A director’s loan account (DLA) allows directors, or their family members, to take money out of their company. To qualify as a “director’s loan”, this money must not be a salary, a dividend, or an expense repayment. Also, it must not be money you’ve previously paid into or loaned to the company. How Does A…
All businesses need cyber security policies. But if you’re running a small business, it’s particularly important that you take steps to protect yourself against the risks of cybercrime. Why? Because studies show that cyber-criminals are more likely to target small businesses over larger businesses. Indeed, one study found that up to 96% of all cyber…
Like all professionals, counsellors and therapists need insurance to protect them from the various risks of the job. Let’s take a look at some of the most essential insurance products for counsellors and therapists. What Insurance do Counsellors and Therapists need? The types of insurance counsellors and therapists need can be far reaching, depending on…
Hackers and other criminals are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to scam and exploit people. And nothing is off-limits for them. So you should consider any aspect of your business that relies on digital technologies as a potential weak-spot, as an area that cyber criminals could target. Even if you’re an independent contractor offering painting and…
Cashflow is the lifeblood of your business. But you might sometimes struggle to make a cash flow forecast – particularly if you’re a small business, or if you’re new to the business world. This is your essential guide to cashflow forecasting. We’ll explain what it is and why it matters, before exploring ways you might…
Like all contractors, IT contractors should get adequate professional indemnity insurance to cover them for certain professional risks. This is a guide to professional indemnity insurance for IT contractors. Whether you’re new to the world of IT consultancy, or you’ve just started working with bigger clients and you’ve realised you need insurance, this guide will…
You might think that, as a sensible, law-abiding citizen, you’re unlikely to ever have any legal expenses. And you might be right. However, you don’t need to necessarily break the law to need legal representation. What is Legal Expenses Insurance? Legal expenses insurance does exactly what it says on the tin: It’s insurance that covers…
A HMRC investigation is a daunting prospect for any business. These investigations can be immensely time-consuming and extremely costly. So for self-employed and small businesses, the idea of a HMRC investigation can be genuinely terrifying. You can avoid HMRC investigations if you learn about the sort of circumstances that commonly trigger investigations. There are also…
Flexible Professional Indemnity Insurance Is Now Available. When you start up as a freelancer, it can be difficult to see yourself as a business. After all, you’re just one individual. Like many freelancers, you see yourself as simply one person doing a job. The only thing that matters however is how the law sees you….
Floods are the most common natural disaster in the UK, and flooding is a major risk of business interruption to firms of all sizes. Don’t think of flooding as something that happens to other people. If you’re not prepared, even a small flood could utterly sink your business. It’s important that you conduct adequate flooding…