Summer is nearly here, and although it may seem strange, now may be the perfect time to increase the value of your company. The most valuable businesses are the ones that can survive without their owner. A buyer will pay a premium for a company that runs on autopilot,...
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Using the right VAT number when invoicing EU customers?
Since the rules on charging and reporting VAT changed in 2010, HMRC has taken a lenient approach to errors in EC Sales Lists. But there are signs that it is now toughening its stance. When you send an invoice without VAT to a customer in another EU territory, you have...
Do you have a £500 million business hiding inside your company?
Asking customers to pay to join a special group of your best patrons can increase your turnover; encourage customers to buy new products and services from you, and provide a healthy boost to your cash flow. Just ask Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com and the chief...
Building a Business for Sale
To grow a valuable business – one you can sell – you need to set up your company so that it is no longer reliant on you. This can be easier said than done, especially when, like a PR consultant or plumber, what you are selling is your expertise. To scale up a...
The Fredericks Foundation Business Awards Dinner at Hampton Court
Fredericks Foundation is a charity that provides loans to people who want to set up a new business or maintain or expand an existing business as a route to financial independence. While we are open to anyone who has a viable business proposition but cannot obtain...
Dealing with an under-performing family member
This is one of those predictable problems which takes on additional angst because it involves a family member. As a predictable problem, its’ resolution can be proceduralised by specifically mentioning this situation in a family constitution so that there are no...
A quick guide to Credit Control
'Credit control' is the system used by a business to make certain that it gives credit only to customers who are able to pay, and that customers pay on time. Credit control is part of the Financial Controls that are employed by businesses to ensure that once sales are...
Employing ‘partners’ or ‘spouses’ in the family business
Over the Christmas break l was reading an article about how relationships between married couples are likely to survive longer than relationships between partners, particularly when children are involved. If commitment is at the heart of this then l guess that it is...
Financing the Retirement of the MD, or a Major Shareholder in a Family Business
Planning the retirement of the MD or another major shareholder in a family business is often an emotional, complex and time consuming affair. It is normally, but not always in the case of death, a long term project spanning a number of years. The challenges and risks...