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Although the Making Tax Digital (MTD) regime has suffered several setbacks and delays, MTD for VAT remains on course to take effect from its planned implementation date of 1 April […]

You’ve built your business from the ground up and decided it’s time to start planning your departure, but how can you guarantee that you pass it on to the right […]

Smaller employers may require more support in operating workplace pension schemes through auto-enrolment, statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions show. Both small employers (defined as those with 5 […]

After years of hard work and careful saving, you might be looking forward to spending the wealth you’ve built up on a comfortable, relaxing retirement. On the other hand, you […]

Most employers are currently getting their houses in order when it comes to reporting employee benefits and expenses ahead of the 6 July 2018 deadline. At the end of the […]

Many employees need to travel as part of their job for various reasons, whether it’s acquiring new customers, working with current ones or attending conferences and events. The system of […]

A number of selected small businesses have begun submitting tax returns under HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) pilot scheme. The Revenue asked for businesses to step forward and trial the […]

Despite year-on-year tax rises, company cars remain a popular benefit. While the tax cost of expensive high-emission cars can be eye-watering, by choosing carefully it’s possible to enjoy the convenience […]

Nobody wants the taxman to take more than his fair share, and planning your finances early on can ensure you adopt the most tax-efficient strategy for the months and years […]

Companies can fail for several reasons and, for the most part, these aren’t the result of wrongdoing by the directors. For this reason, it’s perfectly legal to start a new […]

With a new tax year almost upon us, many sole traders will be reviewing their business structure and considering whether it’s worth switching to a limited company. There’s no denying […]

Most employers choose to recognise the ongoing commitment made by their members of staff by providing various benefits and rewards. Whether that’s in the form of the Christmas party or […]

A total of 745,588 people run the risk of being fined by HMRC after missing the deadline to submit their self-assessment tax return. About one in 15 taxpayers failed to […]

Vulnerable and elderly people are being told they owe large amounts of tax which they can only pay off through digital vouchers and gift cards. HMRC has issued a warning […]

The overwhelming majority of business owners and landlords remain in the dark over making tax digital (MTD), government research shows. Ipsos Mori polled 2,900 small businesses and landlords on behalf […]

Anyone whose business comes under the Revenue’s microscope is usually in for a roller-coaster ride. HMRC has upped its game in recent years when it comes to probing businesses or […]

Incorporating charitable giving into your tax planning strategy can be a useful way to reduce both your income tax and the inheritance tax (IHT) that will eventually become payable on […]

Audits may be a thing of the past, but certain annual reports still apply. If you’re a business owner, you may be familiar with the process of submitting your accounts […]

  What is a forensic accountant’s role in divorce proceedings? A forensic accountant has a number of functions. If they are the single joint expert (SJE) in the context of […]

For self-employed people, company directors and those receiving other sources of income, it’s the time of the year to send your self-assessment tax return. Self-assessment is the process used by […]

As communities around the UK geared up to take part in Mitzvah Day 2017 – the country’s biggest multi faith day of social action – here at Sobell Rhodes we […]

As the owner and director of your own company, you can choose how and when to extract funds from your company. As almost all the funds you take out will […]

Most employers provide a range of benefits in kind to their employees. You may be able to choose which benefits to take up, so you should be aware of the […]

Do you spend a lot of time travelling or have little time to oversee your company’s management accounts?  If your answer to these questions is “yes” we would recommend that […]

Trusts are a legal arrangement whereby assets are placed into the care of an individual who manages them for the benefit of someone else. For the person placing the assets […]

Starting a business is rarely glamourous. Many of the globe-straddling behemoths of the business world had low key beginnings. Both Apple and Hewlett-Packard were famously started in their founder’s garages […]

Whether you own one or 50 let properties, you need to be aware of the tax changes that have already started to take effect – and which will accelerate over […]

Most businesses don’t do this (believe it or not) but the information obtained can be really helpful in keeping you out in front. Obtain your competitors’ brochures and promotional materials […]

What your customers say about you is infinitely more persuasive to a prospect than anything you could possibly say about yourself, hence the popularity of websites such as tripadvisor.co.uk and […]

Social media utilises the internet to maximise contact with your current network. It also helps you to grow your group of connections at an exponential rate. LinkedIn allows you to […]

Referrals are the lifeblood of a successful business – there’s no better way of building sales than by increasing referrals. They are not only the number one source of new business; […]

Stephen Covey, who wrote one of the bestselling business books of all time “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” said that all success starts in one place:- your mind. He calls […]

Historical precedents within a particular industry force customers to make compromises or concessions. Why, for example: • Do most hotels prohibit you from checking in before 3pm? [Hotel maids generally start […]

Technology is a major driver of business profits. Here is a list of innovations you may want to implement in your business:   Document management systems (going paperless) Electronic workflow Multiple monitors Portals […]

Planning is a key element to running a successful business. To get where you want to go, you’ll need a business plan. Most businesses don’t have any kind of plan. […]

The Bank of Mum and Dad (BoMaD) is set to lend £6.5 billion in 2017, up from £5 billion in 2016, to help their grown-up children get on the property […]

If your business does not have a steady stream of money flowing into it, you will be unlikely to be a going concern in 12 months. On the other hand, […]

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a Government directive which signals the biggest change to accounting and tax procedures in decades for businesses and landlords. It requires: • The submission of […]

As part of your business planning process, conduct a SWOT analysis to help you identify your company’s:   Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats   Use this to set actions for improvement. […]

Around 63% of homeowners favour downsizing their property to fund their retirement, according to research by Now: Pensions. Of the 2,000 people surveyed, nearly 39% think that unlocking housing wealth […]

We are delighted to have been chosen to appear in this month’s edition of Economia Magazine, in which Andrew Rhodes discusses the Sobell Rhodes many pronged approach.  To read the full […]

Many business owners I work with say to me “There’s not enough time in the day for everything I need to do” and “I need to spend more time focusing […]

No business can exist without sales. Regardless of your industry, the one thing you have to do above everything else is sell your products and services. So, if you don’t […]

Whenever I sit down with a new client I ask them what they think are the key things they need to grow their business in the future.  8-9 times out […]

Getting the right people is one of the most important things you can do to support the long-term success of your business.  Yet, so many business owners approach recruiting the […]

Customers care about price.  But it is certainly not the only thing they care about- and your entire business and marketing strategy should reflect that fact.  In other words, you […]

Just think for a minute about a hundred of the most useful or favourite things you buy on a regular basis, how many would you stop buying if the price […]

Price is unquestionably the most powerful growth driver.  You absolutely must get this one right.  The wrong price is the single biggest reason why UK businesses struggle or even fail.  […]

Before you design your logo or write a clever slogan, you need to identify your USP. This is what gives you an advantage over your competitors as it differentiates you […]

Research shows that for the average UK business, about 1 in 5 customers don’t come back.  Why do these customers leave? 4% die or move out of your geographical reach […]

If you want to get the best possible results, you’ve got to create a system, whether it be a script for a hairdresser to encourage their clients to get their […]

Most businesses spend most of their time working out how to find new customers.  But the real power behind business growth lies in the customers you already have. The easiest […]

How do you get more customers without having to get any more sales leads? You can do this by converting more of your existing leads into sales. Many retailers have […]

Customer’s perception of value, based on their perception of benefits vs. cost, is influenced by factors such as: How we package, position and explain what we do The track record […]

Many business owners wanting to grow their business start with “I need more customers”.  As you will discover it’s not always the most effective way, but is what many businesses […]

Last week we welcomed MP Bob Blackman and his wife Nicola Blackman to cut the red ribbon as we ‘officially’ opened our grand offices at Centennial Park, Elstree. Bob Blackman […]

Over the last few decades we have all benefited from the business research and behavioural science that shows us that the most successful people have two very common attributes. Firstly, […]

It’s one of life’s truisms, that when we stand still, we tend to go backwards; not because we are moving in reverse, but because others such as our competitors and […]

Success is a sensitive concept and therefore an emotive word. Many people assume it means the same for everyone, but in my experience, it most definitely does not. It’s actually […]

You may own your own business and if so, this is something of which to be proud. It no doubt took; vision, belief, courage and determination to develop or start […]

For most business owners this statement, or if you prefer, affirmation, is quite frankly stating the obvious.  Cash is indeed king, but you also need the ‘Queen’ and the rest […]

Customers make most of their judgments about you and your business within the first few minutes of meeting you or your business representative. Dress Team members should always be properly […]

Referrals are the lifeblood of a successful business – there’s no better way of building sales than by increasing referrals. They are not only the number one source of new business; […]

Historical precedents within a particular industry force customers to make compromises or concessions. Why, for example: Do most hotels prohibit you from checking in before 3pm? (Hotel maids generally start […]

Technology is a major driver of business profits. Here is a list of innovations you may want to implement in your business: Document management systems (going paperless) Electronic workflow Multiple […]

We Brits are a polite nation, who likes to tiptoe and tread extremely carefully around difficult topics. Competitor analysis falls into that rather taboo category – an uncomfortable topic that’s […]

Target Before starting any market research it’s important you accurately identify your target market – whether it’s yummy mummies or fitness fanatics, be as specific as possible in identifying an […]

So you have a business plan, you know exactly what you are going to do and how. The only question mark is how much is it all going to cost […]

Innovative start-ups with earth-shattering, game-changing products and services have marketing handed to them on a golden platter. But, most of us don’t have these differentials. This makes creating your UVP […]

Participants The most important part of any customer focus group is the makeup of the participants.  It needs to be representative of the customers to whom you sell your products […]

Basic marketing materials include a company brochure and, depending on your business, various booklets or specification sheets promoting your products, services or the industries that you serve. It’s nice to […]

What your customers say about you is infinitely more persuasive to a prospect than anything you could possibly say about yourself, hence the popularity of websites such as tripadvisor.co.uk and […]

BT has today bought EE, the UK’s largest mobile network, which currently holds roughly 40% market share in the mobile operators’ sector. The move by BT, which cost them £12.5 […]

Amid recent news that the UK economy grew by 2.6% last year, there is a growing debate whether the UK economy has finally emerged from the deepest economic crisis in […]

A ‘freebie’ kit is a useful tool for enticing prospective clients to your business, as well as reminding your existing clients what makes your company different. I hear you ask, […]

In this business environment, you need to collect and manage a lot of information about your customers, prospects and referral sources. To do this, you need a robust contact management […]

Our last blog post focused on the notion that there was no second chance to make a first impression personally; the same is true of your office space, and in […]

People instinctively will always make a value judgment about you and your business within a few minutes of meeting either yourself or someone from your organisation. Recent studies at the […]

Referrals are the lifeblood of a successful business – there’s no better way of building sales than by increasing referrals. They are not only the number one source of new […]

Technology is a major driver of business profits, and it has vastly improved the efficacy of business. Bill Gates suggested that, “Technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t […]

We are delighted to announce that Sobell Rhodes has been re-accredited as a Gold Standard Investor in People in July 2014. Investors in People is the UK\’s leading accreditation for business […]

The 80/20 rule (also known as the Pareto Principle) says that 20% of your activities generate 80% of your results. From this, we derive principles such as 20% of your […]

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are the statistics you track to determine how well your business is doing. If you’ve been running your business for a long time, you will probably […]

A great way to improve your client service levels is to create your own client service commitment. This is a written document that details the service levels your clients should […]

SWOT analysis is concerned with identifying your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is a great way to recognise what influences your business success, as well as providing a basis to set actions for […]