Protect your profits with independent financial advice...

The peace of mind and security provided by a well thought out financial plan can help ensure a thriving business.

For selecting pensions through to insurance, seeking expert professional advice will help to take the pain out of the process, improve stability and save you valuable time.

A hassle free pension scheme. Easier for your employees, easier for you!

Stakeholder pension legislation means that businesses with five or more employees must, by law, provide their employees access to a pension plan which falls within the regulations.

But there's more to complying with the stakeholder regulations than simply picking a pension scheme and employers should make sure that they take all the necessary steps.

The best company pension scheme's now have simple online administration for both employer and employee with maximum annual charges of just 1%. Does yours?

These new generation pension schemes provide huge savings in time and money whilst improving the potential pension benefits for your employees. Please click here to find out more about these new generation company pension schemes.

Every business has specific individual circumstances and an Independent Financial Adviser will provide advice to suit your company’s circumstances.

Insurance. Protecting your profits should things come unstuck

Businesses need to ensure that they have a comprehensive insurance policy in place which will put them back on a sound financial footing should the worst happen.

Apart from a company’s physical assets such as a factory, computers, offices, machinery and cars which are generally insured, it also has its employees which for most businesses drive the success, or failure, of the business.

If one of these individuals should die, the company may lose profitable key accounts, be unable to continue with a large project or in the worst scenario, the business may be forced to close

Key man insurance (life assurance taken out by the company on the life of a key employee) can protect against this business threat. The level of cover should be based on an estimate of the losses a business would incur should it lose a key employee in this way. Similarly, share protection insurance can provide cash at the right time to ensure the shares of a company remain with the company and do not pass to the deceased share holder’s family.

Flexible asset and cashflow funding

Occupying your own business property, rather than merely using a copy of the landlord’s keys, can be a source of great satisfaction and can prove to be very cost effective. In order to own your business premises, it is likely that a commercial mortgage is required.

Businesses need to be on a relatively secure financial footing before applying for a commercial mortgage. Commercial borrowers are considered to be a higher risk in terms of loan repayment default than for example an employee with a residential mortgage. The repayment terms as a result are not as cheap as residential mortgages and a sizeable deposit will be required. The majority of commercial lenders are likely to lend between 70 and 80 per cent of a property’s value. In addition, interest rates will be higher than those attached to residential loans – typically between 2 per cent and 4 per cent above the Bank of England base rate.

Businesses can also take advantage of tax allowances, by claiming back some of the costs of a commercial mortgage.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

For mortgage advice, you can choose how we are paid, pay a fee, usually £499 or we can accept commission from the lender.

Retaining quality staff with employee perks

As every Human Resource professional knows, an esteemed and protected employee is likely to be more motivated and loyal and therefore a more valuable member of the team. They appreciate the way they are treated by their employer and welcome the benefits provided for them.

Employers might also want to consider providing incentives to help attract and retain staff. Employee perks can range from private health cover to company cars to gym membership.

An increasing number of small businesses are thinking about offering Enterprise Management Incentives which are tax advantaged share options designed to help small higher risk companies recruit and retain employees with the skills that will help them grow and succeed. They are also designed to reward employees for taking a risk by investing their time and skills in helping small companies achieve their potential.

An IFA can help you find an incentive scheme that is suitable to their needs and fits within their budget. We will also do the maths to calculate the most cost efficient means of providing such incentives, as well as advising businesses of any relevant tax breaks.

Ready for your free business advice consultation?

Even if you already have plans in place to protect your business, a second opinion from an independent financial adviser can help give you confidence in your present as well as your future. Your business planning advice consultation is free and without obligation.

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