measures aimed at supporting small businesses have become law after the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act gained royal assent. The act is designed to help small businesses by improving access to finance, combating late payment and reducing regulatory burdens. It is hoped that the measures will encourage businesses to innovate and … Continued

Almost two thirds of UK businesses generated a cash surplus in the last tax year, according to research by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). The survey of 500 businesses found that 62% made a cash surplus last year while 69% expect to make a cash surplus during the current tax … Continued

Equity investment in small businesses has more than doubled in the last 3 years, a report by the British Business Bank has found. Figures show that more small businesses are choosing to sell ownership interests in their business to raise capital. The number of equity deals completed in the first 3 quarters of 2014 was … Continued