Originally written by Helen Jamieson on Small Business
On top of the Covid-19 headache, there are growing concerns that many European nationals are unaware of what they need to do to continue working in the UK, such as applying for settled status.
Research from The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants earlier this month warned that one in seven EU care employees was at risk of losing their immigration status as a result of changes to regulations. This indicates a worrying lack of awareness among EU employees about the need to act now to secure working status.
If your European employees fail to secure this settled status (or pre-settled status) before the deadline they run the risk of losing their right to remain in the UK. That could be a massive blow to your business.
It is essential that, as an employer, you know where you stand in relation to the new immigration rules and that you support your employees to do what they need to do.
What do European employees need to know about securing the right status?
There are mounting concerns that many EU, EEA and Swiss nationals do not know they need to apply for settled status, with some believing that as
Tag Archive for Brexit
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What is the UKCA mark and how does it affect my small business?
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Now that we’ve left the EU, small businesses need to think about changes to how they label their products, including the UKCA.
We clear up what the UKCA mark is and what you need to do to keep compliant.
What is the UKCA mark?
The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark, pictured left, is a marking for products on the market in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). It replaces the CE mark.
Do I need to use the UKCA marking?
If you’re selling goods within Great Britain – and they previously needed the CE mark – then yes. As well as goods that have previously needed the CE mark, it’s needed on aerosols which previously needed a ‘reverse epsilon’ marking, as shown below.
The UKCA came into effect on January 1 2021 once the Brexit transition period ended. However, an adjustment grace period has been allowed so you can still use the CE mark until January 1 2022 while you make adjustments. You should be looking to change to the UKCA mark as soon as possible though.
You only need to use the UKCA before January 1 2022 if all of the following apply:
Your product is for the market in
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Europe’s small businesses call for three-month post-Brexit transition period
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Companies need a minimum three-month transition period for new regulation, even if a Brexit deal is agreed, say Europe’s small businesses.
SMEunited, the organisation which represents small businesses at an EU level, say businesses need a phased introduction to trading with Britain post-EU.
In order to allow SMEs necessary preparation time for new customs rules, transport requirements, phytosanitary tests and more, a phased three-month transition is required, says SMEunited. Otherwise, the new conditions will have serious repercussions for SMEs on both sides of the Channel.
>See also: How Brexit is going to affect your business – #1 imports
SMEunited warned many SMEs are struggling to adapt to the changing status of the EU-UK relationship. SMEunited has been encouraging its members to inform SMEs of the changes to EU-UK trade conditions, such as new customs rules and transport requirements.
Craig Beaumont, chief of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses said: “Some border checks and payment rules are already delayed to July, however small firms will need time to get to grips with the new requirements. We have asked the government to include in the deal a phased introduction of new trade arrangements for the most complex areas,
Hot Business News Today
Europe’s small businesses call for three-month post-Brexit transition period
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Companies need a minimum three-month transition period for new regulation, even if a Brexit deal is agreed, say Europe’s small businesses.
SMEunited, the organisation which represents small businesses at an EU level, say businesses need a phased introduction to trading with Britain post-EU.
In order to allow SMEs necessary preparation time for new customs rules, transport requirements, phytosanitary tests and more, a phased three-month transition is required, says SMEunited. Otherwise, the new conditions will have serious repercussions for SMEs on both sides of the Channel.
>See also: How Brexit is going to affect your business – #1 imports
SMEunited warned many SMEs are struggling to adapt to the changing status of the EU-UK relationship. SMEunited has been encouraging its members to inform SMEs of the changes to EU-UK trade conditions, such as new customs rules and transport requirements.
Craig Beaumont, chief of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses said: “Some border checks and payment rules are already delayed to July, however small firms will need time to get to grips with the new requirements. We have asked the government to include in the deal a phased introduction of new trade arrangements for the most complex areas,
Hot Business News Today
How Brexit is going to affect your business – #2 exports
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Exports are one of the areas that will change for business after the Brexit transition period comes to an end.
There’ll be no change if you’re shipping to other parts of the UK or outside the EU. However, if you’re exporting to the EU, you’ve got some bits to factor in.
If we have a hard/no-deal Brexit, we’ll become a third country, where goods will need to be cleared at customs. To deal with these changes, you need to address the following seven areas.
Get an EORI number
As with imports, you’ll need an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number to export goods to the EU. An EORI has 12 digits and starts with GB.
If your business is service based rather than goods based, you may not need one. But if you are exporting to your business space in the EU, you’ll still need an EORI number.
Read more by heading over to EORI number: what it is and how to get or check one.
Have a look at your commodity/tariff codes
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System or Harmonized system (HS) will have a run-down of codes you need to export to the EU. You will need these codes
Hot Business News Today
How Brexit is going to affect your business – #2 exports
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Exports are one of the areas that will change for business after the Brexit transition period comes to an end.
There’ll be no change if you’re shipping to other parts of the UK or outside the EU. However, if you’re exporting to the EU, you’ve got some bits to factor in.
If we have a hard/no-deal Brexit, we’ll become a third country, where goods will need to be cleared at customs. To deal with these changes, you need to address the following seven areas.
Get an EORI number
As with imports, you’ll need an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number to export goods to the EU. An EORI has 12 digits and starts with GB.
If your business is service based rather than goods based, you may not need one. But if you are exporting to your business space in the EU, you’ll still need an EORI number.
Read more by heading over to EORI number: what it is and how to get or check one.
Have a look at your commodity/tariff codes
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System or Harmonized system (HS) will have a run-down of codes you need to export to the EU. You will need these codes
Hot Business News Today
Keeping 2021 simple for small and medium-sized enterprises
by Partner Content • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
Whatever form Brexit takes, it’s going to make life more complicated for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). But when placed in the context of a recession caused by a continuing global pandemic, it makes the route ahead incredibly uncertain – especially for those businesses trading overseas. Open Banking provides clues to a way forward for SMEs, but some major opportunities have been missed thus far. With a unique understanding of Open Banking, Currensea is providing SMEs with simplicity and transparency over their international transactions and helping them find the clearest route through 2021.
SMEs in 2020
In many ways, SMEs are the heart of the UK economy; in 2019, there were 5.9 million SMEs in the country, providing employment to 16.6 million people and seeing an estimated turnover of £2.2 trillion.
Up to 4.72 million of these SMEs trade internationally and a quarter of them have had to slow or halt overseas trading due to the restrictions of the pandemic. In fact, SME exports have dropped by around 10 per cent – this alone has cost the UK up to £20 billion.
But the pandemic is not the only complicating factor for SMEs; Brexit has been hanging
Hot Business News Today
Keeping 2021 simple for small and medium-sized enterprises
by Partner Content • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
Whatever form Brexit takes, it’s going to make life more complicated for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). But when placed in the context of a recession caused by a continuing global pandemic, it makes the route ahead incredibly uncertain – especially for those businesses trading overseas. Open Banking provides clues to a way forward for SMEs, but some major opportunities have been missed thus far. With a unique understanding of Open Banking, Currensea is providing SMEs with simplicity and transparency over their international transactions and helping them find the clearest route through 2021.
SMEs in 2020
In many ways, SMEs are the heart of the UK economy; in 2019, there were 5.9 million SMEs in the country, providing employment to 16.6 million people and seeing an estimated turnover of £2.2 trillion.
Up to 4.72 million of these SMEs trade internationally and a quarter of them have had to slow or halt overseas trading due to the restrictions of the pandemic. In fact, SME exports have dropped by around 10 per cent – this alone has cost the UK up to £20 billion.
But the pandemic is not the only complicating factor for SMEs; Brexit has been hanging
Hot Business News Today
How Brexit is going to affect your business – #1 imports
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
You will have to declare all post Brexit imports
As EU businesses, UK retailers did not previously have to declare goods arriving from suppliers also within the EU. Post Brexit, all businesses will have to declare all imports arriving from within the EU. This is already the case for importing from non-EU countries such as the USA, China and other non-EU countries such as Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Iceland.
You can make the declarations yourself, but most businesses use a courier, freight forwarder or customs agent.
If you want to declare customs yourself, discover what to do here.
On the other hand, if you want to use a customs agent or freight forwarder you can find a list here.
New rules for certain types of goods
There will be different rules for importing goods in categories including food, seeds, alcohol and tobacco. You may need to update the licenses and certifications for any products you import that fall under these categories.
Find out more about licences and certifications here
Find out more about rules for food, seeds and manufactured goods here
Find out more about rules for alcohol, tobacco and certain oils here
You will need an EORI number
If you already import from
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Government positive about small business Brexit transition voucher
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Michael Gove has responded positively to the concept of a Brexit transition voucher to help small businesses get through Brexit.
The Cabinet Office minister, who is in charge of Brexit preparations, has said the concept of a Brexit transition voucher for small businesses which need to buy new equipment or pay for services would be looked at and required “intense conversations”.
Federation of Small Businesses, which posed the question about a Brexit transition voucher to Mr Gove, has long supported such a scheme. Last month FSB chairman Mike Cherry described transition vouchers as “a sensible way forward” – set sums which could be spent on expertise, tech and training.
>See also: Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, business rates return in April
Last month FSB national chairman Mike Cherry said: “Given that small firms have been flat out managing coronavirus-linked disruption for the past six months, the Government needs to step in with substantial financial support to assist with transition preparations.”
The Cabinet Office minister was speaking yesterday during a conference call with 250 company leaders and business groups.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also on the call and reportedly made positive noises about help for small