News le t te rNews le t te r DecemberDecember 20122012
Issue: 9
Telephone: Telephone: (01978) 292092(01978) 292092
Email: Email: [email protected]@wrexham.gov.uk
Website: Website: www.wrexham.gov.uk/businesslinewww.wrexham.gov.uk/businessline
Adverts and articles contained within this publication do not imply or Adverts and articles contained within this publication do not imply or
infer in any way an endorsement by Wrexham County Borough Councilinfer in any way an endorsement by Wrexham County Borough Council
Please contact Businessline should you be interested in advertising Please contact Businessline should you be interested in advertising
within future newsletters.within future newsletters.
Page 1: Business NewsPage 1: Business News
Page 2: Businessl ine FeaturePage 2: Businessl ine Feature
Page 3: Why your business should have i ts own web presence Page 3: Why your business should have i ts own web presence
Page 4: I t ’s not the place for a hard sel lPage 4: I t ’s not the place for a hard sel l || Free Intel lectual Property audits offerFree Intel lectual Property audits offer
Page 5: HM Revenue and Customs: Key December updatesPage 5: HM Revenue and Customs: Key December updates
Business News
• You can watch the speakers from Entrepreneurs Wales 2012: http://ow.ly/fLvXV
• An overlooked marketing strategy: http://ow.ly/fLv6O
• Ingenious Britain is a campaign designed for small businesses: http://ow.ly/fLuz6
• The Post Office launch a new "Drop & Go" service, designed for small businesses and high volume mail customers: http://ow.ly/fLu16
• Enter the FSB Streamline UK Business Awards and be in with a chance of winning £10,000. Closing date 31
st December 2012: http://ow.ly/fDQMI
• If you are planning to expand or improve your business, a Business Cash Advance may be a good option: http://ow.ly/fDQtZ
• Small business accountancy advice clinic: http://ow.ly/fDPdn
• Insurance policies; you and your business need: http://ow.ly/fDOP8
• Business Innovation: Access specialist advice and funding: http://ow.ly/fDOdv
• 10 tips to network your business to the next level: http://ow.ly/fDN8K
• What the pop charts can teach your business? http://ow.ly/fw5FV
• Mobile card payment devices. which one should you go for? http://ow.ly/fmqUP
• Five top tips on selling online at Christmas: http://ow.ly/fw5qM
• Energy and Environment support from the Welsh Government for SMEs: http://ow.ly/fuMrl
• Business minister announces £40m boost for small businesses: http://ow.ly/fnDwp
• HMRC re-launches business record check programme: http://ow.ly/fnDhn
• Get a free iZettle mobile payment card reader for your business here: http://ow.ly/fnCF5
• New look for the Business Wales website for easier navigation: http://ow.ly/fnDHR
• ProfileTree advertise your skills and services for free: http://ow.ly/f9lqp
• The Enterprise Awards now open to current students / recent university graduates: http://ow.ly/f9jE1
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Businessline Feature
The importance of checking the credit worthiness of companies you’re working with
During the current economic climate a large proportion of businesses will understandably be experiencing
tough times financially, with the levels of debt spiralling in some circumstances. Should you be trading with
other companies, it is now arguably more advisable than ever that you keep a close eye on credit worthiness
ratings, thoroughly assessing them in terms of risk and safeguarding any investments.
Credit reports provide access to all the critical information needed for making well informed financial decisions
about whom you do business with and at what price. Financial stability can’t be taken for granted, should a
company not have the means to pay for goods or services you provide for example, this will have a direct
consequence on your business and could ultimately prove the difference between profit and lossN success or
failure.
Credit reports are available for any limited company and will provide you with a wealth of highly valuable and
detailed information, such as:
- General company information - Directors details
- Mortgage details and shareholder details - A credit score / rating
- Details of any CCJ’s
- A full breakdown and comparison of accounts (year on year)
From this information you will be able to ascertain whether a company is reputable or in a state of decline.
Monetary circumstances can fluctuate significantly year on year or even month on month. Although a company
may be performing well with a good credit score at one point in time, this should be viewed as a none-constant.
Continuing to analyse credit ratings may well prove to be in your best interest.
Together with researching companies you may be selling to, reports can also be used to identify the financial
viability of your suppliers and in so doing you could prevent entering into business with a company on the brink
of bankruptcy. Likewise if you are planning on forming a partnership with a limited company, it may well prove
beneficial to investigate and assess their financial status and trustworthiness before signing the contract and
entering into a working relationship. Please feel free to contact Businessline to request a free credit check on
any limited company trading in the UK: [email protected] or 01978 292092
Free to attend “How to do your own PR” event
Businessline would like to invite you to attend a free seminar hosted by award-winning
journalist Mary Murtagh who will be sharing her expertise as a media insider during a 'How
to do your own PR' taster session. Mary travels all over the UK sharing her knowledge
about how businesses can grow by using the media. She trains entrepreneurs, start ups
and social enterprises on how to write brilliant press releases, what journalists want and
how to fast forward their business by featuring in newspapers, radio ... and television.
During this hour-long seminar Mary will give her ten top tips for killer press releases, share
real life examples of past delegates' media coverage, the positive impact it had on their business and answer
any questions you’ve always wanted to ask a journalist but never dared ask. If you would like to attend either of
the two sessions in Wrexham Library (4:15pm - 5:15pm or 5:45pm - 6:45pm) to be held on Thursday 24th
January 2013, please book your place by clicking on the following link: http://bit.ly/how-to-do-your-own-PR
If you’re thinking of starting a new business or you already running your own enterprise, but don't have
a web presence as yet, then how does it look to potential customers when you hand them your
business card and your email address belongs to one of the free email providers such as “Hotmail” or
“btconnect” etc. . ?
You need to make your customers feel like they are dealing with someone who is professional and
serious about their business. It is both easy and inexpensive to buy and set up your own Domain
Name, which can then be used for E-mail addresses and eventually a Web Site.
Firstly you need to register a domain name which will be in the form of www.yourcompanyname.co.uk,
this then becomes the property of the business and cannot be taken by any other company. This
typically costs only £2.50 per year to register.
Secondly you need to host your new domain, which will then give you E-mail facilities. Typically you
can get 5 or more E-mail names to use and these will normally be:- [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], etc. Again this is not expensive and typically
costs about £4.00 per month
Eventually you may want to have your own web site. Now that you have your domain name, the web
site is straight forward and can be easily achieved for a very small investment.
When you have your own E-mail address and also a web site, you will certainly be viewed as a more
professional and serious business, which your marketing materials, such as letterheads, business
cards and invoices will confirm, potentially resulting in increased custom.
Article submitted by: Your WEB co www.yourwebco.co.uk 01978 787623
http://bit.ly/business-discounts-Wrexham
Business-to-Business Discounts:
New discount offers:
Discounts are now available via Businessline from the following Wrexham based businesses, please see the web-page listed above for further information:
Why your business should have its own web presence:
It’s not the place for a hard sell!
There are umpteen reasons why small businesses get social media wrong, mainly through being in a
rush to join the social media party and not thinking about the right approach. It’s difficult to understand
and grasp the environment of social media quickly – particularly given the urgency with which small
businesses need to get to grips with the changing landscape without falling foul of some serious faux
pas.
One of the biggest mistakes that small businesses make when they start out promoting their services or
goods on the likes of Facebook is thinking that the medium is the place for hard sell. It certainly isn’t.
This is a hard lesson for business owners to understand. Facebook is about building relationships and
this means posts should be about providing information that is useful to the customer, answering their
questions and being a reliable resource. Only roughly 10% of your social media activity should be
focused on direct marketing or self promotion.
Social media isn’t about self promotion, which is another mistake. Try to engage with everyone who
posts on your wall (within reason). Share great content from others in the industry. Ask questions and
encourage participation. And, most importantly, recognize that sometimes it’s better to talk less and
listen more.
Free Intellectual Property Audits Offer:
To mark the opening of the new office in Telford, along with another in Wrexham, Successful
Intellectual Property law firm, Wynne-Jones IP are offering free Intellectual Property Audits to
companies in Shropshire and North/Mid Wales, as well as providing free advice sessions on how to
make the best use of the Patent Box tax saving opportunities.
“Any business involved in manufacturing or design, in any sector from mechanical engineering to
software, could miss out on significant commercial advantages by not registering Intellectual Property
rights to protect their ideas and products,” commented Ithel Jones, a partner with the firm at the
opening of Wynne-Jones IP Telford office. “With the Government’s ‘Patent Box’ corporation tax
reduction scheme coming into force early next year, these companies should put their IP assets higher
than ever on their agenda to make the most of the benefits available.”
Any company wishing to take advantage of the free IP Audits offer is invited to contact Ithel Jones by
email on [email protected] or 01952 930123
Article submitted by: Social Network Management Company
www.snmcompany.co.uk 01824 780909
Advertise your business in our monthly newsletter
For more information: http://bit.ly/UJlFeZ
HM Revenue and Customs: Key December Updates
Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on 5 December 2012.
The Autumn Statement 2012 will be made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, on
Wednesday 5 December at 12.30pm.
Full details of the announcements affecting HMRC and its customers following the Chancellor's
statement to Parliament will be available via this link: http://bit.ly/UftVjp
Real Time Information (RTI): Timing of real time PAYE Returns.
In April 2013 employers will start sending PAYE information in real time to HMRC, and this information
must be sent 'on or before' the date that a payment is made to an employee.
However, in a small number of situations this timescale might be difficult or impossible for employers to
comply with. To help employers in these situations, we have published information setting out the
circumstances where extra time will be allowed: http://bit.ly/XxjR9X
VAT: changes to VAT online services.
On 31 October 2012 a new way to register a business for VAT was added to HMRC’s online tax
registration service, which already included Self Assessment, PAYE and Corporation Tax. At the same
time, we also introduced a new variations service which enables VAT registered businesses to do more
online: http://bit.ly/TwcX1R
Guidance about enrolling for online VAT services is available her: http://bit.ly/cy5vJi
Where's my reply? How to track your enquiry.
Are you an employee, or do you pay tax on a company pension through PAYE? Would you like to find
out when you can expect to get a response to your enquiry or request? http://bit.ly/QhZrxf
HMRC have introduced a handy tracker ( http://bit.ly/Q6SPOx ) to enable you to check how long it will
take us to:
• pay your Income Tax refund
• reply to your general Income Tax enquiry
• provide a copy of individual information, such as your tax code or pay and tax details
• send you HMRC forms or stationery
If your query is not included in this list, you will not be able to use this handy tool and you will need to
Contact HMRC ( http://bit.ly/GApVkX ). However, we will be adding more subjects to the tracker in due
course.
Machine Games Duty (MGD): online registration service.
Are machine games played on your premises? Find out more
now about your responsibility to apply for registration before 1
January 2013: http://bit.ly/VFjp49