16 November 2021 Have a Fantastic Christmas! No, I haven’t lost my marbles – nor have I mislaid the rest of November. It’s just that I can predict the future! As with years gone by, the festive season will come along in a rush, the family will... Categories Personal Tax/Small Businesses Comments: 0
18 October 2021 Personnel, benefits and pensions, oh my! If having employees is in your business plan, then this is the whistle-stop tour for you to understand what you need to put in place. Categories New Business Startup Comments: 0
5 October 2021 Welcome to the 21st Century – digitising your business I’ve no doubt that there are companies in this country who still have a preference for paper bookkeeping but, depending on what type of company you are setting up and what turnover you will have, the move towards digital is inevitable. Categories New Business Startup Comments: 0
20 September 2021 For the love of bookkeeping Let’s face it, unless you are an accountant, most people shudder at the thought of bookkeeping, especially when they have everything else to do while running a business. Once established, many companies employ or contract someone to do this role for them. If you are starting out and are doing the books yourself, or your plan is to employ someone from the outset, it’s really important to understand the importance of keeping an up-to-date record of your money… Categories New Business Startup Comments: 0
6 September 2021 Tax basics for your start-up Believe it or not, the ‘taxman’ (or woman!) is your friend. No, it’s true. If you’ve ever been on the HMRC website, all the information about self-assessment, national insurance, how to set up an account, tax rates, VAT, PAYE and benefits is available for anyone setting up or running a business. There’s also a lot of it and to some, it may feel overwhelming. So here is a quick overview guide to tax for your start-up business… Categories New Business Startup Comments: 0
23 August 2021 Reviewing your business before you sign on the dotted line We’ve all heard the phrase “dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s” and never is this more important in business than when you have an idea and you start to draw up plans. When it comes to an idea for a new start up, I always advise clients to go through the same process… Categories New Business Startup Comments: 0
9 August 2021 Support for your new business venture Setting up a business can be both scary and exciting. Whether you are thinking of setting up on your own or with a partner, it’s vital you have support, and the right kind of support… Categories New Business Startup Comments: 0
27 July 2021 Is working from home working for you? The covid-19 pandemic saw unprecedented numbers of people either being furloughed or working from home. It has certainly given many pause for thought about our working lives. For some, working from home might have suited them down to the ground, others not so much. Maybe you’ve been thinking about trading the office for a life of self-employment… Categories New Business Startup Comments: 0
12 July 2021 Doing Good for the World Giving back through charitable deeds is one important step businesses can take to be ‘sustainable’. By practicing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a company contributes money, time or expertise that enhance society and the environment. Categories Sustainable Business Comments: 0
21 June 2021 The People Dynamic As a business owner, it stands to reason that you’re 100% committed to your business, which means you’re happy to pour all you’ve got into it. You need to be realistic however and understand that your team might not have the same 100% commitment as you do. But there are things you can do to find and keep good people and help them cultivate a high level of dedication to your business and their work. Categories Sustainable Business Comments: 0
8 June 2021 Preparing for Bumps in the Road One thing’s for sure, there’s no certainty when it comes to business! There are always going to be bumps in the road to overcome. we can’t always anticipate what will happen in our future. However, we can make sure we’re prepared for as many eventualities as possible if the worst happens. Categories Sustainable Business Comments: 0
24 May 2021 Your Standard Work Week In every business there’s a whole range of jobs that must be completed on a weekly basis. When you first start out the likelihood is that you’ll be juggling a lot of these jobs yourself. As your business expands, it’s... Categories Sustainable Business Comments: 0
10 May 2021 Your Day-to-Day Work As business owners there’s always so many pressures on our time and getting the balance right between working on versus working in our business can be pretty challenging. It’s important to feel like you’re in control of your day and not the other way around! So, let’s have a look at a few things you can have in place to make sure that’s the case. Categories Sustainable Business Comments: 0
26 April 2021 The Sustainable Business Sustainability is a word that’s bandied around a lot, with talk of sustainable processes, sustainable fashion, sustainable food and sustainable lifestyles. A great deal of emphasis is put on sustainability for the planet, and rightfully so. At Grant Jones we also understand the importance of sustainable practices within the internal structure of a business. Categories Sustainable Business Comments: 0
13 April 2021 An Attitude of Gratitude Goes a Long Way Having an attitude of gratitude in every area of your life has been proven to be hugely beneficial. When we show we’re grateful for everything we have, the opportunities we’re given, the people we meet and the life we live, lo and behold we get more of the good stuff! While thinking grateful thoughts is great, actually taking that next step and putting some action and expression behind your gratitude makes it even more powerful. Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
29 March 2021 Manage Your Contacts in a Systematic Way In the business world, you need to collect and manage a lot of information about your customers, prospects and referral sources. To do this effectively and efficiently it’s important to have a robust contact management system in place… Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
15 March 2021 Referrals – The Best Way to Get New Customers There’s no better way for any business to get new customers and build sales than by referrals. They are the lifeblood of a successful business. Not only are referrals the number one source of new business; they are the leading source of the best new business… Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
2 March 2021 Building a Happy Team Your business might provide the best product or service in the world, but if your team isn’t happy it will impact massively on the success of your business… Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
15 February 2021 What’s Your Value Proposition? In the business world it’s almost unheard of not to have any competitors, which is why it’s so important to know why and how you’re different from other businesses… Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
1 February 2021 The 80/20 Rule to Focus on Your Best Customers Have you heard of the 80/20 rule? Also known as the Pareto Principle, the 80/20 rule states that 20% of your activities generate 80% of your results. You can take this rule and apply it to almost any situation… Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
18 January 2021 Happy Customers, Happy Business The aim for every business is to have an abundance of happy customers who continue to come back time and time again, and who recommend you left, right and center. And when it comes to understanding your weaknesses and identifying new opportunities to expand your business, your customers are often the best people to support you. Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
4 January 2021 Planning Your Business Planning is a key element to running a successful business, yet you’d be surprised how many businesses don’t have a plan in place! To reach your goals, you really need to have a business plan… Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
4 December 2020 What Makes you Unique? All too often one of the first things people focus on when they’re starting their business is designing their logo and nailing a catchy tagline. But before you invest time and money in that direction, you first need to put your energy into getting clear on what makes your business different… Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
23 November 2020 Get Clear on What You Want You’d be right in thinking that the obvious first step for anyone starting a business, is to sit down and get really clear on what they want and why they want it. What’s interesting though is how little time many business owners actually give to this before opening their doors to customers. Categories Top Tips for Business Growth Comments: 0
9 November 2020 Metrics for Merging Teams When your teams don’t understand and collaborate well it can be incredibly frustrating – and costly! This is particularly apparent when businesses have merged. Categories Know Your Numbers Comments: 0