Business Manchester

Unpaid debt warning

Sam Whitear

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11/09/2017

A debt recovery expert is advising businesses on the options available if outstanding debts owed them remain unpaid.

Recent figures from Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd, the company behind Direct Debit, showed that SMEs in the UK are owed more than £14billion.

Most businesses are able to successfully chase these debts by invoicing early or other methods, but it may become necessary to turn to the County Court for a judgment which will formally decide the debtor does indeed owe the money.

Sharon Walker, debt recovery manager at regional law firm Napthens, reports that if a judgment remains unpaid, despite repeated requests, a creditor has the option to continue with further enforcement – such as through an enforcement officer.

To do this a judgment obtained in the County Court can be transferred to the High Court and registered as a High Court judgment.

Sharon explained: “A High Court enforcement officer can execute a County Court judgment over £600. Anything under that amount is dealt with by the court bailiff.

“Enforcement officers earn their fees from the debtor when they collect, and as a result do have higher collection rates.

“There are strict rules for the officers to follow, such as not being able to enter a home by force, between 9pm and 6am or through anything other than the door.

“Before any attendance is made to collect a debt, a notice of enforcement will be sent to the debtor to give them an opportunity to pay, and it is common to find that if a debtor has ignored previous requests for payment, a visit by a court bailiff or enforcement officer can often prompt a debtor to agree a payment arrangement.

“Any businesses facing unpaid debts should take professional advice early to ensure they use the correct approach.”

HOME ADVANTAGE FOR FAMILIES IN PRESTWICH

News

Sam Whitear

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11/09/2017

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FAMILIES who fear being forced out of Prestwich by rising house prices are being given a helping hand by Redrow.

The homebuilder has got a number of properties at its Woodland View development for sale under its unique Advantage scheme, which means they can be bought for just 75% of the market value providing people fulfil a strict criteria.

“We are very much aware of how hard it can be to get on to the property ladder, so it’s important that our developments offer different ways to help people achieve home ownership,” explains Claire Jarvis, sales director for Redrow Homes.

“And it’s why our developments like Woodland View include a range of affordable homes designed to help local people stay in the area, thereby strengthening the community. Communities can be created anywhere, but they are considerably enhanced by people who have lived in the area for many years and whose families have lived here too. They are invested in a place and interested in making it a better place – for everyone.”

Redrow is offering a range of 24 homes for sale under the Advantage umbrella at Woodland View, off Pinfold Drive. Ten of them will be four-bedroom Kenilworth family-sized homes, of which four are available now.

“It is important that we don’t just make our Advantage homes available for younger first-time buyers,” adds Claire, “It’s vital to provide for the family market too, whether that’s to accommodate growing numbers of children or, simply, children who are growing up and need that private space and independence.

“In an area like Prestwich, which is very much on the up following a massive town centre regeneration scheme, it becomes even more difficult as demand forces prices up even further and people can be left with no alternative but to move away to be able to afford a home of their own.”

The four Kenilworth homes currently available are offered at the discounted price of £213,750 – a massive saving of £71,250 – for those who fit the specified criteria set by Bury Council within whose authority the homes are being built: that means families who need the extra space with a joint income of circa £60,000 (in order to confirm eligibility, the council will multiply gross annual income by four for single applicants or by 3.5 for joint applications).

Further qualifying factors include it being the family’s main residence and being able to show a need for the size of home being applied for (ie. a single person or couple will only be able to apply for a two-bedroom property). Certain considerations can be waived if a property has been completed and there is no interest from other qualifying families, but buyers do have to be on the council’s affordable housing waiting list to access the homes and they must have lived in the area for at least six months.

“Unlike other incentives like Help to Buy, the 25% discount does not have to be paid back at a later day. All we ask if that people who use Advantage pass the discount on to similar qualifying people when they come to sell,” Claire says.

Woodland View features a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes from Redrow’s Arts & Crafts-inspired Heritage Collection, which combines traditional craftsmanship exteriors based on the popular era with bright, spacious interiors.

The three-storey Kenilworth townhouse is an integral part of that collection with plenty of period-style features outside and a modern, well-appointed interior within. Its accommodation includes an open plan kitchen and dining area, lounge, cloakroom and laundry room on the ground floor; three bedrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor; and a sumptuous master bedroom with en-suite spanning the entire top floor.

Other properties due to be offered under the Advantage umbrella at a later date include a pair of four-bedroom detached Stratfords, four Broadway three-bedroom terraces and eight two-bedroom apartments, ensuring plenty of variety for local buyers.

Other three and four-bedroom detached open market properties are coming soon.

Woodland View is close to a Tesco superstore and residents can take advantage of the independent shops, bars and restaurants of Prestwich village centre

Less than four miles from Manchester, the development is situated just off junction 17 of the M60, so close to the extensive motorway network. It is also on the doorstep of Phillips Park, with its extensive woodland and open spaces, which makes it ideal for families and professionals who want to commute to work but get that work/life balance for a better quality of life.

Prestwich is part of the Manchester Metrolink Tram system, with regular trams every few minutes during the rush hour, connecting to Manchester in around 17 minutes and Bury in 19.

Sale Sharks shirt to feature iconic Manchester bee during 2017/2018 season

News

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11/09/2017

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Sale Sharks’ away shirt for the 2017/2018 season will feature the iconic worker bee in memory of the victims of the Manchester terror attack.

The Manchester-based rugby club kicks off their Aviva Premiership campaign this Friday away to last season’s beaten finalists Wasps.

The worker bee – which represents the industrial heritage of Manchester and was adopted into the city’s coat of arms in 1842 – will join the logos of corporate partners Together, Litmos, Morson and headline sponsor UKFast on the shirt.

Seashell Trust – a Manchester charity that provides a creative, happy and secure environment for children and young adults with complex and severe learning disabilities – will also feature on the away shirt between the shoulders throughout this season.

Sale Sharks Director of Rugby Steve Diamond said the presence of the bee will bring an already tight knit squad closer together.
He said: “It’s now more than a year since two prominent Manchester businessmen Simon Orange and Ged Mason became the co-owners of Sale Sharks.

“Ever since Simon and Ged came in we have been working hard to improve all aspects of the club. This season, with a handful of world class signings secured over the summer and with the backing of our brilliant fans and corporate partners, we intend to make our mark in the Premiership.”

He added: “Ever since May’s devastating attack at Manchester Arena, people in this region have shown incredible unity and strength while also showing the world what a truly special place Manchester is. Having the iconic worker bee on our away shirt will only enhance the community spirit of our rugby club, whilst also expressing our intention to continue to help all of those affected by the tragic attack through the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.

“Our players will wear the shirt with pride throughout the whole of the 2017/2018 season.”
Cllr Sue Murphy, chair of the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, said: “We are delighted Sale Sharks are showing their support for the Emergency Fund by including the iconic bee on their shirts and by fundraising for us.

“We continue to be unbelievably grateful for the solidarity shown to the people of Manchester and the victims of the attack. The money raised will make a real difference to the lives of those people.”
Dominic Tinner, Head of Fundraising, Marketing and Community Development at Seashell Trust said: “We are extremely pleased to feature on the Sale Sharks kit. It will only boost awareness of the important work Seashell Trust does in the community.”

Tips for selling property at auction

Sam Whitear

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11/09/2017

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A residential property expert is giving her top tips for selling at auction following an increase in popularity of the method.

Sarah Barnes, head of Residential Property at regional law firm Napthens, reveals that the number of properties sold via auction has increased recently as both sellers and buyers become aware of its potential merits.

Larger organisations such as housing associations and property investors already buy and sell homes this way, and Sarah reveals that there can be many advantages – but warned there is work which needs to be done up-front to prepare.

Sarah said: “Selling at auction may not be for everyone, but there are distinct benefits for those that decide to give it a go.

“The conveyancing process can be quicker, as the auction may take place a month after a seller has registered, with completion usually around 30 days after the auction date.

“Auctions can attract a variety of buyers, usually in a position to make a cash purchase. If there is a lot of interest, this can help achieve a higher price than on the open market.

“However, it’s important to remember that the proper preparation must be carried out ahead of an auction which can put many people off.”

Sarah explained that the key steps for selling at auction include:

Check with the auctioneer as to the level of service provided for the fee being paid. For instance, auctioneers will usually show bidders round a property and provide online and telephone bidding. Will they also advertise a property in newspapers and catalogues?
Decide whether there is to be a reserve price, which means a property cannot be sold for less than the agreed figure.
Include your lawyer in the process as quickly as possible as they will need to check the auctioneer’s conditions of sale and draft a contract. Disclose relevant information such as title documents, search results and energy performance certificate.
On the auction day itself contracts are binding on the fall of the gavel, with the buyer instructed to sign the contract and pay a 10 per cent deposit. Completion usually takes 30 days so both the seller and buyer will need to ensure they are ready to proceed.

Less than 10 weeks to Smarter Business Tech LIVE

Sam Whitear

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11/09/2017

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It is now less than 10 weeks to the inaugural Smarter Business Tech LIVE event, which will be held in Manchester on 15 and 16 November.

Smarter Business Tech LIVE will be the largest business technology EXPO for the North and Midlands. Ian Stone, who is organising the event said, “In today’s technology-fueled, hyper-competitive business environment, SMART use of technology-based solutions across IT, Business Management, Sales & Marketing is now crucial to be competitive & achieve dynamic & sustainable growth. We are therefore bringing together three powerful events to empower business teams to reach the next level in agility & performance. Packed with unmissable ‘intelligence’, ‘guidance’ and ‘latest tech demos’ from 200+ expert contributors we promise this is not to be missed!”

CIM is headline partner of the Smarter Sales & Marketing Technology Show, providing FREE marketing advice for businesses from local Chartered Marketers, FREE careers advice for marketers using their diagnostic tool and FREE taster sessions of their qualifications in partnership with some of their Accredited Study Centres.

At 13:00 each day Imran Farooq, Managing Director of MMC Learning, will deliver a taster session on the brand new CIM Level 6 Digital Diploma in Professional Marketing. This is for marketers in operational, supervisory or managements roles who want to develop their digital marketing strategy and skills – ideal for digital marketing managers, digital specialists and marketing managers who want a better understanding of digital. Imran said, “You will get an insight into the skills and digital channels you should focus on to become the Digital Marketer employers and clients will want to hire.”

Diane Earles, Network Manager for CIM, said, “Imran will be available on the CIM stand after his session to discuss our qualifications in detail with attendees and answer any questions.” She continued, “We are looking forward to the event. We have plenty to talk to people about, so we’re sure to have a busy two days!”

For more information on Smarter Business Tech LIVE go to http://www.smarterbusinesstechlive.com/ #sbtl17 #marketingdna

Business Manchester launched today

Sam Whitear

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11/09/2017

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Following the success of Business Lancashire, and the subsequent demand from contacts in Greater Manchester, The Samuel James Group is proud to announce Business Manchester, as its latest regionally focused good news business website and weekly newsletter.

Commented Andy Mann, Editor, Business Manchester: “When we established Business Lancashire in November 2016, we never expected to be launching another regional business website so quickly.

“However, with a collective audience reach to date of over one million and last month’s social media impressions of circa 100,000, Business Lancashire is undoubtedly a success. We now want to share this channel concept with the business community of Greater Manchester. That’s why we have launched Business Manchester today.”
Added Sam Whitear, Director, The Samuel James Group: “It is a proud day for us, with the launch of Business Manchester. We intend this new channel to complement the existing North-West business channels to ensure that the business community’s voice is heard and to highlight the numerous positive business stories that we hear about, but which may not be so widely known.

“If you have a Greater Manchester related good news business story, please send the story plus an image to [email protected]
“Also, please sign up for our weekly newsletter (www.businessmanchester.co.uk) and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. You won’t regret it!!!! “

Implications of purchasing digital advertising

Sam Whitear

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10/09/2017

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When it comes to the world of advertising and marketing, like most small business owners. I’ve wasted many thousands of pounds over the years on purchasing online digital advertising on news sites, industry publications and even directories

The reason I say ‘wasted’ is the fact that, for any form of online advertising to be worth the investment. There needs to be a potential return. Sure, returns come in all different formats. The objective might be to boost your brand awareness, sell a new product or generate leads for your business.

For me, I can honestly say that the tens of thousands of pounds I have spent on banner advertising on top news and industry sites have provided zero return. Why? Simply because it was sold to me using meaningless data just to make it sound very good.

What a fantastic advertising deal this sounds

Have you ever been contacted by the sales team at your local newspaper who want you to purchase banner advertising on their website? I have many times and no doubt you have too. Now, have the media sales team made the banner advertising deal sound so fantastic that you just cannot afford to miss out on this fantastic deal? WOW! Imagine your business being featured in your local newspaper that gets 3 million impressions per month, for a cost of only £500! Sounds like an incredible investment, doesn’t it? After all, you’d be getting 6,000 impressions for every pound you invest. That’s if you are sold on the number of impressions your banner advert will receive.

What are impressions when related to any media website?

Before I go into explaining why it might not be such a good advertising deal, I firstly want to simply explain what an impression is when related to advertising.

“Every time any page is loaded on the media website, it counts as one impression.”

Let’s keep with the scenario of the media site securing 3 million impressions per month. That means three million pages on their website have been loaded – NOT READ. These impressions might not even be real people as each time Google (and other search engines) crawl the website, counts towards that impressions.

How you can verify real impressions

If you are ever considering advertising on a news site or directory based on impressions, you should ask the media sales rep for proof of their stated monthly impressions. A screenshot can be taken from their Google Analytics account as real proof of the number of monthly impressions. After all, if you are going to be paying a few hundred pounds advertising your business on their website. The least they can do is provide you with this simple screenshot. It only takes one minute.

Real figures you should be basing your decision on

What you really need to know though is, the average number of ‘unique visits’ per month instead. A unique visitor is a real person who has not viewed any page on that website within the past month. Going one step further, you need to know the demographic split of those monthly unique visitors.

Only now are you able to make a real informed decision on the potential reach of your advertising campaign.

As an example. For the purposes of this article and for me to prove a point. I’m going to fabricate a fashion business who sells designer dresses. Out of those 3 million impressions, how many impressions are your target audience? Let’s say that the media sales person has provided you with all the stats you have asked for and there are 250,000 unique views per month on their site. Now, what percentage of those 250K people will be your target audience?

THIS is the fact and figure you NEED and MUST base your media banner advertising decision on. Why? Because it will have an INFORMED decision on your investment spend.

Measuring the impact

I know that there are never any guaranteed returns when it comes to online advertising. I would be stupid to state otherwise. You do need to know however if your advertising investment has been worth it.

A straightforward way to check is to login to your Google Analytics account. If you don’t have one, why? It’s free and gives you access to so much information. Once you have logged in – browse to ACQUISION > All Traffic > Referrals. Set the date range to when your banner advert has been live. Look down the list of websites until you see the URL (website address) of the site you have advertised on and look at ‘new users’. This will tell you the number of people who have clicked on your banner advert who was directed to your website.

If you paid £500 but only got 5 people clicking through to your website. Was that a worthwhile investment? If I said to you – “Give me £500 and I will send five people to your website each month with no guarantee that they will buy or even enquire”. Would you snap my hand off? Of course, you wouldn’t.

As small business owners, we need to be more aware

Do not get me wrong. I’m not against purchasing banner advertising on news or industry related websites. I have personally run very effective banner advertising campaigns throughout the years providing a fantastic return on investment for me clients. How? I simply did my research and asked the right questions.

To conclude this post, anytime you are considering advertising on any website. Ask yourself this one question:

“Does advertising on this website have the ability to drive real targeted people (a potential new customer)?”

If you are a large brand with very deep pockets and the aim of your banner advertising is to spread your brand awareness far and wide, then sure. Go for it, but most small business owner’s do not have that luxury so we all need to be a little more vigilant before investing our advertising budget.

I hope you found this post useful and good luck!

A Quick Recap:

Is the Audience right for you?
Prove the stats (Ask for unique visitors and demographics)
Determine your budget and your ROI
If in doubt ask, there are Advertising Laws and you have the right to ask

10 tips for SME Success

Business support

Sam Whitear

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10/09/2017

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Although the number of SME businesses continues to grow in the UK, what is needed to become a small business success story?

With almost 30 years of working in a variety of businesses, industries and businesses, SME business Director, David Teasdale, shares the following top ten tips, based on his own successes and failings in the world of small business.

Continually strive for a product that people want – Without sales the company has no income and so most of the company’s attention has to be directed to this end.
Treat your customers well – in all transactions, but also recognise not all customers are equal and a nuanced approach to customer management will ensure that you get the best returns.
Use hard data rather than hunches – This doesn’t mean that you should get analysis paralysis but it does mean act on research, feedback, facts etc not gut feelings or hunches.
Be action orientated – Just like the Harvard studies suggest, leaders who are action orientated are more successful.
Get the right team – People are intrinsic to a company’s success. Get the right people who are committed, capable and willing to learn. Equally people who do not make the grade can be disastrous for the business and so must be dealt with.
Treat your people well – work is not just a transactional process – you don’t just turn up and the company pays you. There is a psychological contract too which means that people who feel that they are treated fairly and respect will return in kind, bringing huge value to the business.
Maintain loose, tight control – this dichotomous approach is actually straight forward. Allow your capable people to manage and not only will this take the load off you but also give them greater work satisfaction and allow them to grow. Tight control however must be maintained of certain things such as key customer management and financial matters.
Manage your cash tightly – Business that are making profit can still run out of cash. Cash low forecasts and creditor and debtor management can be key to avoiding insolvency.
Control your unnecessary costs – If a cost cannot be directly linked to the improvement of the top line or the bottom line it should always be questioned.
Keep a firm grip generally on financial matters – Pricing, margin and cost management decisions should be tightly controlled either by clear business rules, systemisation or personally at a senior level.

Finally, ‘work on the business as well as in the business’ and there is a clear distinction between the two. Senior management who get too involved working in the business can miss external opportunities or threats which may have significant impact on the business.

Could share schemes improve business performance and talent retention?

Sam Whitear

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10/09/2017

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HMRC has published its latest batch of share scheme statistics, which showed that UK employees enjoyed estimated tax relief of over £1bn from tax-advantaged share schemes in the year to April 2016.

This year’s figures showed particularly strong growth in the use of Enterprise Management Incentives (known as EMI options), with the value of shares under EMI options granted in the year increasing by 23 per cent from the last set of statistics published two years ago. EMI options offer companies the opportunity to give employees a chance to share in the growth and success of a business, with any gains made on the sale of the EMI shares generally only subject to 10 per cent tax, which compares favourably to cash bonuses or ‘unapproved’ share options which are taxed at rates of up to 47 per cent for the employee and 13.8 per cent for the employer.

Although HMRC does not provide a regional breakdown of the statistics, there has been huge demand from North West businesses for share schemes over the past couple of years. Not least for EMI schemes where employers want to provide a real incentive to key employees to drive business performance, increase shareholder value, and give those individuals a stake and sense of ownership of the business.

The North West is a hot bed of entrepreneurial businesses and high-growth companies, and this could explain the increase in demand as leaders of ambitious businesses increasingly recognise that performance can be substantially improved where employees have a stake in the company they work for. The fact that this can be done in such a tax-efficient way, enabled by the government’s desire to encourage the small and medium-sized businesses, makes the use of arrangements such as EMI options a no-brainer for many companies to improve performance and retain key talent.

Martin Cooper, RSM’s head of employee share incentives in the North West

2017 – a year of employment law updates

Business support

Sam Whitear

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10/09/2017

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The Employment & HR team at Napthens solicitors is highlighting key legal changes introduced in 2017 – and beyond – which affect employers.

Among the areas of law which will see significant changes are income tax and salary sacrifice, free childcare and the National Living Wage.

Chris Boyle, head of the Employment & HR team at Napthens, said: “2017 has already been a very active year for employment law changes and there is much more we anticipate seeing before the year ends, or during 2018 and beyond.

“Some of these will mean major changes for employers to manage, and preparing well in advance can make the process smoother, and ensure employers are less likely to fall foul of the law.”

Ten of the top upcoming changes include:

National Living Wage: Following the Queen’s Speech on 21 June 2017, it was established that the National Living Wage is expected to increase to 60 per cent of the median earnings by 2020, after which this will continue to rise in line with average earnings.

GPDR (General Data Protection Regulations): This will replace the current Data Protection Act in 2018, in order to enable the UK to maintain its ability to share data with EU states post-Brexit.

Repeal of the European Communities Act: A Bill will be introduced to repeal the current Act in order to provide certainty for individuals and businesses post Brexit negotiations.

6 point plan for the Gig Economy, following the Taylor Review. The plan includes promoting technology that benefits the workforce and creating a fairer tax system.

The Trade Union Bill came into force on 1 March 2017.It included changes to trade union laws such as ballots now requiring a 50 per cent turnout to be effective, and union supervision of picketing.

Personal Income Tax: The Government intends to increase the Personal Allowance Tax to £12,500 and the higher rate threshold to £50,000 by 2020-21.

Salary Sacrifice:Whilst existing arrangements will remain protected until April 2018, for new schemes, as of April 2017, the only benefits that will receive a benefit from tax and NI relief include childcare vouchers, cycle to work equipment, ultra-low emission cars and enhanced employer pension contributions.

30 hours of free childcare per week: As of September 2017, the Government proposes to increase the provision of free childcare (for eligible working parents) for those children aged between 3 and 4 for up to 30 hours per week.

Gender Pay Gap Reporting: Large private sectors and voluntary sector employers must publish their First Gender Pay Gap Reports by no later than April 4, 2018.

Caste Discrimination: following a consultation paper launched in March, the Government discussed amendments to the Equality Act to include an order to cover caste as an aspect of race discrimination and allow case law to develop naturally.