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Is it the uncertainty around Brexit? Is it the madness of Trump? You might think they'd come top of the list of worries for British SMEs, but in fact our main worry seems to be cashflow, as discovered by the latest C2FO Working Capital Outlook Survey. While economic and political uncertainty are obstacles to growth, they're nowhere near as important as competing emerging markets, contractual uncertainty and cash flow issues.

The Stats

The survey polled over 1800 small business owners across...

How much VAT can you reclaim on a company leased vehicle? Aben Bookkeeping explains

As a business, how much VAT, if any, can you claim back on leased cars, vans and other vehicles, and on all those associated expenses? The official guidelines can be difficult to grasp. Here's our Aben Bookkeeping clear, common sense guide to all things VAT and vehicle lease-related.

When you can and can't reclaim VAT on business vehicles

If you are VAT registered and buy a car, you can't usually reclaim the VAT. Leasing a car for business means you can reclaim a...

What is flat rate VAT? Aben Bookkeeping explains why it might be something for you to think about for your business

This time around we thought it'd be useful to look at flat rate VAT, the scheme introduced in 2002 designed to help small businesses and sole traders. It's different from standard VAT. You pay a percentage of your turnover instead of paying VAT on the difference between your sales and purchases. It means you charge VAT on your invoices at 20%, the 2014 rate, and pay back HMRC at a lower rate. It can make a real difference. But...

Almost every aspect of business can be carried out online. The world has gone digital. But face-to-face interaction with customers and prospects still comes with a plethora of business benefits. Here's why showcasing your business at fairs, exhibitions, conferences and events is still a jolly good thing.

Reasons to exhibit

Plenty of people are perfectly happy doing all their networking by phone, skype, email and social media, and communicating to customer bases and wider audiences via their websites and blogs. But plenty of us thrive on face to face interactions. That's probably why B2B networking events have...

At first glimpse bookkeeping might seem like a simple enough matter. But plenty of small businesses manage to make a mess of it all the same, a mistake that can be expensive. Here are the top 21 pitfalls to avoid.

21 bookkeeping mistakes to avoid

1.Not bothering to keep receipts for tiny amounts – They may be small, but they're still beautiful! Small amounts soon mount up. And they document all the tiny deductions you can claim, so it's well worth keeping on top of every single one. If all you do is hurl them into a special drawer, box or...

Do you do your own Payroll? Most ordinary non-bookkeeping mortals find it tough to get to grips with the system, and very few are naturals. Unless you're a Payroll whiz, figuring these things out as you go along can be very difficult, if only because it takes so much time. Worse still, things keep on changing. Do you know about HMRC's Real Time Information process? Are you comfortable putting new employees on the right tax code?

Luckily, with the right guidance and procedures Payroll needn't be a nightmare. Plenty of accountants offer Payroll support, and there are some top class online...

Did you know an out-of-control cashflow puts you in a particularly vulnerable position? Apparently businesses that can't manage cashflow effectively are the most likely to go under. It doesn't matter how innovative the product or service, or how keen the market is to consume it, cashflow can kill a business in record time. And in hard times, with bank loans hard to get, a cash-poor company can easily be pushed over the edge. Here's how to stay away from the brink and future-proof your business.

Maintaining a healthy cashflow

Your business won't last long when cash outflow exceeds inflow, especially when you're...

More than 50% of new businesses fail within the first five years, which means the lower your overheads during those crucial early days, the better. We have a great many small business clients and a good few start-ups on our books, and we're familiar with the unique territory they operate in. Here's some common sense advice about setting up business at home, keeping overheads super-low and giving your fledgling business the best chance of success.

A small business is still a 'proper' business

You probably don't have any plans to employ people at this stage, so working from home might be your...

The government's TV advertising campaign portrays Workplace Pension and Auto Enrolment as a multi-coloured, friendly-looking monster that everybody ignores. Despite their efforts it's still scary to some, and plenty of businesses are lagging behind.

Workplace pensions in a nutshell

Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer in the UK must put certain staff into a pension scheme, and also make contributions to it. It's called 'automatic enrolment'.

39 tips about how workplace pensions and auto-enrolment work

If you're confused by the whole workplace pension thing, here's our simple bullet point guide to the facts.

1. An employer puts a percentage of...

If you have heard about the HMRC's new quarterly tax return plans and are concerned about what it means to you, Aben Bookkeeping can help

HMRC is determined to transform the UK tax system into one of the world's most sophisticated digital administrations by 2018. It's a laudable aim but many feel it'll come at a cost, particularly for the nation's smallest businesses.

As a result HMRC's Making Tax Digital initiative is still causing ructions, with growing criticism of their proposed quarterly tax filing system. Things have become so overheated that business groups are claiming the plans...