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Essential Business Growth Principles 

Top Tax Tip

If you need any help regarding this, please click here or ring us on 0800 612 2008

If you would like more Tax Tips, why not download our specially designed Tax Kits?  

Or, to get more specific advice, use our free Ask an Accountant service!

Questions that Change Your Mind

For Mark Twain [life] consisted 'mainly of the storm of thoughts that are forever blowing through one's mind.' What is important about your life?

Quote Of The Week

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. 

Ayn Rand

Scan This!

These are the new QR codes that are becoming more and more popular across the UK. Tips of the week - put one on your business card, all people have to do is scan it (through a QR code scanner on their phone), and they get redirected to your website straight away!

Joke of the Week  

There are three kinds of Accountants in the world.

Those who can count and those who can't. 

Free Useful Business Forms

Sponsoring the Brainteaser 

Article Features?

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That time of the year is, once again, upon us! Time to get all of your paperwork in - the sooner you get it in, the better. The later you are with your paperwork, then the more chance you could accumulate late penalties/interest.

Your accountant needs all of your paperwork ASAP!

To see what you need to take to your accountant, please click the appropriate link to you below:

Note: Check with your accountant, these are just basic guidelines as to what you need to hand in. 

Limited Companies  

Self Assessment/Sole Traders 

Once again, it is really important to get all your paperwork to your accountant ASAP in order to be 100% sure you won't get any fines.  

If you haven't already got an accountant, request a free consultation to see how Keepers can help you. 

BrainTeaser - Ostriches! 

Two ostrich breeders, Mark and Rachel, were talking one day, and noticed that if Mark sold Rachel seven ostriches, Mark would have exactly as many ostriches as Rachel.   

On the other hand, if Rachel sold Mark seven ostriches, then Mark would have exactly twice as many ostriches as Rachel. How many ostriches did each have?

Click here to email us the answer!  

This week's BrainTeaser is being sponsored by  Philemon Business Development. If you would like to know more about the benefits of sponsoring our BrainTeaser, click here. 

VAT Flat Rate Scheme - Could It Benefit You?  

To make it both simpler and quicker for businesses to calculate and complete their VAT return, the VAT Flat Rate Scheme (FRS) was introduced in 2002.

The VAT Flat Rate Scheme makes completing a VAT return simpler and quicker because the VAT payable to HMRC is calculated as a fixed percentage of the gross turnover of the business, rather than calculating the VAT due on individual purchases. This obviously reduces the amount of paperwork and calculations that need to be done.

There is no need to record the VAT incurred on most purchases and have to determine whether or not it is reclaimable when using the Flat Rate VAT Scheme; so there is less room for error. The amount of VAT charged to customers stays the same, regardless of whether you are using the flat rate scheme or not.

To read the rest of this article, click here. 

Client Spotlight - Philemon Business Development

Hi my name is Glen, I run Philemon Business Development, based in Hassocks and covering the South East of England.

We are business development specialists and are passionate about assisting businesses to grow to their true potential. There is no magic formula to increase sales performance, the Philemon Business Development approach is built on solid selling principles and effectiveness.

The strength Philemon Business Development can offer your business is based on simple and straightforward principles. What we mean is that we consider your company's current position in its residing market place and then devise a strategy for the company to develop.

This business development strategy is not based on just theory, but uses proven methods that deliver results and if adopted will take your company to its next commercial stage.

Philemon Business Development only started two months ago and already has one major client. My background covers 35 years selling experience and over 20 years in business development.  

My selling experience covers several market sectors, the latest being Telecommunications, working in Cable & Wireless as a Client Director. Through considerable selling experience, continual training and the ability to adopt new techniques, Philemon Business Development have created a business development program that, although is not unique, it will increase your sales activities, leading to the generation of new customers, retaining current clients longer and therefore increasing turnover.

Effectively Philemon Business Development becomes part of your company, dedicated to listening to your ambitions, your dreams and the end result you want. Understanding your company, your ethics, and how you work, is essential as it helps us to create a tailored business development strategy suited to your business that will win you new business opportunities, enabling you the precious time you need to work on your business.

The business plan for Philemon Business Development over the next five years is to build an organisation of sales professionals who are specifically geared to help SME's grow, to become the next generation of business pioneers and household names.

As a start up it is always difficult to find company's that genuinely have an interest in your business and Keepers are such a company. They have constantly been in contact, with news, plus much more, also helping me with business contacts and networking to increase my businesses exposure.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR THIS SPOTLIGHT IS THAT PHILEMON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WILL OFFER A FREE ' INTRODUCTORY SALES BRIEF'. This will create a starting point for your sales strategy to be reviewed, and optimised.  

To apply for this, please call me on either 01273 843802 or 07526 909 703, or alternatively, you can email me at glen@philemonbusinessdevelopment.com , and mention that you are calling about the Introductory Sales Brief included in the Keepers Newsletter. 

Glen Brackenbury, Philemon Business Development

www.philemonbusinessdevelopment.com 

glen@philemonbusinessdevelopment.com 

01273 843802

Entrepreneur's Relief - Could you save some tax on this?

Before the rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) was raised from 5% or 10% to 18% or 28%, small businesses were promised some sort of concession would be announced. We were expecting a form of retirement relief to be announced, but a brand new "Entrepreneur's Relief" was introduced instead.

Entrepreneur's relief is available to most, including individuals,

trustees (in some circumstances),

but not to limited companies.

You can claim Entrepreneur's Relief when you sell all of your business, or even shares in your own company after 5^th April 2008. The capital gain, when entrepreneur's relief is applied, is taxed at an effective rate of 10%, instead of 18% or even 28%.

There are, however, some stiff limitations to entrepreneur's relief:

To read the rest of this article, click here.