Working From Home Expenses
So many more of us are working from home right now, due to workplaces being closed. Some companies are stepping up and helping their employees by reimbursing expenses and providing them with the equipment they need to do their job. Some other companies aren’t helping at all. There are two things to discuss here. If you’re an employer, you can pay your employees a homeworking allowance. This will help to cover any additional household expenses which have happened due to working from home...
June 29, 2020Pay Yourself A Salary
When you worked for someone else, you likely got a monthly salary for your hard work. This was paid routinely, helped you to pay the bills and put food on the table. Now you’re setting up your own business, you’re still going to have those bills to pay, so giving yourself a regular salary from the business is a good practice to keep. Here are some of the reasons to do it.You Need To Live As alluded to above, you need to be able to live. We all need to have cash to put food on the table ...
June 22, 2020Money Shame Is Real
Many business owners have money shame. It’s something that is real, people have issues with cash for a number of different reasons. These range from simply not understand the numbers to not seeing the reality of those numbers and what effect they are having on the business. It is possible to move forward from money shame and get a handle on those figures. One of the first steps is talking to an actual bookkeeper.Many people who run businesses are creative. They might not see the numbers on the...
June 15, 2020Become Your Own Boss
Many of us have a dream to become our own boss. That dream is often tricky to turn into reality and it requires a lot of effort and hard graft. It is attainable though and if you follow these top tips, you’ll be able to tell people that you are indeed your own boss.Why Do You Want To Become Your Own Boss One of the first things to question yourself on is why. Why do you want to become your own boss? It’s a far cry from saying it to actually doing it. If you say it as an off the cuff com...
June 8, 2020Tax Deductions If You're Working From Home
The world is a strange old place right now. Many of us are ill. Keyworkers are continuing to keep the country running. In times of furlough and worrying about finances, lots of us have started working from home in order for businesses to continue. Some good news is that you might be able to claim tax deductions as you settle into this new normal. Let’s take a look at just what you could get.Usually Work Elsewhere? If you usually work elsewhere, out of the house, perhaps at the business pr...
June 1, 2020What Is The Break-Even Point For Your Business?
Do you know what the breakeven point of your business is? With so much uncertainty in the world at the moment, not to mention the world of business, it’s something you should figure out. This is important because you need to know how much money you need to make in order to be running a profitable business. Making a loss over a number of years will not help your finances and you’ll eat into your own money, or find yourself in more debt. How do you work out your breakeven point?Work Out Your B...
May 25, 2020How To Save Your Business Money
Every business wants to save money in some way or another. The economic climate is ever changing and ever challenging, particularly at the moment. Small businesses are the ones that feel that pinch and squeeze even more so. How can you save money within your business this year? Here’s a few ideas to be getting on with.Employee Benefits Back in the day people were content with a desk and a salary. That seems to have shifted as the way we work has altered. Now companies tend to recruit the ...
May 11, 2020Run Your Business Like A Jedi
As it’s May The 4th, let’s take a look at some of the business lessons we can learn from the ultimate mega movie series that is Star Wars. From the mind of George Lucas and then purchased by Disney, you’ll be able to watch it all on the new Disney+ streaming service should you want more inspiration after reading this post.“I find your lack of faith disturbing” Spoken by the menacing Darth Vader in Episode IV, it’s quite a simple phrase but speaks volumes. Without faith in your b...
May 4, 2020Outsourced Accounting
Your accounts are one of the most important parts of running your business. Without numbers and figures, nothing works and you’ll soon find yourself confused and running the business into the ground. The question is, did you set up a business to do the mundane task of bookkeeping? The answer is no, which is why outsourcing your accounting to a specialist is a positive step in the right direction. Free Up Your Time As mentioned above, you probably didn’t set up your business because...
April 27, 2020UK Government Financial Help During Coronavirus (COVID-19)
It’s a difficult time for everyone. Businesses have had to stop trading, we’re becoming reliant on community support, no one can get an online delivery slot. We’re all in this together and we’re all hoping for financial help from our government. Whilst some people quality for this, as new announcements come out and schemes are revealed, there are people falling through the net. Why is this and what’s on offer in terms of monetary support? Through The Net One of the main reaso...
April 24, 2020Coronavirus (COVID-19) and your business
With the spread of coronavirus continuing and it looking likely that Britain will experience an epidemic, how can you ensure the health of your business? Obviously it depends on the type of business you run. Many freelancers are lucky enough to work remotely and from home, without spending hours commuting or in offices. For those, like me, who are in this situation, business continuity or the need to self-isolate should not have much of an impact. However many freelancers run workshops...
April 20, 2020Step Away From The Laptop
Do you crave a better work life balance? Do you wish you could be less distracted by work and focus on the importance of family and friends at the weekend? Does the lure of a spreadsheet or Google document become all too much on an evening? You need to step away from the laptop. Remember the days where computers were solely desktops? You commuted to the office, sat at your desk and worked on the computer before logging off and leaving it until the next day. People say that smartphones are o...
April 13, 2020What Business Lessons Can We Learn From An Easter Egg Hunt?
With Easter just around the corner, you might be taking part in seasonal merriment including family roast dinners, community egg rolling and even chocolate Easter egg hunts. With every experience we learn something and that gores for all of us, not just children. What business lessons can we learn from an Easter egg hunt this year? Let’s take a look! Eggs Are Customers Let’s say that there are 50 eggs hidden around the garden. In bushes, in branches, in the arms of garden gnomes. T...
April 6, 2020Your Reputation Is Only As Good As Your Last Review
Do you ask friends and family for their advice when you need a tradesman for a job at home? Do you find yourself scrolling through sites such as TrustPilot when you’re looking to buy from a certain retailer? In a world which has developed from word of mouth recommendations to online reviews, never forget that your reputation is only as good as your last review. What do we mean by this? A World Of Expectations When we offer a service to customers and clients, what we do is set expecta...
March 30, 2020Self-employed during coronavirus?
Some very good news for all of you that are self-employed or who have clients that are self-employed: The House of Commons committee that is overlooking the CV-19 financial support legislation yesterday demanded that ‘the Secretary of State must, by regulation, introduce a scheme of statutory self-employment pay’. It goes on to say that ‘The scheme must make provision for payments to be made out of public funds to and individuals who are (a) self-employed ...
March 24, 2020What You Think You Need vs What You Actually Need
There are some things in life that you think you need. This is also true in business. You think you need this and that but actually our business goggles are clouding our vision. Blocking out what we actually need. As a business owner, do you know what you need, or are you still stuck in the thinking zone? Let’s take a look at what you think you need and what you actually need! What You Think You Need So often, if you’re running a business you think that you need more sales and more...
March 23, 2020How To Survive Coronavirus (COVID-19)
If you are running a small business you will be worried, scared and anxious about how to survive in the current climate. Not just from a health point of view, but from a financial aspect too.I am far more concerned personally about the lasting financial impact of this crisis than the health implications. Things To DoCut Your Costs This is a biggie. Review your bank accounts, credit cards and PayPal accounts immediately to pinpoint where there are expenditures that you can reduce or can...
March 19, 2020Don't Just Shop On Price
We all want to get the best price on the things we buy and on our investments. When you’re in business, every penny counts when it comes to your cash flow projections and monthly accounts. You might sometimes be tempted by the cheapest quote but think again. The cheapest isn’t always the best and there is a well-known quote which goes “buy cheap, buy twice.” If you’re happy to take the cheapest quote for work done, you are likely to find yourself asking yourself why you...
March 16, 2020Turn Off Your Notifications
How much time are you wasting every day? With this simple hack, you’ll be able to concentrate on work better, be distracted less and take back control of your life. If you want to gain a better work life balance, this blog post is for you! We’ve all been there, right? One minute you’re nailing that client work, smashing keywords and hitting goals but the next, your attention is broken by a buzzing on your phone. You’re then pulled away from your laptop screen and are quickly immerse...
March 9, 2020How To Become A Freelancer
Take a moment to imagine this. No 9-5 working hours. No commute. Maybe even working in your pyjamas with a laptop on your bed. Sound good? The idealistic outlook isn’t always the case though. Starting your freelancer life is hard and whilst it’s full of opportunity and freedom, it can be a tricky roads to navigate. Let’s have a look at how to begin your life in the freelance lane. Do Your Research Unless you’ve been plunged into this via a redundancy or are thinking about freel...
March 2, 2020Minimise Risk
Running a small business comes with risk. There is good risk, probably including how you took that leap of faith to set up the business in the first place, and bad risk, which could potentially smash your business into pieces. By minimising risk and understanding what risks to take, we can look after the business we created, any employees we have working for us and the future of the company. Understanding the different types of risk is important. There are some which will be a small irritat...
February 24, 2020Retain Your Clients
When you run a small business it is important to have a steady flow of work. So many small business owners concentrate on new customers. Bringing new clients in so the business can grow and ensure that there is new work to dive into. One of the most critical things you can do as a small business owner is to retain your clients. Let’s have a look at the importance of this and how you can actually keep them coming back to you for work. Long term working relationships show that you care. You...
February 17, 2020Fall In Love With Your Business
When you start your own business it’s exciting. The adrenaline pumps through you, you take plenty of selfies in your new office space and there’s a constant smile on your face. But what happens when the honeymoon period ends? When reality sets in and you find difficulties to work through?In the week of Valentine’s Day, let’s take a look at how you can fall in love with your business again. Relieve Stress One of the main reasons we may start to resent our business is because of ...
February 10, 2020Does Your Business Need A Budget?
When you run a business it’s often hard to keep track of money. When you start the venture, money seemingly flows the wrong way out the door until you’ve got your client base. Once you’re established and money is flowing both in and out of the business, it’s often still tricky to keep a handle on things. Whether you’re good with money or not, your business needs a budget. Having a budget is paramount for various reasons. You can minimise unexpected cash flow issues and control spe...
February 3, 2020Top Tips For Small Business Growth
You’ve been running your business for a while. You’ve gone from strength to strength. You feel happy, content, the situation is good. How do you start to implement your vision of growth? How do you take your business to the next level? It can be a scary prospect, stepping out of that comfort zone you’re in but it can be so rewarding in the long run. The Cliché Let’s first say that the cliché of ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’ is actually spot on. There is so much tr...
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