Tag Archive for COVID-19

A guide to getting a business loan during Covid-19 

Originally written by fundingoptions on Small Business
The government’s CBILS and BBLS initiatives are helping SMEs across the UK to access a Covid-19 business loan. On November 2, the Government announced that the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) will be extended until January 31 2021.
How do I apply for a government-backed loan?
Applications for the government backed loans schemes – including BBLS and CBILS — will be open until January 31 2021. Companies will have the option to repay their loans over 10 years via a “pay as you grow” initiative. If a business finds itself in “real trouble”, six-month interest-only payments and payment holidays are available.
Currently, there are over 100 accredited lenders providing finance to businesses through the CBILS scheme. Funding Options is partnered with 40 plus of them and you can use our platform to apply for a CBILS loan. The benefit of applying through an accredited partner like Funding Options is that a finance Specialist will help guide you through the process.
What do I need to apply?
Firstly, you must be a UK-based business to apply for government-backed support. For a BBLS loan the lender will ask you to submit a short online application form and self-declare that you’re

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3 steps to improve productivity during the pandemic

Originally written by anthonyimpey on Small Business
After the toughest year in living memory for business leaders across the country, it’s been great to hear the news of successful vaccine trials. However, it may be some time before British businesses return to something that feels like normality. The latest productivity figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that although there is a rise in how much each British worker produces since the start of the pandemic, it’s still below pre-crisis levels.
While it might have felt like a near impossible task over the last nine months, business leaders can improve the performance of their teams – and therefore overall productivity – during a pandemic. The prize is greater profits and a more resilient business.
The pandemic has been a huge trend accelerator – with perhaps the most seismic shift towards online, by both consumers and businesses. Business leaders have also been presented with new management challenges every day. The need for faster decision making and the extended period of remote working has forced many leaders to rapidly introduce new processes and new technology.
‘The first lockdown caused three years’ worth of innovation in the first three months of the pandemic’
The pace

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3 steps to improve productivity during the pandemic

Originally written by anthonyimpey on Small Business
After the toughest year in living memory for business leaders across the country, it’s been great to hear the news of successful vaccine trials. However, it may be some time before British businesses return to something that feels like normality. The latest productivity figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that although there is a rise in how much each British worker produces since the start of the pandemic, it’s still below pre-crisis levels.
While it might have felt like a near impossible task over the last nine months, business leaders can improve the performance of their teams – and therefore overall productivity – during a pandemic. The prize is greater profits and a more resilient business.
The pandemic has been a huge trend accelerator – with perhaps the most seismic shift towards online, by both consumers and businesses. Business leaders have also been presented with new management challenges every day. The need for faster decision making and the extended period of remote working has forced many leaders to rapidly introduce new processes and new technology.
‘The first lockdown caused three years’ worth of innovation in the first three months of the pandemic’
The pace

Read more...

Rishi Sunak ignores small business and self-employed in Spending Review

Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Rishi Sunak has mostly ignored small business hit by the pandemic and the struggling self-employed in today’s Spending Review.
The chancellor shrugged off calls for him to cut national insurance and help those self-employed such as company directors who have found themselves excluded from government Covid support.
He did however freeze any increase in business rates when they kick back in again in April. The Treasury estimates that this move will save businesses £575m over the next five years.
Indeed, there was more help for the employee than the employer, as Mr Sunak increased the National Living Wage to £8.91 per hour for those aged over 23 and announced a Restart Scheme to help the newly unemployed.
Jonathan Geldart, director general of the Institute of Directors, welcomes the Restart Scheme but said the chancellor missed a trick by not combining the scheme with a cut to employers’ NI contributions.
>See also: Rishi Sunak urged to help self-employed company directors
Nigel Morris, employment tax director at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, said that Sunak failed to deliver for businesses.
Morris said: “More help for businesses is essential to protect our economy, yet we saw no major support made available for them, for example

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Rishi Sunak ignores small business and self-employed in Spending Review

Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Rishi Sunak has mostly ignored small business hit by the pandemic and the struggling self-employed in today’s Spending Review.
The chancellor shrugged off calls for him to cut national insurance and help those self-employed such as company directors who have found themselves excluded from government Covid support.
He did however freeze any increase in business rates when they kick back in again in April. The Treasury estimates that this move will save businesses £575m over the next five years.
Indeed, there was more help for the employee than the employer, as Mr Sunak increased the National Living Wage to £8.91 per hour for those aged over 23 and announced a Restart Scheme to help the newly unemployed.
Jonathan Geldart, director general of the Institute of Directors, welcomes the Restart Scheme but said the chancellor missed a trick by not combining the scheme with a cut to employers’ NI contributions.
>See also: Rishi Sunak urged to help self-employed company directors
Nigel Morris, employment tax director at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, said that Sunak failed to deliver for businesses.
Morris said: “More help for businesses is essential to protect our economy, yet we saw no major support made available for them, for example

Read more...

Rishi Sunak urged to help self-employed company directors

Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Lobbyists, trade associations and experts have joined forces to urge Rishi Sunak to help company directors frozen out of government Covid-19 support.
A consortium of professional bodies has urged the chancellor to consider proposals for a “Directors Income Support Scheme” (DISS), which would mirror the Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) under which sole traders can claim up to £2,500 per month.
This is a last-ditch attempt for the Treasury to change its mind before this week’s Spending Review.
>See also: When and where to apply for the new 80% self-employed grant
Until now the Treasury has balked at helping self-employed directors of limited companies who pay themselves in dividends, claiming it would be too difficult to separate company income from passive income, such as property and shares.
This is despite company directors paying themselves through through dividends being the standard accounting structure used by around 2m small UK limited companies, ranging from those with sole owner directors to micro businesses, which collectively employ 7.5m people.
Some see the Treasury’s mulishness as a disguised attack by HMRC on self-employed company directors, who often pay less into National Insurance and pay corporation tax instead of income tax.
It is estimated that around

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