The number of people opting to decorate their homes with a real Christmas tree in December is on the rise. The whole process is delightfully festive, from picking the tree and placing it carefully in its temporary home to decorating with tinsel and baubles. However, in January, it’s time to say goodbye to the centerpiece of Christmas but it’s such a shame to throw it out with the old wrapping paper and leftovers that couldn’t be finished. So here are some ideas on what to do with your tree when the time comes.

Before doing anything with your tree, be sure to completely strip it of tinsel, baubles, lights, chocolates, angels, stars and all other decoration you excitedly stuck to it.

If you have an open fire or wood burner, resist the urge to use your old tree as firewood. The dried pine needles can burn extremely quickly which could cause sparks. Couple that with the very dry Christmas tree wood and the fire can very quickly become uncontrollable. Stay safe and stick to specialist firewood suppliers for wood fuel.

Recycle

Local councils, garden centres and communities make it extremely easy to recycle your old tree where they’re shredded down into chippings for use in parks etc. Recycle Now has all of the information you need to recycle your Christmas tree.

Replant

Replanting your tree is a nice option if you have the space and obviously if the tree is still live – that is, if the root of the tree is still in tact. If you want to do this, it’s important to plan ahead a little and make sure that the root of the tree is kept damp by regularly watering it. As difficult as this might be, try to keep the tree away from heat sources as well.

Once replanted, make sure it’s well watered and feel free to redecorate with outdoor ornaments!

Repurpose

An old Christmas tree is a fantastic blank canvas that can be turned into many different things. The wood can be finely chopped and then treated to make coasters or line a flower bed. The pine needles can be mixed with seasonal berries and scents to make potpourri. Or how about a birdhouse? Stand the tree in your garden and hang bird food to attract a range of different birds.

Let us know what you do with your tree when the festivities are over using #bornagainxmastree

If you have ever tried to sell your business, you probably know by now that doing so is more than just a financial transaction as there are many things that need to be put in place prior to having a company appear on the market ready for its sale. If you want to be #SellSavvy, you will want to know everything there is to know about selling a business, and one of the best places to get started is to visit http://www.bcms.com/gb/en-gb.

Many people have an impression that only those businesses that are not profitable are put on the market for sale. This is only true in some cases, and as a matter of fact most businesses are for sale for one of the following reasons:
1. Moving to a new venture is probably one of the most popular reasons. People change what they do all the time. Some business owners realise that they might be happier pursuing another career path, and there is nothing wrong with that.
2. Retiring from work is just another valid reason a person might have to sell his or her business hoping that it will be in good hands.
3. Cashing in on their capital is again a good reason to sell their business. Somebody might want to sell a business if they have made enough money to be able to buy something they have always wanted. Again, this is a good reason to put a company on the market.

Even if you plan to sell your business, it doesn’t have to mean that you shouldn’t care about it anymore. Until the day it becomes someone else’s business continue nurturing it and caring about it. It will pay off in the long run to do so as you will be able to get a better price thanks to this.

Below you will find very interesting infographic that highlights the main points that should be taken care of it while attempting to sell a business. You mighty want to familiarise yourself with it before making that final move.

Introduction to UK VAT registration

Value Added Tax (commonly known as VAT) is a tax system applied to VAT registered businesses in the UK. This specific tax is applied to most of the goods and services available in the modern-day market. In addition to that, VAT is applicable to the goods and services that are imported from other countries to the UK. The companies that are registered for VAT can reclaim the VAT amounts charged on them when purchasing goods or services. In other words, you are not entitled to reclaim VAT charged to you if you are not VAT registered business. Once a business has completed its UK VAT registration, it can be considered as a mini tax collector too.

Why it is necessary to consider UK VAT registration

You will HAVE TO register for VAT;

• If you are a business based in the UK and you exceed the VAT registration threshold for a duration of 12 months (consecutively), UK VAT registration is mandatory for you. This threshold updates every year and as per the latest update (implemented on 1 April 2017), the VAT registration threshold is £85,000.
• In addition to that, you may have registered for VAT if you take over an exciting VAT-registered business. However, this obligation is applicable only when the business you purchase has reached the VAT threshold (during the past 12 months).
• You will be forced to go for UK VAT registration if your business involves trading outside of the UK.

The businesses that fail to register for VAT will have to pay a late registration fee probably with a failure- to-notify penalty. On top of that, an interest and a surcharge will be applied. However, if you notice a temporary hype in your revenue and reach or exceed the threshold, you may consider asking for an exemption (through HMRC).

You can register for VAT voluntarily

You can consider registering your business for VAT even when it hasn’t reached VAT threshold. This is called voluntary registration. Usually, businesses go for voluntary registration due to a couple of key reasons.

• VAT registration adds credibility

Other companies and customers prefer to deal with VAT registered companies. In fact, a VAT registration is a sign of credibility; a business can appear to be bigger with a VAT registration.

• Ability to Reclaim VAT

Once you are registered for VAT, you are obviously eligible to reclaim the VAT charged on you when making the purchases.

Overall, it is much better to stay as a VAT registered business. Although most of the entities can register for VAT without much trouble, certain instances may prevent a business from registering. For instance, if a particular entity is not recognizable by the HMRC as a legitimate business, it cannot register for VAT. In addition to that, if you are a business that sells tax-exempted goods or services only, you will not be able to register for VAT. The bottom line is, however, UK VAT registration is important for any legitimate business.

In today’s world, a growing number of working professionals decide to leave their typical 5-9 jobs and take matters into their own hands, starting their own companies, whether as freelancers or a limited company. In fact, statistics show that there are over 5.5 million registered businesses in the private sector. If you happen to be one of these people, regardless of the business sector you decide to conquer, marketing your new company is one of the most important factors, which can directly influence your chances for success.  Approaching new, potential clients is definitely an exciting stage in any business life cycle, however, it is often much easier said than done. Within marketing itself, there are many aspects, which can not only increase the number of people who will see your message, but also influence their behaviour as consumers, consequently turning them into your customers. The good news is, in the digital era, marketing can be accessible and inexpensive even for locally based SMEs. Here are some ways in which even a small company can successfully market themselves to a wider, and in some cases international, audience.

1. Social media marketing

If used correctly, social media can be an extremely powerful marketing tool in the hands of a business owner. By growing a following on platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, you will be able to market your products or services and share your company’s message directly with the people who are already enthusiastic about your brand. Additionally, if you manage to create captivating content, such as videos, other visual material (images, Infographics) or even interesting and informative blog articles, which are able to capture their attention and make them want to be associated with your brand, by word of mouth, your digital presence and following will continue to grow, strengthening your brand image.

2. Search engines

Search engines, such as Google, are truly fantastic tools where rather than you searching for new customers, roles change and so the potential customers are searching for you instead. By creating informative and high quality content, which the reader will find valuable, your website will be visible to the potential clients. By being visible on search engines you are more approachable in the market, and so people visiting your website from organic search will already be interested in your services and therefore very likely to convert into customers.

3. Translation of your website

In today’s globalising world, it is easier than ever for businesses to successfully approach foreign markets. With the growth of technology and now widely available internet, even locally based SMEs can trade with overseas customers and partners. Nevertheless, before approaching foreign customers, it is important to look at some statistics. According to a study conducted by the Common Sense Advisory, 72.4% of consumers say they would be more likely to buy a product with information in their own language and 9 out of 10 people, when given the choice, always browses websites in their native language.  As you can see, although potential in the overseas markets is great, approaching them must be done correctly. Consequently, one of the most important factors which can influence whether your company will be successful abroad is the professional translation of your website and providing information about your products/services in the market’s native language. One of the most popular ways to go about website translation is working with an agency which specialises in such services. A senior project manager working for Translation Services 24, one of the leading translation agencies based in London and specialising in providing website translation services said that “The growth in number of UK based SMEs approaching foreign markets and needing their websites translated is clear to see. Interestingly, in 2017 we can see an increase in companies approaching not only the European markets, but also Asian and African sectors.”

4. Website localisation

Translating your website is an extremely important step in approaching foreign markets and being able to present yourself to new, potential customers, nevertheless, in some cases it is also vital not only to translate your website’s content, but also to localise it carefully. Website localisation requires an in-depth language knowledge, but also knowledge about the country’s culture and customs. By localising your website, you will ensure that your content is fully appropriate for the audience you are addressing. Social, cultural, political or even economic factors can influence whether certain material is suitable or not for your chosen market. You can find good examples of different approaches and how localisation can impact a business here.

5. Email Marketing

For many, many years’ experts claim that the end of direct email marketing is near, and yet, it continues to be an important channel of the digital marketing wheel. By gathering information about your potential customers, such as their email address, name, position within the company and approaching them via email, you will be able to deliver a message directly to the people who are interested in your brand and the services you provide. Email marketing is a fairly inexpensive tool which can generate fantastic business leads if conducted correctly.

As you can see, marketing a business, even one from the SME sector, can be extremely beneficial if planned and conducted correctly. From translating your website and content to growing social followers and being visible to your potential customers through search engines, there ways in which you can market your company are extensive. With the growth and developments in technology and now widely available internet, small and medium sized companies can find inexpensive ways in which they can approach customers, based in all corners of the world, something even 10 or 15 years ago sounded like a fantasy.