Initial Considerations in Starting up a Business

We are a firm of Chartered Accountants in Southampton offering key advice on business startup.
It is the ambition of many people to run their own business. Some may have been made redundant and find themselves with free time and financial resources. Others make the decision to start up in business to be more independent and obtain the full financial reward for their efforts.

Whatever the reason, a number of dangers exist. Probably the greatest concern is the possibility of business failure.

Read on for guidance on some of the factors which need to be considered before trading begins.
This fact-sheet cannot cater for every possibility and any decisions should be supported by professional advice.

Initial Considerations

In order to make your business a success there are a number of key factors which should be considered:
commitment- starting a business is demanding. Determination and enthusiasm are essential skills- you will need managerial, financial, technical and marketing skills. If you do not have these skills personally, they can be found in a partner or employee, or acquired through training your product or service should have a proven or tested market, but must not conflict with the patent or rights of an existing business.
In addition to these general considerations there are a number of more specific matters.
Taxation
When starting in business, taxation aspects must be considered. Power Accountax are Chartered Accountant Southampton, offering key taxation advice.

Taxation on profits

The type and rate of taxation will depend on the form of business structure. However, the taxable profit will normally differ from the profit shown in the accounts due to certain expenses which are not allowed for tax purposes and the timing of some tax allowances.

National insurance (NI)

The rates of NI contributions are generally lower for a sole trader or partnership than for a director of a company but the entitlements can also differ. But in a company, it may be possible to avoid NI by paying dividends rather than salary.

Value added tax (VAT)

Correctly accounting for VAT is an essential part of any business and neglect may result in a significant loss.
When starting a business you should consider the need to register for VAT. As Chartered Accountants in Southampton we can help register you for VAT. If the value of your taxable sales or services exceeds the registration limit you will be obliged to register.
Expect a visit from HMRC within eighteen months of registration. This inspection of your records ensures VAT is being properly accounted for.

Employing others

For the business to get off the ground or to enable expansion, it may be necessary to employ staff.
It is the employer's responsibility to deduct income tax and national insurance and to account for student loan deductions. The balance must then be paid over to HMRC. Payroll records should be carefully maintained.
You will also need to be familiar with employment law.

Premises

There are many pitfalls to be avoided in choosing a property. Consideration should be given to the following:
suitability for the purpose

compliance with legal regulations
 local by laws

physical restrictions such as access.
Insurance
Comprehensive insurance for business motor vehicles and employer's liability insurance are a legal requirement. Other types of insurance such as public liability, consequential loss, business assets, Keyman and bad debts should be considered.
Pensions

Putting money into a pension scheme can be a very attractive way of saving for retirement because of the favourable tax rules. Many companies have to provide access for their employees to a stakeholder pension.

How We Can Help

As Chartered Accountants in Southampton whilst some generalisation has been made by us about starting up a business by us, it is always necessary to tailor the strategy to fit your situation. Any plan must take account of your circumstances and aspirations.

Whilst business success can never be guaranteed, professional chartered accountants advice can help to avoid some of the problems which befall new businesses. We would welcome the opportunity to assist you in formulating a strategy suitable for your own requirements. We can also provide key services such as bookkeeping, management accounts, VAT return and payroll preparation at an early stage.
For information of users: This material is published for the information of clients. It provides only an overview of the regulations in force at the date of publication, and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed legislation or seeking professional advice. Therefore no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material can be accepted by the authors or the firm.

Visit accountants Southampton, a firm of accountants and business advisors specializing in small business. Find out how we can help your business grow.

Manage Business Growth With Overtrading Problems

Overtrading and the problems it can create can be quite difficult to comprehend. Surely, if a business is selling many of their products and their customer base and profit are growing rapidly, how can this be a problem? Indeed, not only can it be a problem but in some extreme cases, it can lead to a business having to cease trading.

The fundamental reason why overtrading is a problem is that it can put a huge strain on the resources of a business, particularly cash flow. If turnover is increasing too quickly, then you may need to acquire more machinery or equipment to service the increase in customer numbers. It may even be the case that you need to move to bigger premises or a larger office with more storage space. 

Therefore, growth in sales will likely to be matched by an increase in the need for capital investment and other working capital. If the business does not retained profit to fund this rapid expansion then they attempt to borrow it. These borrowing facilities can be very costly. However, many new businesses which experience overtrading find themselves unable to obtain additional funds due to a lack of trading history and are forced to reduce the size of their operations or possibly 'throw in the towel' altogether.

Other costs that can cause huge drain on working capital when growth is too rapid are staff costs. With any expansion comes the need for increased numbers of employees. This can be extremely expensive for a business to fund, especially when combined with any increases in connected payroll taxes. In addition, if your sales are increasing quickly it may mean that you need to carry larger quantities of stock and thus more of your capital will be tied up in that inventory. Again, stock is like many other asset, if you own too much of it, it can starve other areas of the business which urgently need funds.

There are a number of precautions which one can take to prevent the potentially damaging effects of overtrading. Firstly, growth should be managed properly and with a sound understanding of how it will affect the working capital of the business. By producing sound monthly budgets, cash flow projections and monthly management accounts, you will be in a far better position to control the potentially damaging effects of rapid growth. Secondly, before you grow too quickly, look to secure increased funding. In other words, it would be a prudent idea to approach your bank and get the 'green light' for future finance to fund expansion, should you need accountants Southampton. Having this contingency finance at the ready will mean that working capital can be maintained and growth can be managed properly.

Lastly, to avoid the effects of overtrading, it might be a good idea to take the 'only what I need' standpoint. For example, rather than hold larger and larger sums of stock when you are growing, consider ordering your stock 'just in time' (JIT). This can reduce your stock holding costs considerably and again free up all that working capital held up in stock. Alternatively, only buy equipment which you really need or see if you can buy any second-hand equipment which will be cheaper but still do the job. Again, with everything you buy for you business, ask yourself the question: is this something I really need or just want?

Visit accountants Southampton, a firm of accountants and business advisors specializing in small business. Find out how we can help your business grow.

Why it is Essential Having a Business Bank Account

There are many reasons why a new business owner may forgo opening a business bank account and struggle on using their own personal account for their business transactions. Sometimes they simply run out of time, having focused on everything else and forgotten to open a business bank account, they suddenly realise that it cannot be done instantly and so opt to carry on using their personal account. Other times it is through lack of conviction, fear of business failure leads them to bulk at putting the business finances into black and white. Most often, though, it is in the mistaken belief that it will save them a little money if they do not have to fork out for business banking fees.

Not paying to have a separate business account can often prove something of a false economy, as, for the small amount that most business accounts might cost, a business can gain so much more than just a bank account.

The way that customers and other businesses with which you do business view you is very valuable; image is everything in business and having your business transactions move through a personal rather than a business account smacks of small time; your business is far less likely to be taken seriously and plenty of customers will be put-off by the impression of paucity it creates.

Trying to do business accounts when using the same account for personal and business finances has the potential for absolute disaster; even allowing for not making any important fiscal errors, the sheer time consuming nature of fussing around separating everything out will be very trying for most new business owners.

Make no mistake, HMRC will be watching you; there will of course be times when you will have to have contact with them, provide them with information etc. and other times when they will just be watching. Mixing personal and business bank accounts may cause them to look a little harder at you and your business, as it makes financial transparency more difficult to demonstrate at a glance. If the accountant Southampton wants to see that you are declaring everything you should, having to fight through hundreds of domestic transactions to locate those of the business will not endear you to them.

Business accounts can provide your business with more than just banking facilities; many banks will throw-in added extras, such as accounting software, deals on insurance and even offer the actual banking services free for the first year or more of business. They are also a great source of financial advice for the new business owner.

So, rather than viewing a business bank account as an extra overhead on your new business, perhaps you could look at it in terms of what it can provide in benefits for your venture. If a business bank account can help your business profile or simplify its record keeping maybe it is worth the effort of setting it up, if it can also help the authorities to look favourably on you and throw-in a bit of guidance and some cheap insurance to boot, well then maybe it becomes an essential to add to your list.