The Ministry of Defence have issued new guidance for exports of military goods under the US-UK Defence Trade Co-operation Treaty.
This guidance specifically concerns completion of a new offline version of the MOD F680 when applying under Treaty auspices only.
If you intend to export certain specified military goods under the auspices of the US-UK Defence Trade Co-operation Treaty and have ‘approved community’ status (which is granted by the Ministry of Defence DE&S Infrastructure Security team) then you may be able to register for the Open General Export Licence (Exports under the US-UK Defence Trade Co-operation Treaty). This OGEL is issued by the Export Control Organisation (ECO).
Do you wish you could write great and engaging content for your website, blog, newsletter, or for a successful press release? Or do you lack confidence with writing or interviewing people for content?
If you answer yes to any of the above, this interactive and full-day workshop is ideal. This workshop is a masterclass to help you define your and your businesses and key message for the content you are working on, understand what makes good content for the press and readers and learn to prepare to carry out an interview to use for quotes, which help to make more engaging content.
This full day will enable you develop your writing skills and learn about targeting to a readership, therefore maximising the chances of achieving positive publicity. It really is a workshop you can’t afford to miss if you want to increase your chances for enagaing customers and the press.
Who is it For?
The course is suitable for business owners, managers or employees who are, or may be, required to write promotional material, press releases, articles or online content such as websites and blogs.
Content of Workshop
Agenda
09:00-09:15 Registration, Tea and Coffee
09:15-09:30* Welcome, H&S and Growth Hub ‘Who are we and how can we help’
09:30-11:00* • What the press wants • What makes a good story? • Defining your key messages • Writing a targeted press release.
11:00-11:15 Refreshment break
11:15-12:30* • Writing an article • Writing for social media • What now? How are you going to use your new writing skills? • Workshop evaluation.
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:00* • Introductions (as interviews)
• Ways to use interviews • What makes a good story/relevant interviewee? • Defining your key messages • Planning an interview
15:00-15:15 Refreshment break
15:15-16:45* • Practice interviews • Using interviews and quotes in articles • Using quotes for social media • What now? How are you going to use your new writing skills?
16:45-17:00* Q&A
17:00 Close
*This event will provide 6 hours and 15 minutes of information, diagnostic and brokerage support and advice. This event is only able to be free due to ERDF Funding.
Course Objectives
At the end of the sessions each participant will: • Have increased awareness of the opportunities for publicity for themselves and their business, in the press and online • Be able to identify what makes a good PR opportunity • Be able to plan a feature and how to write it • Understand the requirements of a news release (including quotes, photographs etc) • Understand the needs of different audiences and how to write interesting copy • Learnt tips from a professional and experienced writer • Be able to identify what makes a good and relevant interviewee • Understand the need for balance and fairness
• Know how to identify and use client/customer endorsements • Be able to plan an interview and successfully carry it out • Know how to write-up an interview or use quotes • Understand the needs of different audiences • Have learnt tips from a professional and experienced interviewer
Participants will each receive a pack of specially written course support
Workshop Facilitator/Trainer – Rachel Sloane – www.rachelsloane.co.uk Rachel is an award-winning broadcaster in both commercial radio and BBC local radio, who produces corporate and training videos and writes features and reviews for magazines, newspapers and websites.
A qualified trainer (City and Guilds 730 – Further Education Teachers Certificate) she has over thirty-five years’ experience of training adults through the lively, challenging but enjoyable, practical workshops.
She is the author of the training e-book “The Useful Guide to Handling the Press and Media”(publisher: The Business Learning Foundation). Rachel has an established profile as an after-dinner and conference speaker, and as a cruise ship lecturer. She gives ongoing publicity support to the High Sheriff of Suffolk, Suffolk Community Foundation and the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust.
The second in the current series of Chill Time, the Norfolk Chambers after hours networking event, got underway last night with a full house at Vodka Revolution with great business being done.
Ben Farrin, Managing Director of the Student Pocket Guide Ltd, shared his story with delegates, how he founded his company in his bedroom in 2005 and how that company turned into a multi-award winning business.
Attendees then took full advantage of the brand new mojito mixer, a networking icebreaker activity that got everyone talking and making new connections. The newly acquainted groups then took to the bar and learnt how to make a cocktail like pros.
A selections of photo’s have been uploaded to the Chamber’s Facebook and Google+ page, be sure to have a look to see fun and successful business networking in action.
Despite a further rise in exporting activity among both service sector and manufacturing firms, economic growth remains too weak, according to the latest Quarterly Economic Survey from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
The survey for the second quarter (Q2) of 2012 shows that businesses are growing, but that balances across most measures have yet to return to pre-recession levels.
Comprising responses from 7805 businesses, the Q2 survey shows that there has been a surprisingly good improvement in exporting activity, suggesting that businesses are looking to overseas trade as a source of growth.
John Longworth, BCC’s Director General, urged the Government to take a bold and imaginative approach to boosting growth. He recommended measures such as the creation of a state-backed business bank and investment in infrastructure as critical to get the economy growing.
In detail, balances measuring exporting activity for the last three months among manufacturers rose seven points to +31%, and among service sector firms rose eight points to +24%.
The balance of both manufacturing and service sector firms reporting increases in forward-looking export orders increased.
Among manufacturers, the balance was up four points to +24%, and in the service sector up seven points to +19%, a level last seen in Q1 2007.
“While domestic growth continues to bump along the bottom, the silver lining is an increase in firms looking for export opportunities and, in many cases, with countries outside Europe,” Mr Longworth said. “Economic growth should be the Government’s main priority. As the eurozone crisis rumbles on, businesses are feeling the effects, and so growth is still weak.”
Simple Guides to Making Tax Digital, Cloud Accounting, Data and APIs
“HMRC’s ambition is to become one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations in the world, modernising the tax system to make it more effective, more efficient and easier for customers to comply.”
Taken from the www.gov.uk/ website as at 15.8.19 (link here)
Did you know that from April 2019 Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Business systems will become mandatory to meet your VAT obligations?
This means that any entity, whether a sole trader, partnership, company, charity or landlord that makes VAT-able supplies above the VAT threshold (currently £85,000 turnover), will be required to submit their VAT return using functional compatible software that is compliant with HMRC’s new MTD reporting system. The Government’s main objective of MTD is to plug the £3.5bn gap that is generated by mistakes made on VAT returns whilst also saving time for both HMRC & taxpayers.
So the digital revolution is coming and it will affect you and your business, even if not right now, in the near future. Already we control our own personal accounts and finances online. We nearly all use online banking, credit checkers and perform BACS payments. Nearly all of us agree it does make our life easier and makes information quicker and easier to obtain. So why should we be treating our businesses any different?
Who is it for?
If you fall above the VAT registration threshold or will have done by April 2019; want to get ahead of the game or feel you just want to know more and ask questions of those who can advise you, then this is definitely the event for you.
Our informative and engaging specialists will help debunk the myths surrounding MTD and demystify Cloud Accounting, showing you how it works, what benefits it will bring to you and your business and how simple it can be to use.
Alongside this they will help you understand the new applications available to assist businesses manage and control their finances. There is a world of options and opportunities out there and our digital specialist will help identify a few and highlight their strengths and weaknesses and show you how to assess their suitability for your needs.
With demonstrations of different processes and software alongside the facts, our team hopes to present you with a fair and honest presentation of MTD, Could Accounting, Data and Business APIs.
Take this chance to get a great overview of the online financial revolution which can benefit your business and ask questions of our experts during and after the event.
This event is currently fully booked if you are interested in attending either register on the waiting list or we are running the same workshop in Stowmarket on 2nd october; Ipswich 4th October.
Making Your Digital Activity Work For You – Create & Curate Campaigns
This intensive full day workshop is packed full of great practical, tactical and strategic advice on how to ensure that your business makes more money online across a range of digital marketing channels. Throughout this day you will gain insight on how to understand your audience and how to create and curate the right content to attract them, keep them and convert them!
This is a great opportunity to access enterprise level training through the partnership with Cooksey Consultancy.
Who is it for?
The course is designed to help those that are responsible for making more money online for businesses. It is especially useful for those with a respobsibility for online marketing platforms (such as social media and websites) that want clarity on how to increase their online presence and increase customer engagement. This is designed for SMEs targeting growth in particular.
Course Level
The course starts with the basics but quickly extends to in depth technical detail that would be appropriate for those that would like to enhance their understanding.
Commenting on the speech made by Ed Miliband on banking, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber, said:
“Too often businesses face Hobson’s Choice in getting the finance they need. There are limited choices for businesses looking for credit vital to grow, invest, and take on staff. What’s more, switching between banks can be an administrative nightmare for many companies.
“We need a more competitive banking environment that enables businesses and consumers to access the best products and services. The commercial banking industry has to change, and both government and regulators must create an environment that ensures firms get a fair deal from lenders.
“Creating new banks is one way of driving up competition and choice, but on its own, it will not solve the funding gap faced by firms. The creation of a dedicated business bank would ensure that new and growing companies can access the finance they need to develop new products and services, export to new markets, and take on more staff.”
Inward Processing Relief (IPR) and Outward Processing Relief (OPR) are methods of obtaining relief from Customs duties, and in some cases VAT. Both procedures can be beneficial to a Company in relation to cash flow together with the possibility of more competitive pricing.
This course helps companies work through the process of applying for authorisation, the necessary information required internally to ensure a good audit trail so that returns are completed on time.
Personnel who are involved with Shipping and Accounts should attend this course to learn how to take advantage of these duty relief procedures.
By the end of the course the delegates will be able to have an understanding of:
the advantages of claiming IPR or OPR
the custom regimes and the ‘Tariff@
the documentation required to claim IPR and OPR
Date: Thursday 20 November 2014Venue: 9 Norwich Business Park, Whiting Road, Norwich NR4 6DJTime:1.00pm – 4.30pmPrice: Members £112+VAT, Non Members £140+VAT
One of the ‘core 10’ courses accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Candidates achieving Pass or Merit in the course will receive a certificate. Those who pass 6 individual courses will achieve a nationally recognised Foundation Award in International Trade
Please Note – members will receive an invoice in the usual way. Non Members must pay in advance and will receive a receipted invoice by return.
Cancellation Policy – 15% of fee payable if delegates cancel more than 7 days in advance, if less than 7 days full fee payable
Smaller Internet-focused businesses looking for funding could benefit from a new initiative backed by the European Investment Fund and the UK Government.
Targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with high growth potential, the “Notion Capital 2” fund stands at £62.9 million (€78.2 million), making it the largest of 11 Enterprise Capital Funds so far established by the UK Government. Welcoming the new initiative, the UK’s Business and Enterprise Minister, Mark Prisk, said: “It is absolutely vital that ambitious small firms can access the finance they need to expand and grow, and this new Enterprise Capital Fund will provide at least £40 million of funding to viable UK high-tech businesses.”
Notion Capital The Fund is managed by Notion Capital – a venture capital company with a track record of backing UK and European companies providing software-as-a-service (SaaS) and cloud computing services. According to Notion Capital Partner Jos White, the new Notion Capital 2 fund aims to back companies that Notion believes “can make it big”, while co-founder Stephen Chandler said that the company’s strategy is to only invest in cloud computing and SaaS, with the aim of identifying and supporting European companies that can become global leaders. The Notion Capital 2 fund is also expected to target investment at other types of Internet-based service companies and at businesses which use the Internet to provide their services.
The involvement of the UK Government and the European Investment Fund (EIF) is said to reflect their conviction that the strategy adopted by Notion “can help Europe take its fair share of the Cloud Computing economy”.
European Investment Fund The aim of the EIF is to support SMEs in Europe by helping them access finance. To that end, the EIF designs and develops venture capital and guarantees instruments specifically aimed at SMEs, with an emphasis on those involved in high-tech developments and in their early stages as companies.
The EIF has investments in more than 300 funds, making it the biggest player in European venture capital. At the end of 2011, it had nearly 160 operations, with guarantees amounting to some €14.7 billion (£11.8 billion). The €20 million (£16 million) committed by the EIF to Notion Capital 2 is provided under the EU’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, which seeks to improve access to finance for the start-up and growth of SMEs and to promote investment in innovation.
Enterprise Capital Funds Enterprise Capital Funds (ECFs) are commercial funds investing in small, high-growth businesses seeking up to £2 million of equity finance. They are intended to “address a market weakness in the provision of equity finance to SMEs by using government funding alongside private sector investment to establish funds that operate within the ‘equity gap'”. That gap is due to a scarcity of equity capital in the £0.5-£2 million (€0.62-€2.5 million) bracket – the sort of amounts which some businesses struggle to raise.
The ECF initiative is managed by the fund management company Capital for Enterprise, which is owned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. In a ground-breaking move, the EIF has collaborated with Capital for Enterprise to structure Notion Capital 2 as an ECF. According to the Chief Executive Officer of Capital for Enterprise, Rory Earley, this latest initiative demonstrates the strength of the ECF programme – which has had a total of £200 million committed to it by the Government until 2014/15.
Further information Press releases and other materials can be found via the websites of:
Understanding The Key Facebook Tools For Your Business
Facebook is the largest social network in the world and has now surpassed 1.4 billion users worldwide. Understanding how to use Facebook effectively is great way to market your business to your target audience. This Facebook workshop has been designed to give you an introduction to Facebook and the various tools available for your business to use.
During the workshop there will be time allocated for you to work on your Facebook account, putting into practice key learnings drawn from the mornings session.
Who is this for?
This is predominantly for business owners and directors, whether B2B or B2C, who want to use Facebook as one of their marketing strategies
Agenda and Timings for the Day
09:00-09:15 Registration and Tea and Coffee
09:15-10:15 Understanding the key tools – part 1
Business Profiles
Business Pages
Groups
Events
Advertising
Connecting To Your Clients
Understanding Your Facebook Audience
Customer Communication
10:15 – 11:00 Update your Facebook profile & pages
11:00-11:15 Break and Refreshments
11:15-11:45 Understanding the key tools – part 2
Facebook Page Algorithms
Images &Videos
Reviews
Page Insights
12:15 -12:45 Update your Facebook profile & pages
12:45-13:00 Q&A and Close*
This event is 3hour 45mins hours in duration and will provide 3hrs and 30mins of Information, Diagnostic and Brokerage (IBD*). This is equivalent to £175.00 worth of State Aid (196.47 Euros as at August 2018). We are able to deliver this is free of charge to you with thanks to funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
Experienced accountant Sanjay Parekh FCCA, joined TaxAssist Accountants just as COVID-19 hit in March 2020.
Determined to pursue his dream of establishing his own practice in his local area, he has been busy finding and fitting out his TaxAssist Accountants shop, which is now open for clients to attend a face-to-face meeting or arrange a telephone or video consultation.
“I’m so pleased the shop is now open, allowing me to showcase the services we offer, as it’s clear that small business clients are in need of as much help and support as possible to get through these challenging times,” said Sanjay.
“As a small business owner myself, I know and understand what people are going through right now, and am passionate about making a real difference to people’s lives and businesses.
“We are here for much more than tax returns, accounts and bookkeeping. We’re here to help clients to understand how their business is performing, plan for growth, access finance and make key decisions. We can also talk clients through a range of software solutions to help them to select the right package for their needs. I’d urge anyone interested in finding out more, to contact us for a free initial consultation.”
If you share a passion to help your local small businesses, a TaxAssist franchise can provide the systems and support you need to be successful. Regular Virtual Discovery Days are being held, where you can find out more about the technical, marketing and business development support on offer. Call 0800 0188297 or submit an enquiry via the button at the top of the page to register your interest.