Member Blog

“All that mess and I don’t have enough time to take care of it. I can only look around my home and sigh at all that mess.” Isn’t that the thing you’ve been telling yourself every single day?! We all have to work. We all have our obligations towards our families and we don’t have any spare time to invest in our home. Perhaps you are selling or buying a new home and you are thinking of borrowing a magic wand from Hogwarts to get rid of all those things in the house so you can begin a new life. You are not Harry Potter and magic can’t help you, but you can clear all that waste. Waste clearance is the only solution to your problems. But how do you start a project like that? What to look for before you hire some waste clearance company?

Decide what is important and what is not

Before you start doing anything, you need to decide what you want and what you don’t want to keep. This will make the waste removal process easier. This process is maybe the longest and you need to be careful. You will find things you are emotionally connected to, nostalgia will grab you like a beast and will not let you go easily. Every family member will have an opinion of its own and you will debate about every single piece of furniture or anything you have in your backyard you “think” you don’t need any more. This is why you need to be decisive and ruthless when it comes to this. If you haven’t been using something in over a year and you don’t see yourself using it in the future, then it is a piece of junk. It is important to make sure you put the things you need somewhere safe. You don’t want to accidentally throw away something that is important to you or someone you love.

You need to make estimation on how much is being thrown away

If you know how much is being thrown away and what is in the waste collection pile, you can estimate whether or not you need to use the services of a waste removal company. It there are only a couple of items, then you don’t have a problem and the removal process will be very quick. But if you have more, then you should call professionals. I had the same problem. Luckily, a cousin of mine has worked for Big Ben waste clearance company from London. He told me that I could do the clearance all by myself but only if I have enough time to do it properly. Something a waste clearance company would do in a few hours would take an entire day for me to do all by myself. That is still not good if you don’t have that time to spend doing it. Especially if you have a busy schedule or a huge number of other family commitments.

How to dispose of all that junk

There are many ways to dispose the junk. Some of the options are: skip hire, selling all those items you don’t need, donating to charity, professional waste clearance company, or recycling all those items by yourself. You don’t have to choose one option from the list. You may use a combination of different options because you will need to dispose of all kinds of materials.

For example, if you need to dispose of some old furniture, you will give it to charity or sell it. But, if you need builders waste clearance done, then you need a special permit. You need to hire a waste disposal company that specializes in builders waste removal because there will be hazardous materials to remove. The same goes for electrical equipment or some other risky junk. However, if you decide to finish the job yourself, and then make sure you are well equipped and fit for the task. Household and garden waste clearance is a risky tasks. This is why you should consider hiring a professional waste clearance company if you doubt in your abilities. You will avoid any potential injuries if you decide to hire someone who is trained to do this job. Avoid companies that are trying to impose some strange or unforeseen charges. These include parking and loading fees. These kinds of companies will wait until the job is done and then “slap” you with some exaggerated bills. Make sure you agree on the charges before the job had even started.

Do it

In the end, it doesn’t matter which option you choose to dispose of all that waste. You need to do it so commit to it and stop over thinking. If you hire a professional then make sure you prepare everything so they could come and collect. If you hire a skip, then divide the job into batches. If you are taking the waste to a local recycling center, then make sure you rent an appropriate vehicle. And, in the end, if you decide to sell some stuff, do it over the net. It is easier. The most important thing is to protect your important data. If you are throwing away some personal documentation, then double and triple-check it for sensitive information. Shred or burn whatever you can because data security is extremely important.

The Big Debate

As a business owner, you want nothing more than to catapult your business into success. That is why it is of critical importance to invest your money wisely. One of the questions we get asked, as a finance broker, is how businesses can do just that! More specifically, whether purchasing assets outright or whether financing the assets makes the most financial sense… This is the big debate.

Below, we stated points on either side so that you have the tools to make the right decision.

Purchasing with cash:

• Purchasing outright may seem like the best option from the offset- and that is understandable! For instance, you get to own the asset without incurring an interest rate. This means that in the long run you end up saving money instead of paying over the RRP.

• You will also have ‘peace of mind’ as you are exempt from monthly payments, saving you the worry if at one point in time you cannot afford the payment.

• Owning the asset directly contributes to the overall value of your business

However, after having invested the majority of your capital into assets, what would you do if something were to go wrong- for example, if a system breaks, an asset fails, or you receive a significant VAT bill with demands from HMRC. Just how long would you have to wait for your cashflow to be replenished before investing in other areas of your business?

Whilst purchasing outright may seem preferable, it is important as a business that you prioritize your cashflow, leaving space for a contingency if unexpected costs arise.

Why should you choose to finance?

• Financing supports you in making smart business decisions. For instance, if you are a start up business a commercial loan may help you to conserve your cashflow whilst investing in multiple areas of your business-helping to get your businesses feet off the ground.

• Having a working capital equates to having financial health. Agreeing to a finance arrangement means that cash is readily available to facilitate the running of your business, support your growth ambitions enabling you to keep up with demand- in turn generating revenue.  An example, if a business was generating a 6% profit margin, it would be beneficial to retain the capital through the financing of critical equipment. This will help you to invest in staff and your growth ambitions- highlighting how the reduction of an upfront cost will support business growth through cashflow.

• Aforementioned, finance packages allow you to have a safety net of funds just in case the unexpected crops up. Having the means to stabilize your business and to maintain a high level of productivity is vital for when a situation occurs.

• Finance doesn’t just have to be a linear process of making a new asset affordable either… Finance can be utilized in ways to make use of what you already own. Refinance has the ability to release capital from assets you have purchased, so you can go on with upgrading machinery to execute your business plans.

Chatsbrook understand that even as a business owner, the prospect of finance is very personal. That is why we assess your business on what IS affordable for you, your trading periods and your requirement of the repayment period.

What Chatsbrook create is a perfectly tailored finance arrangement to suit you and your needs.

You can trust us to make your aspirations come alive.

Why not contact our friendly team on 01603 733500?

Share your ambitions and see your business thrive.

Carpets accumulate a lot of dirt with time. In offices, there are always people walking up and down at all hours. Things are dropped and spilt all the time. If the weather outside is inclement, as it often is in London – the signs will surely show up on the carpet! On the domestic from, whether you’re talking about a bedsit or a mansion, things are even more complicated. Dust, spillages that cause all sorts of stains. Dirt gathering in dark corners and under furniture; the amount of gunk on carpets is just amazing. While some people can’t be bothered to give their carpets a thorough clean, usually making just a quick sweep of visible areas, then replacing the carpet after some time. That’s an option if you can afford it, but there’s another option that works just as well. Cleaning even a small rug is no easy task by any means, but there’s an easy way out. Get a professional in to do the job! For a reasonable fee, your carpets get a new lease of life, and your home or office feels and looks refreshed!

Put it Down on Paper

As the saying goes, “If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail.” Writing down a business plan helps you get a clear picture of what will be involved in starting up your carpet cleaning business. This will include the costs of purchasing equipment and supplies, setting targets in terms of growth, getting the required training and certifications and other legal issues.

A business plan helps you plan for future growth and expansion. A simple search on the internet will yield lots of great sites and apps that ease the process of creating a plan to suit your particular needs. It will help you identify your market and find your niche. Most successful businesses are those that identify a need and find a way to provide a product or service that fulfils that need.

Find your niche and fill it well! The carpet cleaning market is huge, but this also means that competition is fierce. Having a targeted plan will get you off to a better start than fumbling about in the dark.

Getting Started

You can easily start small and grow with time and experience, as the guys at CleanCarpets.co did. Your immediate neighbourhood is a good place to get started. This will mostly involve domestic cleaning. People who know you are more likely to trust you and give you work.

As you learn the ropes, you can them expand – don’t forget, the best advertising is word of mouth. Do a great job and your customers are bound to recommend your services to friends and colleagues. Social media presence is a must in this day and age, and posting “Before, On The Job and After” pictures and videos, perhaps with happy customers exclaiming on the job, is a great way to attract attention. Set up a simple website giving details of your services and your location.

Branded merchandise such as t-shirts, caps, work clothing such as overalls and so on give you presence and a professional look. Another great way to build your customer base is to give incentives to your existing customers. Offer them a discount on the next job if they refer customers to you. Give them discount vouchers and flyers to give to friends and colleagues. In the beginning, you may be alone, or perhaps with a partner or friend or two. The products and equipment you require to start are quite basic and can be bought at any supermarket. As you grow, however, you must register a limited liability company. As the name suggests, this protects you from personal liability as it is a legal entity in itself. Having a registered company also gives potential clients the impression that you are professional.

Insure Your Business!

As with any business, insurance is obligatory. You work will involve going into peoples’ homes and offices in different locations, probably driving around in a van. Two types of insurance that are vital for a cleaning business are Professional Indemnity Insurance and Public Liability Insurance.

Professional Indemnity insurance covers you against claims made by customers or employees. This typically involves customers dissatisfied with the work done or employees having issues with working conditions. This insurance pays invoices should a customer refuse to pay you and also covers your company should a customer make claims for damage caused at their premises by yourself or your employees. Your business is protected from disruptions in the day to day running of operations. Public Liability insurance protects you from claims made by third parties against you for personal injury or property damage.As your business grows and you take on employees, you are obliged to take out Employers Liability insurance.

The Future

As you grow, you must refer to your business plan from time to time to check that you are meeting your targets. The plan may need amendments as you go along. This is normal; unforeseen circumstances do happen and you should plan for them and react as necessary. Reward yourself and employees for meeting targets on or before time.

Enjoy Yourself!

This is the single most important thing in anything you do. When you’re enjoying yourself, it’s no longer a hard slog and you can’t wait for the day to end so you can put your feet up and enjoy a cuppa. Time just flies! People who enjoy their work are happier, more satisfied in life and do better work, so have fun!

Technology has taken over many aspects for a wide number of businesses. From restaurants to hospitals, technology plays a role in the daily operations of each one. As technology has advanced, it’s allowed for businesses to quickly and easily improve their operations without putting in much effort – or even money, in some cases. The following are some of the many industries that are seeing improvements and success due to the advancements of technology. 

Hospitals

One of the major ways that tech has improved hospitals is by providing databases that allow for immediate access to records and reference materials for both doctors and patients. They are also seeing improvements in training through virtual reality simulations that allow doctors access to life-like training experiences that do not exist in textbooks or class lectures. While doctors have residencies to teach them the ins and outs of their practice, VR training gives them a higher level of preparedness before hitting the internship floor. Technological advances are also facilitating surgeries, which has helped to decrease recovery times. With laser technology offering new methods of operation, rates of successful surgeries are increasing as well.

Casinos

The casino industry is adopting new technologies like bitcoin and automation to improve guest experiences. Implementing these new technologies allows casinos to improve guest experiences on the floor and in their rooms. With these new technological advancements, casinos reach a wider range of clientele, such as the techies of Silicon Valley who want to try out new methods of payment. And with automation, that keeps guests coming back for more because it offers them personalized experiences they can’t really get anywhere else.

Then there’s the massive world of online casino gaming, which has allowed casinos to grow from the brick-and-mortar establishments they once were. It’s completely changed the game and has allowed casino fans from all over the world to get the games they want, whenever they want, from wherever they are – no travel necessary.

Book Publishing

Through advancements in online technologies, publishing houses are finding ways to reach more readers and lower shipping costs. Many industries are going online to achieve a higher level of success and publishing has not been left behind. This online success translates to more than the publishing domains – technology has made book reading something to be done anywhere you can connect, which means that book sales are seeing heightened numbers online.

Corporations

Corporations of varying types are finding new ways to capitalize on business through technological advancements. Big data makes it possible to utilize better decision-making practices for businesses. By providing information about trends, customer bios, analytics, and forecasting, technology allows corporations to understand their customers better, in addition to providing improved insights into future needs.

Event Planners

Event planning takes a large amount of patience and meticulous planning. With new technology that allows finding the right venue for any event to be as easy as scrolling through a phone or tablet, it is no wonder that event planners are finding success through technology. As further advances are made in the technologies available to planners, they will be able to help their clients find what they need to achieve success in their events, creating a circle of success.

Entrepreneurs 

With so many companies going online and so many business expanding, technology has also made it easier for entrepreneurs to achieve their goals. Websites are more accessible and easier than ever to create with drag and drop platforms that can have a business up and running in a matter of days. This ease has led the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive. Writers, artists, and musicians, among others, are utilizing technology to find their voices in the business world.

New advances are made almost daily in the technology sector, from smartphones to smart currency. Making payments, hiring employees, playing games, and sharing hobbies are all moving to the fast-paced world of the internet and giving companies and customers alike an instant way to communicate, train, and shop right in the palm of their hand with just a push of a button. As these technologies advance, so do the levels of success many industries can find by implementing them into their daily business.

Dealing with trash can not only be stressful, but can also dangerous. This is more so if you’re dealing with toxic and hazardous chemicals, glass or waste with sharp edges. Therefore, most times if you find a large heap of trash piling up in business or office, consider hiring a waste clearance company.

So, what services does waste clearance companies offer? They offer junk removal services to homes, businesses, institutions, mills or factories. This is done by, collecting, transporting, processing and disposing waste materials appropriately.

They also make sure they recycle as much of it as possible.

Listed are 6 benefits of hiring a waste clearance company.

1.    Better Management of Time and Efficiency

If you run a business, your time is more valued and should be used to deal with important matters for the benefit of the business. You may also not get time to carry different types of waste to different places. For example, you cannot just throw hazardous chemicals anywhere, since they can be harmful to the environment.

By taking the waste to the dump or recycling facility by yourself, you take a lot of time that could be used for other purposes. Therefore, investing in waste clearance companies to perform the task for you will be beneficial to your business. Likewise, it saves your time and money.

2. Maintain Health and Safety

Moving waste, more so, the hazardous in nature can be a daunting task. You may also not realize that you are working with hazardous materials that should be legally and professionally handled. Careless handling of these types of waste can result to abrasions, cuts or even back strains. A good waste removal plan should be put in place to deter health and safety issues.

In the UK, and in big cities like London, there are companies that are specialized in waste clearance services and you can hire them if you have large heaps of waste. O’connor’s waste removal agency is among the most popular. They at all times use professional and environment friendly ways in their waste clearance services.

3. Protects the Environment

Waste clearance companies will not only save you money, time and effort, but also take care of the environment. This is what they provide-accountable and proper waste management.

It’s important to note that most of the professional waste companies are environmentalists. They have a better understanding of what and how to deal with waste. Moreover, they will collect your waste and transport it to depots. At this place, the waste is sorted and sent for recycling.

They are also better equipped and recycle the waste. By properly treating the waste, they help in protecting the environment in a much safer and environmentally friendly way.

4.    Economical

Are you a business or home-owner? If the answer is yes, then it’s advisable to seek the service of a waste clearance company.

Time, wages and other opportunity cost spent on, employees are higher compared to when you hire cleaning service. There are also possibilities of injuries and overtime cost.

Hiring waste clearance companies comes in handy and is both economical and efficient in business and you also to your home. Likewise, they guarantee reliability and efficiency.

5.    Improves your Brand Image

People judge a book by its cover and customers will judge your business by its appearance. They get are attracted to a clean and organized business environment.

By showing the customers that you recycle waste, they will learn that you preserve the environment and you do your part in preserving the environment. Also, you brand image is strengthened and people look at it in a more positive way. When you practice with your clientele base to promote the environment, they will also practice recycling and environment friendly way

6.    Management of Hazardous Materials

Some waste is harmful to the environment. And, it can be tricky to handle such waste. Some of these wastes, especially industrial waste contains harmful and hazardous chemicals that should not be handled by non-professionals. The professional has knowledge on how to handle such stuff and any precautionary measures to be taken so that these don’t come into contact with these materials directly.

Also, most people don’t know how and where to dispose these type of wastes. This is because you cannot just dispose them at any place. Therefore, you should seek professional services to handle for you this type of junk. Professionals know how to dispose them at the right place so that they do not cause harm to the environment.

Another reason is that industrial waste comes in large amount and can be difficult handle .As a result, the service of waste removal companies may came in handy.

The largest amount of waste is accumulated during construction or renovation project. The presence of these types of waste (glass, metal, cement etc.) at your building site can be a safety threat to the people who work there.

For security reasons and prevention of serious or even fatal injuries, use waste clearance service to help you dispose the waste appropriately, they will not only keep the site safe but also make it clean . 

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People often ask me…”Why has the value of antiques declined in recent years?”

This is a question I get asked several times a day usually in response to me sympathetically telling a client that their much loved family heirloom is worth far less now than it was 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. It’s a sad fact of life that many areas of the market are deflated to say the least and in some cases are seemingly at ‘rock-bottom’, so let’s take a look at this and try to  make some sense of it.

To start with let’s blame the Swedes! Yes, over the past 20 years the Ikea model of clean lines and minimalism has had a major effect on how we decorate and dress our homes.  To the vast majority of the under 50’s the very thought of walls filled with pictures, cabinets full of ornaments and shelves packed with clutter is anathema and this is largely because Ikea gleefully swept all this away and told us “No, you must not have a house that resembles that of your grandparents”. This of course meant that in a virtual blink of an eye antique furniture in particular became all but obsolete to an entire generation! A Victorian chiffonier once worth £400 was suddenly £100, a Georgian bureau which would have set you back £600 in 1980 was readily available at £150, and worst of all perhaps, a good Edwardian inlaid mahogany display cabinet which many once aspired to own was now all but impossible to sell.  The reason for the latter of course is that now we were living in a clutter free world, nobody was buying the ceramics and glass to fill the darned things! That beautiful stylish cabinet which once took pride of place in every lounge in the country was now replaced as the focal point by a 50″ TV!

So it’s all about how we live our lives and view our homes today which leads me on to Art. When I started in this business many moons ago I would enter the house of an average client and there would be pictures in the hall, pictures up the stairs and pictures filling every nook and cranny in the lounge, whereas today other than the obvious family photographs the fashion seems to be to have two or three large pictures usually in the contemporary style taking pride of place and surrounded by empty walls.  Not only that but these pictures are entirely transient in that it’s not about how well loved they are, but about how well they fit the current colour scheme.  Try selling a typical Victorian English landscape today and you will seriously struggle.  Even artists that used to command prices of say £500 – £1000 can often be picked up for £100 or so. So traditional art is out and contemporary art is very much in…… but often only until you change your wallpaper!

So just what do people want to buy and collect in 2019? Well there is no simple straightforward answer to this so let’s address the point loosely. I have a theory that means looking at things from a male and female point of view.  Firstly, it seems that ladies particularly those of retirement age are largely speaking simply not collecting. Those empty shelves and lack of clutter have become heaven for the housewife and it seems that she doesn’t want to return to the days of moving copious amounts of china and glass before she can dust the shelves……, and before you accuse me of chauvinism this does too apply to the average househusband!.  So traditional feminine collectables such as chintzy bone china, figures of crinoline ladies by Royal Doulton and others, cut glass and Wedgwood Jasperware are deemed old fashioned and therefore completely undesirable. BUT if we move onto what I would term masculine or men’s’ collectables then there are areas that are thriving.  For instance in recent years there has been an upsurge in collectors of Militaria and all its off-shoots, medals and vintage cameras.  This suggests to me that whilst ladies are blissfully content in their retirement provided they are not surrounded by the aforesaid clutter, men need to shut themselves away and indulge themselves by becoming sexagenarian geeks!

Another area of course which is growing more rapidly than any I have ever seen is the nostalgia driven Vintage & Retro market.  But that’s for another day!

People often ask me…”How does a young person learn about antiques?”

Mark holding a seminar for 40 managers of the West Country’s biggest chain of charity shops. Whilst it would be easy for me to say read as much as you can and watch educational videos, and of course you will learn a certain amount through doing this, there is one definitive answer…….handling the goods!

I have found that for most people their love of art and antiques becomes rooted at a young age, say 11 or 12 years old, so by the time they’re ready to leave school they are often set on following their passion to work with what they have grown to love. So where do they start?

Naturally, the first thing they would be likely to do is look at the options available within higher education and with many universities, colleges and indeed private institutions offering courses it appears that the options are there. However, most of these courses are in Fine Art and therein lies something of an issue! Now these programs are by and large run by extremely knowledgeable academics and by the time a student has gained their degree or diploma they’ll be able to recognise and date paint types and canvases and probably be able to give a fairly respectable opinion on the whys and wherefores of whether a newly discovered El Greco is genuine or not. BUT stop and think just for a moment! Let’s go back to that 12 year old child going to the local monthly antiques fair and immersing themselves in their love of all that surrounded them. A Georgian walnut lowboy, a Beswick figure, an Edwardian nickel plated police whistle or a trio of World War One medals……..but NOT an oil painting claiming to be a lost El Greco!

So these courses are fabulous if the intention is to move into the world of high brow fine art but not particularly useful if you see yourself working in a provincial auction house, which rather ironically is where most of these graduates end up! So, on leaving school where should they be looking? Well lets use me as a perfect example, not a perfect example of manhood of course…..although I do have my admirers!…..but a perfect example of the ideal route to follow. Like many others before and since I really had no idea what to do once I had finished my education but I had always been interested in history and ‘old things’ so when my father came back from the local auction house and told me that they were looking for someone to fill in for six months and perhaps I should approach them I jumped at the chance. I was duly taken on as a temporary junior porter and ended up many years later as their Senior Valuer!

From day one I learnt ‘hands on’, so for instance after a short while I was able to recognise different woods through not only looking at the polished finish but by being able to open a drawer and look at the interior where it was unpolished. After a year or so I was able to tell from sight alone whether a piece was likely to be solid silver or silver plated or if a porcelain figure was German or French by looking at the scroll work on the base. After a while I was trusted to do some basic cataloguing and within a year or two of this I was lotting our entire general sales which included the lesser antiques and art as well as household goods. And so it went on, although obviously it did take a good few years before I was cataloguing entire antique and fine art sales which encompassed everything from furniture, through paintings, ceramics, glass, silver, rugs, militaria, toys and much, much more!

In my line of work you really do learn something new every single day and this still applies with me, even though I’m now well into middle age. In fact, the one piece of advice I always give to young valuers is “Don’t ever think you know it all…..because you’ll learn something new tomorrow.”

So, once again lets go back to that 12 year old who wants to learn about and maybe forge a career in antiques. Approach your local auction house and offer to work at their evening viewings or perhaps during the school holidays. You’ll be starting at the very bottom but theres a lot to learn and you’re lucky enough to have a whole lifetime ahead of you. ​ You will never learn it all………..but you’ll have a lot of fun trying!

Having worked in sales and sales management for most of my career, I know how the demand and expectation of a sales role can affect physical and mental health. The sales industry sometimes has a reputation for being fast-paced and stressful. I regularly worked evenings and weekends and would always be available for customers and my bosses, as did many of my colleagues. This is still common place for many with detrimental effects. 

Employers must be focused on wellbeing to ensure employee health and efficiency are peaked at all times. Remember that your sales team are the face of your business. How they conduct themselves reflects directly on your brand.  Do whatever you can to ensure your customers are presented with a happy employee.

Here are a few tips on how to assess your sales teams’ wellbeing needs:

My first tip is to communicate. It seems obvious but we often presume we know what our employees want but we haven’t actually asked them. So, ask and ask again so that your staff feel that their needs are being considered.

Another tip is to hold 1-2-1 wellbeing meetings. Once a month or quarter is fine but they will help you make sure your staff feel supported by you the manager, and the business.

Finally, consider appointing a wellbeing or mental health champion who can provide support to those suffering from mental health issues.  They can support your wellbeing programme by letting your staff know they have someone to talk to, without being judged and in confidence.

andrewdennyconsulting.co.uk

London’s space scarcity means homeowners can strike gold by renting out their garage or driveway. The heart of the metropolis packs the most coveted spaces that net handsome cash per month. However, unused storage areas on the fringes of the city still attract space-hungry denizens in droves. Whether you have space to lease as a parking or warehousing, peer-to-peer platforms provide a limitless marketplace to seal the deal. With a neat, shipshape garage, landlord permit and a simple contract, you should come out smelling like a rose by the end of the month.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the considerations you must mull over for an extra stream of income from leasing garage or parking space.    

Important Considerations Sprucing up the Garage

Making your storage space more efficient with upgrades or renovations can help increase its value. Clutter could scare away prospects making cleanliness a top priority in your checklist. Unlike other spots, heavily-used driveways fall prey to stubborn oil stains, grease, and grime deposits. Rather than soil your hands with grime, hiring a dedicated company like Ben and Jerry give you peace of mind. With premium cleaners, sanitation specialists and affordable cleaning solutions, Ben & Jerry offers a safe pair of hands to spruce up your garage. Ben and Jerry cleans, organizes and removes trash leaving your space in apple-pie order before you hold it out in the market.

Compute the Rental Price

Spying on prices for other driveways and parking spaces gives you a bird’s eye view of the marketplace. The price depends on a cluster of factors such as size, floor type and climate-controlled capabilities. Luckily, specialized sites online allow you to crunch the numbers by typing details such as postcodes for a comparative estimation of price for storage areas. The price tags should avoid usurious rates or onerous conditions.  

Pitching

List your storage space on fast-paced marketplaces with a crystal-clear description of the dimensions, location, price and extra facilities such as lighting. Flesh it out to the last detail to match the description of potential tenants with precision. Demands vary as some thirst for a garage to mothball a classic car or personal belongings. They should identify with your offer at a glance.

Showcasing the Storage Space

Once a prospect gives you a call or accepts your offer, answer their queries in good faith and exhaustively. If they go the extra mile to visit your premises, it’s time to close in for the kill. Meeting the other party face-to-face allows you to throw more light into the deal and get more acquaintance with them. Try to clear up grey areas like variations or breach of contract for efficient dispute resolution. A meeting of minds should represent a win-win for both parties. For example, a discount or flexible terms sweeten the deal.

Legally Enforceable Contract

English law vindicates a simple or oral contract but having a written agreement irons out contentious issues like termination, arbitration or compensation. Standard parking agreements incorporate key clauses addressing these issues. The contract will stipulate the terms, time of payment, and fixed period. A signed contract acts as a shield and sword in a legal tussle down the road.

Legal Effects

Renting out your parking space may require planning permission based on your jurisdiction. The UK Government maintains you don’t need this consent while some local authorities hold the contrary view. If a council slaps you with a planning enforcement notice, you can challenge this decision at a superior tribunal. Seek other consents from your landlord or mortgagor. Onto taxation, note the income raked in attracts levy.

Final Thoughts

In a city of clutterers like London, acres of unclaimed space pave every inch of the metropolis with gold. Traditional self-storage lacks the convenience of proximity rendered by peer-to-peer spaces. This makes empty space scarce and escalates demand in favor of commercial or residential proprietors. Londoners are already smiling all the way to the bank with peer-to-peer self-storage earnings. All you need is to let someone clutter up your garage or driveway for cash. Thanks to cleanup specialists, a robust marketplace and garage rental companies that handle all incoming queries, you can make your killing in a trice.   

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Tudor Lodge Consultants is delighted to announce that we have recently started working with business funding company Capital on Tap. Capital on Tap offer excellent business loans and credit cards, and have now lent over £1 billion to more than 65 thousand UK businesses.

Our team of SEO specialists have been working with the client to help boost their online visibility, implementing a range of different tactics to optimise the site and thereby improve its search engine rankings.

What are we doing for Capital on Tap

Tudor Lodge Consultants have been introducing a variety of different SEO techniques to the Capital on Tap site, helping to optimise the site and improve upon its rankings. Some of the main ways in which we are achieving this are through the following methods:

Link Reclamation – Capital on Tap have been mentioned in many different articles and online pages, however many of these sites have not included links back to the Capital on Tap website. Getting linked by as many reputable sites as possible can help to optimise a site and further improve its rankings on the Google search engine pages.

Our team went to work finding all mentions of Capital on Tap that did not include a link back to their site. After compiling a list of these sites, we then emailed them thanking them for their mentioned, and asking if they could kindly put a link back to the Capital on Tap homepage.

Introducing a Site Map – Tudor Lodge also advised the team at Capital on Tap to introduce a clean and concise site map onto their website. A site map provides a clear and concise list of all the site’s content, helping Google to crawl the website. After the sitemap was put up, the site’s search engine rankings went up significantly.

Guest Blogging – We have also started to write informative, high-quality content on other sites about Capital on Tap. Links and mentions of our client on other, reputable sites with a good trust flow can help to improve optimisation, and further help to boost the search engine rankings and online visibility of the site.

Keywords and further optimisation – We discussed with Capital on Tap the list of keywords they wanted the site to focus on, and have integrated these into the site’s content to help optimise it for these said keywords. One of the next steps in our optimisation of the Capital on Tap site is to introduce informative, high-quality landing pages with optimised content. This can help to make it easier for Google to recognise and digest the site’s content, integrating the list of keywords to help in this optimisation.

Preparing for a no-deal Brexit

HMRC have already provided guidance on certain steps that will help businesses prepare for a no-deal Brexit. These include making sure you have a UK EORI number (businesses already importing or exporting should already have one of these, but those who are only involved in intra-EC trade may not have). If you haven’t already got an EORI number, you’ll need one to ensure movements of goods into and out of the UK can continue uninterrupted post Brexit. In addition, if you’re going to continue to import goods in the EU post Brexit, you’ll need to apply for an EU EORI number as the UK number will no longer be valid for EU imports once we leave the EU. HMRC have recommended applying for an EORI number in the member state with which you do most business. You should be aware that HMRC have recommended businesses apply now. However, a number of member states have refused to issue an EORI as the business only requires one EU EORI and the UK number already satisfies that requirement (although certain member states have agreed to provisionally issue numbers, which will only have effect in the event of a no-deal Brexit).

HMRC have also suggested importers (and businesses that will be importers post Brexit) apply to use Simplified Transitional Procedures regarding imports and import taxes in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Businesses will also need to be aware that the EU member states may not introduce reciprocal simplified procedures, which may result in import VAT and duty needing to be paid before goods are released into free circulation, creating both a delay and cash flow impact on goods sent to the EU.

Both of the above steps are relatively straightforward, but they provide limited or no benefit if a Brexit deal is negotiated. However, the next steps are good practice regardless of the outcome of negotiations.

Preparing for Brexit with or without a deal

Understanding the supply chain and where goods originate from and how they reach your business is both good practice and crucial in understanding the potential impact of Brexit. We would recommend reviewing your supply chain to understand where goods originate, at what point they are brought in to the UK, the potential additional tariffs which would become due and where any potential shortages may arise.

Whilst we’re aware of a number of businesses stockpiling goods to mitigate the risk of shortages, this can tie up working capital at a time where businesses may need cash most. In addition, this may require additional warehousing and is unlikely to work for businesses trading in perishable goods.

We would advise any business directly involved in moving goods cross-border to review the commodity codes being used on declarations (either customs or intrastate declarations) to make sure the code being used is current and accurate. Thereafter, we would recommend businesses compare the commodity codes against HMRC’s list of post Brexit tariffs (with approximately 87% of tariffs set at 0% for a transitional period) and World Trade Organisation rates to understand the potential impact of additional, irrecoverable duty charges.

Any businesses who are moving goods within the EU, without the goods entering the UK, may be benefiting from simplified procedures such as triangulation or an intra-EU cross-border refund claim. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, then simplifications such as triangulation may no longer work and EU VAT registration requirements may arise. Similarly, the process for EU businesses making cross-border refund claims is currently more straightforward than the process for non-EU businesses, which may result in changing deadlines and processes of which businesses will need to be aware.     

Finally, we would suggest reviewing agreements with EU customers/suppliers to understand who is responsible for the delivery of the goods. If your business is arranging collection or delivery, you’re likely to be the one who is responsible for the cost of additional declarations and taxes arising from the cross-border movement of goods.

Need help?

Our VAT team has worked with a wide range of businesses in preparing for Brexit and discussing their cross-border transactions. We’d be pleased to talk to you about any issues or concerns you may have. In addition, we have access to customs duty and VAT specialists throughout Europe and the rest of the world through our national network, MHA, and our international network, Baker Tilly International.

Call 0330 024 0888 or email [email protected]

Managing your finances can be tough, and sometimes you may need immediate assistance to help provide some relief. Some may consider taking help from friends and family to make ends meet or taking up a second job, but this is not a good idea. If money is not returned on time, then it can change an amicable relationship into a sour one, and undertaking a second job will only exhaust you of energy and be an added burden to the already present concerns in life. On occasions when money is direly needed, you can always take out a personal loan.

In this article, we will discuss some important reasons that should compel you to take out a personal loan instead of reaching out to other options. In case you are new to loans, you can always apply for a loan with Smart Loan.

1. Pay Off Credit Card Bills

On advantage of taking out a personal loan to pay off your card debts is that you will get lower interest rates. With lower interest rates, you can lower the amount of interest you pay, and the time it takes to repay off the credit card debt. This will allow you to pay off credit card debt as soon as possible.

2.      Pay for a Wedding

We all know the expenses that accompany a wedding, such as paying for a photographer, flowers, food, cake, etc. It’s not easy to manage a wedding and taking out a personal loan can prove to lessen the burden of having to take care of the expenses on your own.

3. Remodeling Your Home

If you are planning to remodel your home, either a specific area of the house or the whole home itself, then taking out a loan would be a good option. Refurbishing your home can be pricey, but it will be beneficial in the long run.

4. Funeral Expenses

It’s sad losing a loved one, and we all would love to pay one last act of kindness. The funeral home services, casket, burial plot, and other expenses can add up to a few thousand dollars. Cremation can be expensive too. Taking out a loan in such a case will bring you happiness that you could help someone out one last time.

5. Go On Your Dream Vacation

Carrying out the same mundane routine can be a real bummer and have a bad effect on your health, thereby reducing productivity. Therefore, taking out a loan to go on that one dream vacation would prove to be wholesome and invigorating.

6. Pay for Your Medical Bills

This is another great reason to take out a personal loan. In present times, looking your best is probably something people are most concerned about due to which shows by the great increase in the rise of cosmetic and dental procedures each year. If you are interested in looking your best and feel that a surgical procedure will do the trick, then taking out a loan will help.

Conclusion

Taking out a personal loan should not be a deterring factor, especially when it’s something you can benefit from in the long run such as, renovating your home, getting a cosmetic or other medical procedure, going on vacation, etc. Investing in yourself is something you will not regret, so go for what you wish to do now; don’t let money hold you back.