HLAS

The 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II was marked by her sense of duty and her determination to dedicate her life to her throne and to her people. For many of us, she became a constant in a rapidly changing world. King Charles lll paid tribute to the reign of the late Queen, “unequalled in its duration, its dedication and its devotion”, as he was formally declared the nation’s new Monarch. A new era begins for us all. Not only is there a new Monarch, but we also have a new Prime Minister and Cabinet facing the toughest economic conditions [...]

The Business and IP Centre (BIPC), part of the British Library, has launched a free, three-month programme designed to help creative businesses grow. The Get Ready for Business Growth programme will run from October to December 2022, and will aim to help companies in the creative sectors: launch new products reach new markets explore new opportunities Every three months, the BIPC will select 25 high-growth, creative businesses from across the UK to give specialist support and tailored one-to-one advice. The programme will run digitally, with modules including: getting the growth mindset good governance and building purpose into your organisation refining [...]

If you are due to file accounts with Companies House by the end of September, use the online services where possible and allow plenty of time before your deadline File online before your deadline. Companies House will send you an email to confirm that they have received your accounts. They will send you another email when they have registered your accounts. If you’re a small company, you cannot file abbreviated accounts anymore. Find out your accounts filing options for small companies. You’ll still need to file accounts if your company is dormant. Companies House online services are available 24 hours a [...]

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has written a guide to help small businesses deal with complaints about how they’ve used people’s information. If you are a small charity, small group or club, or small organisation, you will also find it useful. Even with appropriate data protection policies in place, sometimes your staff, contractors, customers or others whose data you hold may be unhappy with how you have handled their personal information. Your response matters, because taking the right steps will help to protect your reputation as a business that cares about people’s information. This will also help you provide a [...]

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is hosting a series of market awareness webinars to highlight the business and exporting opportunities across a range of Commonwealth markets. Through June and July DIT hosted sessions with the markets of Canada, Malta, South Africa & Pakistan which has supported businesses nationally in connecting with colleagues and partners overseas. These webinars have provided businesses with knowledge and insight into the opportunities available in these markets. In the second series of 1-hour webinars DIT will be covering more Commonwealth markets. These sessions will include: - market opportunities panel discussion overview of specific sector opportunities [...]

With the economic chaos just now, this may seem a strange time to be thinking about financial stability but if we want to provide those we love with security then we should always be thinking long term. The pandemic, spiralling inflation and the current economic downturn show all too clearly good health, and even life itself cannot be taken for granted. When both partner’s income and assets are vital for the household’s financial security, it will inevitably mean financial difficulty for the survivor should either of them die. With the right financial planning you can minimise the problems for your loved [...]

The reality for many small businesses and households has taken a turn for the worse recently as prices continue to surge, particularly energy. So, what’s on offer from the new Prime Minister? The first announcement of the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, was a plan to freeze energy prices for two years at £2500 for the average home and with the £400 rebate previously announced, takes this to £2100. There will be equivalent help for Northern Ireland. The amount saved by each family will depend on how much energy they use, and households have been urged to reduce their overall usage [...]

HMRC have published detailed maps setting out the precise location of all 8 Freeport tax and customs sites in England with the latest update at the end of August. The original 8 locations were announced in the Spring 2021 Budget: East (Felixstowe and Harwich) East Midlands Airport Humber Liverpool City Plymouth and South Devon Solent Teeside Thames More maps of Freeports customs sites and Freeport tax sites will be added after they are designated. Businesses in these designated areas will be able to benefit from generous tax and customs duty reliefs including: An enhanced 10% rate of structures and buildings [...]

Museums and galleries are being urged to apply for VAT refunds to support opening free of charge as part of plans to boost visitor numbers and give more people access to arts and culture. Any museum and gallery open to the public free of charge for 30 hours a week can apply. It will help organisations boost their finances and open up their collections more regularly. The VAT Refund Scheme, which has been running since 2001, was last open to new applicants in 2018/19 and is estimated to have refunded up to £1 billion to museums and galleries so far. [...]

With the constant news surrounding the energy crisis (and waiting for a new Prime Minister to see what the government will do about it), soaring interest rates and rising inflation, it's difficult not to worry and lose sight of what’s really important – the health and welfare of you and your loved ones. The crisis we all face is a potent mix of inflation, recession, high debts, and the core reason for it all, a wartime energy shock. It is worth remembering that this is the point. It is not the market driving the crisis, it is geopolitics, diplomacy and [...]