I came back from the Lincolnshire Food Festival full of energy, the event was fantastic and spending time with Levi Roots was great. I have also been made Business Professor at the Grimsby Institute. I am looking forward to embrace Norwich and Norfolk and do the same here….Contact me, I would love to hear from you.
A local financial seminar hosted by Alan Boswell & Company the Financial Planning division of Alan Boswell Group, attracted over 100 guests from across East Anglia. The company, one of the largest independent Financial Planners in the region, held the event as a thank you to their clients. The evening was hosted by Anglia news presenter Jonathan Wills and included a motivational speech by Sally Kettle, the first woman to row the Atlantic Ocean twice. Organised in conjunction with investment management firm, Brewin Dolphin, the seminar also provided clients with an assessment of the current international and UK economic conditions.
The event was held at the Top of the Terrace at Norwich City Football Club and promoted the work of local charity Big C, Alan Boswell Group’s staff charity of the year. Guests heard first-hand about the work Big C do and the challenges of securing funding, in a speech from chair of cancer genetics, Colin Cooper who works with the charity. Attendees also helped raise further funds on the evening with a raffle. Top prizes donated by Alan Boswell & Company and Brewin Dolphin included football and theatre tickets, champagne, a hamper and signed NCFC shirt. Over the last decade the Alan Boswell Group has raised over £39K for Big C.
John Whitehead, managing director of Alan Boswell & Company, said: ‘”We are proud to be able to host an event which supports a great cause such as Big C but also supports our clients with valuable information about the economic market conditions and what factors may affect their future investments.
‘It was extremely interesting to hear from Colin Cooper about the ground breaking research they are able to undertake in the fantastic facilities we have in Norfolk’.
Find out more about Alan Boswell & Company Financial Planners visit www.alanboswellgroup.com Find out more about Brewin Dolphin www.brewin.co.uk
The BEST WESTERN Brook Hotel brings you the chance to come and visit their hotel for a chance to look around, meet the team and discuss your wedding ideas with a great selection of suppliers exhibiting their goods and services at the Brook’s Wedding Fair here in Norwich!
FREE ENTRY & OPEN TO ALL FROM 10am to 2.30pm
Book everything you need all under one roof on the day, why not take some of the stresses of the planning away? You will be in safe hands when you choose a Brook Wedding…
With over 20 local Wedding Suppliers exhibiting their products and services for everything else you could need to create your perfect day from your hair, the flowers and balloons to the dress and the car, your photographer, your toast master and your entertainment.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY
2 Barnard Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR5 9JB Tel: 01603 741161 Email: events@brookhotel.co.uk Visit: www.brookhotel.co.uk
Leathes Prior is delighted to announce Sabina Haag qualified as a Solicitor on 1 October, after finishing a two year training contract with the firm. Having joined Leathes Prior as a Trainee Solicitor in September 2011, her training has covered a wide range of areas including Employment, Corporate and Dispute Resolution. We are very pleased that Sabina has accepted a permanent position as a Solicitor providing valuable support to our busy Dispute Resolution team.
Sabina is originally from Sweden, where she attended the Scandinavian Aviation Academy and gained a Commercial Pilot License at the age of 18. She spent a year working and travelling around Australia before moving to England. Sabina graduated from the University of East Anglia with a 2:1 law degree in 2010 and completed the Legal Practice Course in Cambridge gaining a distinction.
Leathes Prior Managing Partner Mike Barlow, who heads the firm’s Dispute Resolution team, said: “Sabina has made a valuable contribution to the team and her efforts have been much appreciated by her colleagues and clients. I am sure that Sabina has a very bright future ahead of her and I look forward to seeing her career develop. As ever, the firm is committed to ensuring that we recruit Trainee Solicitors of the highest calibre and I believe that the fact that so many of our Partners, Associates and Solicitors trained with the firm speaks volumes for the training and support we are able to provide.”
Employment Tribunals are increasingly a fact of life for HR professionals since they were introduced in the early 1970s.
They were originally set up as an “industrial jury” to resolve workplace disputes quickly and informally. My older colleagues refer to the days when tribunals used to hear five or more cases in a single day and tell of a simple, quick and common sense process. However, employment law has moved on apace since then and many tribunal hearings now last several days and the law is becoming ever more complex.
By 2011 business groups like the CBI and the British Chamber of Commerce lobbied the government to reform a tribunal system which they saw as “broken” citing problems including:-
In 2011 the current government consulted over reforms to the tribunal system as part of its Red Tape Challenge. They sought views on how to:
Following the consultation the Government reviewed the law and the tribunal system. The Business Secretary Vince Cable referred to the Government’s underlying aims as to address concerns including:
This review took place against a backdrop of austerity measures when the business climate was poor and we were still striving for a recovery. The perception was that this “red tape” had to be removed as one of the ways to kick-start our economy.
2013 has seen the fruits of that review with the introduction of many of the more significant changes resulting from the Government’s review.
Trade Unions like Unite have responded angrily to the changes referring to them in the following terms:
It is too early to tell where the balance lies and whether the concerns outlined at the outset of this article will be addressed by these changes. However, just what has provoked such an angry response? The changes include:
Qualifying Period for Unfair Dismissal Last year the qualifying period was increased so that in most cases an employee needs to have worked for their employer for two years before they can bring a claim for unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal.
Tribunal Fees Since their creation employment tribunals have been free for those using them. Unlike the courts no fees were payable to bring a claim. However, from 29th July 2013 a person wishing to bring an employment tribunal claim will have to pay a fee of either £160 or £250 to bring their claim. The level of fee depends on the type of claim being brought. A further fee of either £230 or £950 is payable for the case to be heard at a tribunal hearing. Those on low incomes can apply for the fee to be waived but many predict that this change will dramatically reduce the number of claims.
Protected conversations Legislation now allows employers to have discussions with employees about terminating their employment without an employee being able to refer to what was said in those discussions in a later tribunal claim. The aim is to provide employers with the freedom to talk more openly about reaching a severance agreement without fear of their conversations being used against them in tribunal
Changes to the Tribunal Rules. Possibly one for the lawyers this one. The tribunal rules of procedure have been given a complete overhaul with the old rules being scrapped and entirely knew set of rules drawn up. Some of the features of the new rules include rules to enable:
Employment Tribunals can be stressful, time consuming and expensive. Employment law experts from Cozens-Hardy LLP will be focussing on how to survive them in the forthcoming HR Forum which is taking place at Dunston Hall on 13 November 2013, from 2pm. This seminar aims to take the delegates through the tribunal process from beginning to end. The aim is to de-mystify the process, to prepare delegates for what to expect and to provide practical tips on how to survive unscathed. The delegates will also have the opportunity to view and participate in a mock tribunal hearing and to put questions to experienced employment lawyers.
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
Specialised Management Services Ltd (SMS), a leading specialist in hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical control systems, will be discussing their current vacancies and potential future career opportunities at the Energy Jobs Fair held at Great Yarmouth Town Hall on Wednesday 16th October 2013. In recent years SMS has seen a high demand for additional staff and are actively recruiting for the next phase of business growth. A broad range of career vacancies from trainee positions through to fully qualified levels are now open for application. These career opportunities are based in Great Yarmouth and have great potential for career development and progression.
The Energy Jobs Fair is an open event that will take place between 10am and 3pm where local job seekers, students, technicians and engineers are invited to visit Oil, Gas and Energy companies from the area.
Great Yarmouth’s oil, gas and energy industry started in 1965 when the first well was drilled 50 miles off the coast. Ever since, the industry has been growing and has resulted in the formation of successful local companies. SMS’s success stems from being able to meet the challenging demands placed by oil and gas companies through their qualified and dedicated workforce and therefore continuously seek to recruit talented personnel to support their clients and the rapid development of their business.
For more information on SMS Ltd and the careers they have to offer, you can visit them at the Town Hall, Great Yarmouth, Wednesday 16th October 2013.
About Specialised Management Services Ltd (SMS) Specialised Management Services Ltd (SMS) is a leading global manufacturer of equipment and provider of maintenance/installation services for the oil and gas industry, specialising in hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical control systems. Bases in Great Yarmouth and Aberdeen are supported internationally by our parent company Alderley plc. More information about SMS can be found at: www.specialisedmanagementservices.com
Our Founder, Simon Wingfield, has become a Mentor on
the Institute of Directors (IoD) Mentor Connect platform. The platform is
designed to connect members looking for support and guidance on their
leadership journey with those that want to share the benefit of their
experience.
Simon commented: ‘Having obtained my ILM Level 5 Effective
Coaching and Mentoring accreditation last year (with my ILM Level 7
accreditation to follow shortly) and having mentored individuals on the ‘Help
to Grow: Management Course’ scheme, I was motivated to continue my mentoring
practice with the IoD.
Wingfield Consultants have pivoted our value proposition to
include both coaching and mentoring, in addition to consulting, to support our
client base. This platform provides us with additional opportunities to develop
and grow our practice with more mentoring of executives and senior leaders’.
For the fifth consecutive year Alan Boswell Group, a Chartered Insurance Brokers and one of the region’s largest Financial Planners, has signed-up as a Norwich City Football Club Partner. As the region’s leading independent commercial broker the Group is proud to arrange the insurance for the Premiership Club and to support NCFC as a Club Partner once again, particularly at a time when the Club have made such a significant investment in players for the 2013/14 season.
Alan Boswell Group (ABG) has supported NCFC through sponsorship since its League One days and Chris Gibbs, managing director of Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers, said: “Last year was an exciting season to be involved with the Club and we hope their new signings will secure success for the team this season.”
“We are also very proud to be helping members of the squad with their insurance this season and we have built a helpful financial services app** for NCFC players to use. We arrange insurance for ex-players and members of the Youth Team too. We think it’s fantastic that players are using local businesses.”
“For us, this deal means we can again make the most of the corporate hospitality opportunities. We regularly invite clients from across the UK, eager to come and join us for the Premiership games. And of course many of our Norwich-based staff are firm fans so are delighted we are supporting the Canaries once again.”
NCFC head of sales and marketing, Will Hoy, added: “To stay on board for five years shows an admirable allegiance to the Canaries. Club Partner sponsors, such as Alan Boswell Group, play a really important role, helping make it possible for the Club to progress.”
For more information visit www.alanboswellgroup.com
For the latest NCFC news visit www.canaries.co.uk
Whether you are a sole trader, partnership or limited company (to name a few types of businesses), if your taxable turnover reaches or exceeds the VAT threshold within any 12-month rolling period, or you expect to reach it within the next 30 days alone, you are required to register for and account for VAT on your sales. Where the threshold is breached in a 12-month period, you must be VAT registered with effect from 1 month and 1 day after the month you exceed the threshold. For example, you realised in September you have reached £90,000 on a 12-month rolling basis, therefore you must be VAT registered from 1 November.
If you expect to exceed this threshold within the next 30 days, you must also register, but you are classed as being VAT registered from the date you had an expectation to breach the VAT threshold.
We sometimes get calls from businesses contacting us after they have realised, they have reached this threshold. Sometimes businesses just look at their turnover for the 12 months of their accounting period. For example, a business has a year end of 31 March.
Year 1 – Turnover for the year is £86,000 – below threshold
Year 2 – Turnover for the year is £130,000 – above threshold
This would mean at some point within Year 2 the business went over the threshold of £90,000. When looking at the 12-month rolling period, in this example, the business went over the threshold in August. This means they should have registered for VAT and been charging VAT to its customers from 1 October. So, for 6 months, no VAT has been charged and included on invoices but is now due to HMRC. The business becomes liable to pay the VAT over on their taxable sales, whether they can go back and charge it to their customers or not.
When registering late for VAT, which will mean submitting late VAT returns, there may be late payment interest due and potentially penalties.
If you realise your business is now in this position, we can help you in advising what input VAT you can reclaim to reduce your overall VAT liability to HMRC and advise how you can go about requesting the VAT owed to you from your customers, wherever possible.
You might find that your business turnover temporarily exceeded the VAT threshold, for example a one-off contract that only lasts 3 months. Had you not accepted this work, you would have not exceeded the VAT threshold. If you can prove the turnover will not exceed the deregistration threshold (£88,000) in the next 12 months, then your business can apply for an exception to not be VAT registered.
Please note, HMRC sometimes take a long time to respond to exception requests, which is not great news when trying to plan for the future. However, if you believe you have a good case to request an exception from registering from VAT then contact us to consider your options.
If most of your taxable supplies have a VAT rate of 0% (zero-rated supplies) you might not need or want to register for VAT. However, because the law says you must notify HMRC when you breach the threshold, you will need to advise HMRC and request permission not to register for VAT – this is called an exemption from registration.
If you’re a non-established taxable person, all your taxable goods or services must be zero-rated to be eligible for exemption from registration. Otherwise, for non-established business making supplies in the UK, the VAT registration thresholds do not apply. Any taxable supply in this case attracts a compulsory UK VAT registration.
Should you wish to discuss any of the points above or if your business has or is about to breach the £90,000 VAT threshold and you would like assistance in navigating all the potential options open to you, then please reach out to our VAT team who would be happy to help.
Week 6 of Devirsity’s short story, this is a lovely story, something to keep you optimistic for Summer!
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What is BYOD?
Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, is an IT policy encouraging employees to use personal devices such as mobile phones and tablet PCs, rather than devices provided by the company, to access systems and enterprise data.
Benefits of BYOD
Potential headaches
How to successfully implement BYOD
For any company wishing to implement BYOD, we would highly recommend minimising problems by the use of a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution. Sophisticated solutions are available which work across multiple devices and allow policy distribution and device troubleshooting over-the-air, eliminating the need for physical IT intervention.
Solutions can be programmed to control or limit access to various mobile device functions or applications between various time periods or when in specific areas. This gives IT the level of support required to ensure policy adherence and company security, whilst allowing employees the freedom to use their personal device as normal outside work.
Mobile Device Management software features:
Find out more
To find out more about BYOD Mobile Device Management and the benefits it could offer your business, please click here.