The Importance of Having a Dynamic Lockdown Strategy

Now the UK’s threat level has been raised to critical, businesses really should be listening to the Government’s advice to develop a ‘dynamic lockdown’ strategy. Here we look at what a dynamic lockdown strategy involves and how you can go about preparing one.

What is Dynamic Lockdown?

Dynamic lockdown is a system of procedures focused on dynamically locking down premises in response to a fast moving attack happening either on the premises or in the immediate surrounding area.

Lots of businesses and public buildings are employing these procedures with the aim of protecting their premises and the people in or near them should an emergency situation arise.

What is the Aim of Dynamic Lockdown?

The objective of dynamic lockdown is to impede access by unwanted intruders and to prevent anyone who happens to be inside, such as workers or visitors, moving way from the zone of safety. Businesses that are located in areas of high public footfall are also making provision for offering their premises as a safe haven for people passing by who may be seeking shelter during an incident. This actually happened amongst various pubs and restaurants during the recent attack in London who took people in and locked down the premises until the danger had passed.

What Does a Dynamic Lockdown Strategy Involve?

In developing a dynamic lockdown strategy you will need to consider how to swiftly lock down all access and egress points. This includes doors, gates and windows plus loft hatches, skylights, basements and ducts. It is important to combine safety with flexibility so that there is a contingency should a need for evacuation arise. Both physical and electronic security measures should be included together with a strategy for zoning off areas of the property so that separate areas can be locked down independently.

The strategy should also allow for staff education so that everyone is aware of how dynamic lockdown works in practice. Teaching staff to be vigilant is also a wise move so that they know the reporting procedure for suspicious behaviour. The entire strategy should be planned in conjunction with security professionals.

We join the nation in expressing our sadness and concern over the recent events. From a practical perspective we should be looking at doing whatever we can to help secure ourselves, those we work with and everyone in the vicinity of our premises.

Employers of Non EEA Workers Now Facing Increased Costs

From 6 April 2017, the Immigration Skills Charge Regulations 2017 are in operation. These Regulations call for sponsoring employers of migrant workers employed under Tier 2 of the points-based immigration system to pay a new charge known as the ‘Immigration Skills Charge’. Here we answer the most commonly asked questions on the subject.

What is the Immigration Skills Charge?

The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) is now levied upon all voluntary and private sector employers of more than 250 staff. The charge will be £1,000 per certificate of sponsorship per year and there are concessions for charities and smaller businesses which will pay a reduced rate of £364.

The ISC is payable on top of the cost of the certificate of sponsorship. Other fees, including the Immigration Health Surcharge plus visa application fees, some of which have also increased as of 6 April, are also payable in addition.

Are There any Exemptions?

Exemptions apply to Tier 2 migrants sponsored before 6 April 2017 applying from inside the UK to extend their visa; Tier 2 migrants employed in a specified PhD level job; Tier 2 graduate trainees taking the Intra-Company Transfer route; Tier 2 migrants remaining with the same or a different sponsor; international students switching from Tier 4 student visas to Tier 2 working visas, and dependents of Tier 2 workers.

Why has the Charge Been Introduced?

The ISC is intended to decrease the number of businesses employing migrant workers, hoping that they will instead recruit and train British staff so that the UK continues to attract talented students and the most highly qualified migrants. There is also the goal of protecting the country’s leading reputation for education and research.

Is Anything Else Changing?

As well as the introduction of the ISC, the minimum salary threshold for workers sponsored under Tier 2 (general) has increased from £25,000 to £30,000 per annum. The threshold for UK-based graduates will not change from £20,800.

On the contrary, the minimum salary for non-European Economic Area (EEA) graduate trainees coming to the UK via the Intra-Company Transfer has dropped from £24,800 to £23,000 per year. This would suggest that the Government has given due consideration to businesses transferring overseas branch workers to their UK offices.

The Government may in future also decide to levy a similar charge to the ISC on employers of EU nationals, if UK immigration minister Robert Goodwill’s proposal is accepted. However, business leaders are up in arms about the suggestion, so it may well be side lined.

With Brexit looming and the Government not stepping forward to reassure employers as to the situation with their existing EU workers, uncertainty is rife.

Should anything concrete arise we will of course let you know. In the meantime, should you have any queries concerning how to deal with employing migrant workers, why not seek advice from your local bookkeepers?

What You Need to Know About Making Tax Digital

Chancellor Philip Hammond’s March Budget was pretty much all doom and gloom although the backtracking on the self-employed National Insurance Contributions hike was a welcome relief.

One other glimmer of hope came in the shape of a delay to the introduction of the Making Tax Digital (MTD) regime which means that the self-employed, buy-to-let landlords, sole traders and small businesses that fall below the VAT threshold of £85,000 (as of 1 April 2017) will have an extra year to get ready for MTD. There is also a promise on the part of the government to consult on the design elements of tax administration in an attempt to streamline the system for taxpayers.

What is Making Tax Digital?

Making Tax Digital was brought in with the March 2015 Budget. It has a goal of transferring all tax records to a digital system. HMRC feels that putting the tax filing process into an automated system will lead to better quality record keeping which in turn should lessen the occurrence of mistakes and therefore boost revenue.

Under MTD, every person – including employed workers as well as the self-employed - will be given their own Digital Tax Account which they will be able to access online to view how much tax has been paid and how much is due. It is hoped that third parties like banks and building societies will link in with the digital account so that income can be automatically fed into it.

Also under MTD, unincorporated businesses earning more than £10,000 per year will have to submit tax information including a summary of income and expenditure on a quarterly basis. Businesses will also have to maintain digital accounting records using a system that is able to communicate with HMRC’s systems.

What MTD does not mean, and what has been widely misunderstood, is quarterly tax return filing. It is simply a summary needed four times per year. The aim for the system is that it will assist businesses in keeping on top of their tax positions throughout the year, which will help planning around finances and taxes.

What is the Timescale for Making Tax Digital?

The quarterly filing required under MTD was originally due to start from April 2018 with businesses under the VAT threshold first to start with the regime. However, this deadline has been put back to April 2019 meaning the smallest businesses have an additional year to get ready for the changes. For businesses above the VAT threshold, the deadline remains unchanged at April 2018. Furthermore, from April 2019, all VAT payments will have to be processed through MTD.

If you are concerned about MTD or digital filing, why not discuss the matter with your local bookkeepers? They’ll be able to guide you through all the necessary steps and will ensure you stay on course to meet the deadlines.

Useful HMRC Resources

As a business owner, and particularly as a sole trader, keeping up with what you need to do to comply with HMRC’s rules and regulations can be a little daunting. But did you know that there is actually a whole range of HMRC resources available to help you?

With everything from webinars to email alerts on a range of subjects from self-assessment to VAT returns, there is a range of tools available to you on the HMRC website which can help with the smooth running of your business.

E-learning

There is a variety of e-learning courses available on the HMRC website. These are in the format of how-to guides, walking you through every stage of the subject that you’re covering.

For example, there is an e-learning guide on VAT and how to get started with registering. This covers the likes of when you’d need to register for VAT; VAT rates; what to do once you’re registered, and case studies.

Email Alerts

Something that worries many business owners is missing deadlines for submitting paperwork. A useful resource which can help you with this is signing up for email alerts from HMRC. This involves HMRC emailing you ahead of your returns being due in order to give you time to complete and submit them by the deadline.

You can register for business help and education emails too, which may be of interest to you if you’re interested in the likes of new webinars, e-learning courses and educational videos.

Webinars

There is also a variety of webinars run by HMRC. Webinars are hosted live by an HMRC expert and are advantageous if you want to ask questions during the session as you can receive answers from the HMRC host in real time during the presentation.

If this is something you’re interested in, keep an eye on the HMRC website or register for email alerts so that you know when the next one will be. Set a reminder in your diary (although email reminders are often sent, too) and on the day of the webinar itself and remember to log in at least five minutes before the start.

Webinars can last for up to an hour, so they may not be for you if you are short of time. You can however register to watch pre-recorded webinars, but these are less helpful if a question occurs to you during watching, as obviously you won’t be able to ask once it has been recorded.

Videos

If you have a specific question you need answering, it’s worth taking a look at the range of HMRC YouTube videos. These cover topics from VAT record keeping through to How to issue P60s.

HMRC Small Business Forum

If you want to talk to other business owners and HMRC representatives it’s worth registering for the HMRC Small Business Forum. This forum is a great way to ask questions and receive answers from other members of this online community, and from HMRC themselves.

If after all of these resources you’re still worried about navigating the HMRC’s rules and regulations, then it may well be time to speak to a local bookkeeper about having your accounts looked after professionally. This will take some of the worry out of owning your own business.

The Benefits of Business Forums to the Small Business Owner

Any good businessperson will know the benefits of a trustworthy network of suppliers and contacts. Businesses often grow through word of mouth, but in addition to referrals, you may well need to call upon other professions that you can trust to help and advise in certain situations.

Business forums are a great place to network and make these connections, as well as being a place to exchange ideas and find support. There is a wide range of business forums available, from virtual networks such as HMRC’s Small Business Forum, through to physical local networking opportunities, like the Essex Business Forum. If you are pushed for time like many business owners, the virtual route will give you just as much support and encouragement as you would get from spending time at a physical meeting.

Here are just a few of the advantages of signing up to any sort of business forum:

Business Referrals

One of the greatest benefits of joining a business forum is new business opportunities. Members often seek other members out for particular trades, and the conversion rate of a pitch for new custom between members of a business forum is often much higher than when pitching normally. Indeed, the conversion rate can often be as high as 90%.

In addition, there are often opportunities to collaborate with members of the network who work in similar fields to yourself, which in turn generates more business. Furthermore, you are also likely to find trustworthy suppliers and contacts that you can turn to when you require certain types of work.

Promotion

As well as gaining more business from within the forum itself, there are often opportunities to gain promotion for your brand. For example, members’ businesses are often displayed on the forum’s website, and promoted on their social media.

Members are often advertised as ‘recommended businesses’, signalling to a mark of trust for those who come across the website seeking a particular trade. Sometimes there can also be other promotional opportunities such as advertising on local radio, or in promotional material, for example.

Exchange of Ideas

Another key benefit is the opportunity to exchange ideas with other members. Whether you’re actively looking for advice on a particular subject from someone in a specialist trade, or whether ideas are sparked by conversation with likeminded peers, you’ll gain valuable insights into your own business which you may never have thought about otherwise.

Similarly, there are often opportunities for more formal development and training sessions, too.

Socialising

Socialising is a surprisingly important part of any business and shouldn’t be underestimated. If you work alone, you may well benefit from the social aspect of joining a business forum, even if only online, as you’ll be exchanging ideas with like-minded business people. If you work as part of a team, it’s still often a good chance to converse with other professionals who are at similar points with their own business.

From a simple exchange of ideas through to answering questions and gaining advice, business forums are a great way to build up your business. Why not look into joining a business forum to see what you could achieve from it? If you are stuck for ideas of which ones to join, you could always ask your local bookkeepers for recommendations.

How to Attend Business Meetings Without Travelling

Doing business face to face and collaborating with others has always been an essential part of trade. Whether you’re brainstorming and sharing ideas with one of your partners, or talking through a brief with a new client, face to face is always beneficial.

Apart from the fact that things can often get lost in translation when done by telephone or email, putting the personal touch into negotiations often goes a long way towards problem solving or sealing the deal.

Obviously, it’s not always easy, economical or convenient to travel to meetings, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t do business face to face. The good news is that modern technology can help to overcome this obstacle.

VoIP Systems

VoIP – Voice over IP – systems have been around for some time now. They allow voice communications, multimedia sessions and face to face real time images to be delivered over the internet.

These include the likes of Skype, which allow you to make phone calls, or chat face to face using webcams, over the internet. You can also use this technology to share your screen with someone, which then allows you to give a training session via the internet, for example, or talk through something you’ve been working on.

Skype is probably the most commonly used VoIP system, but there are many others available too, such as UberConference, all of which will allow you hold a face to face meeting in a straightforward way without having to travel.

Interactive Conferencing

Other conference technologies take long distance meetings to another level. Innovations such as the SurfaceHub from Microsoft allow teams to come together face to face, yet be physically located miles, and even time zones, apart. This type of technology allows teams in different locations to:

1. Instigate meetings at the touch of a button
2. Take part in group discussions via the screen
3. Show customers or staff how to use a new product of system
4. Annotate designs, or add notes to documents
5. Play videos, and make notes over the footage

By using wide-angle camera technology and high-performance microphones, whole teams or groups of participants can take part in a real-time meeting, where both teamwork and eye contact is possible. What’s more, at the end of the meeting, any notes made or content created can be easily saved and emailed to all of the relevant people. 

Time to Consider the Possibilities?

Research has revealed that when teams come together to develop ideas and business is carried out on a face to face basis, the results are significantly enhanced. If you are looking to expand your business into a global marketplace, or simply want to make the way you run things more time efficient, why not look into the technologies available to you? The great news is that many of them are available on a subscription basis and can be scaled according to your usage needs, which means no capital outlay and you only have to pay for what you need.

Warning for Employers over Tough New Health & Safety Sentencing Regime

Two recent prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have brought home the gravity of the reformed and far more stringent health and safety offence sentencing guidelines which were introduced in February 2016.

The new guidelines, applying to breaches of health and safety and food safety guidelines as well as corporate manslaughter, apply to incidents that occurred on or after 12 March 2015. Now, large companies in England and Wales will face fines of up to £10 million for the most serious breaches and magistrates’ courts will be able to impose unlimited fines for offences, whereas before they could only levy fines of up to £20,000.

Laura Cameron of Pinsent Masons, a well-known law firm, says that the new regime should act as a stark warning to businesses that there is no margin for error or failure when it comes to meeting their duties under the regulations.

"Businesses have been sent a clear message that the regulatory authorities expect health and safety to remain a key corporate priority... If they are not already doing so, directors should be pushing health and safety issues to the top of their agenda," she said.

Recent Examples of Hefty Fines

In November 2016, an automotive manufacturing company that produces parts for the likes of Jaguar Land Rover and Audi was fined after it was reported to the HSE that six of its employees had sustained back injuries following repeated heavy lifting. Mahle Powertrain, the company in question, was fined a staggering £183,340 plus costs of £21,277.

In December 2016, an Ipswich Burger King franchise operated by KFG Quickserve was fined after a young employee was scalded by hot oil following several breaches of health and safety legislation. The resulting fine was £166,000 plus £12,000 costs.

Why Businesses Should Take Heed

The new guidelines for sentencing following health and safety and food safety breaches and corporate manslaughter require the courts to undertake an initial assessment of the overall seriousness of the breach in question. They will pose questions such as whether there was a risk of serious harm, regardless of whether such harm actually occurred. They will also look at the liability of the offender and will take into consideration what could have happened, as well as what actually did happen.

Fines will be based on a tiered system based on how serious the offence was; the business size and the turnover of the company. If there are any mitigating factors such as evidence of a clean health and safety record and measures having been taken to ensure the incident did not reoccur, then these will be considered. However, if the offender stood to gain financially or has a track record of similar offences then these will also be considered.

The new sentencing guidelines have clearly proved expensive for the two organisations mentioned. Business owners therefore need to think, can we afford to breach the rules?

The importance of site specific risk assessments and adherence to health and safety guidelines cannot be emphasised enough for businesses of any size. The fines being levied now could be devastating, so if you don’t already have procedures in place to ensure a safe working environment for your staff, take those crucial steps today.