VAT increase squeezing cashflow? Could invoice finance help? With just under half of UK SMEs reporting that they have been turned down for a loan in the past 12 months the question over how businesses can balance their cash-flow and indeed grow is one that continues to trouble business owners.

VAT Checklist: Be ready for the January 4th increase On January 4th 2011 the government will increase VAT from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent. This latest adjustment marks the third change in the last three years and puts further pressure on small and medium sized businesses who are left tasked with yet more paperwork to do.

Streamlining your cash flow In today’s more risk-averse business environment, finance departments need to understand how the risk of non payment can affect the stability of their company. For many companies, their biggest asset is outstanding invoices, yet late payment and customer defaults are an unfortunate fact of life

How to minimise risk when trading internationally In the last twelve months we have seen a changing economy and how currencies can fluctuate within a short period. These fluctuations can impact payments of UK companies exporting or importing goods or services internationally - ultimately impacting cash flow and the bottom line.

Are you prepared for the removal of the cheque guarantee system? Does your business accept cheques guaranteed with a plastic card? If the answer is yes then its time to get ready for next summer when the UK’s Cheque Guarantee Card Scheme is being withdrawn. Here is our guide on what you could start to be doing so that the changes don't affect your business

New online service for business owners looking to raise short-term finance launched With banks still not lending to many businesses, business owners are being forced to look at alternative ways of raising short-term finance and one option is to look back in history to the era of pawn brokering.

Accounts due at the end of the month? Make them relevant to now Businesses are being urged to plan how they release "recession era" accounts due by August 31st in order to avoid unnecessary credit rating downgrades.

Coutts withdraws free banking for those with less than £250,000 in their account Coutts, the bank which boasts the Queen as a customer, has withdrawn free banking to customers with less than £250,000 in their accounts.

Becoming a next generation finance director The role of the finance manager is fundamentally changing. During the recession, the emphasis has shifted from managing business growth to imposing tighter financial control. But organisations are still hamstrung by manual purchasing processes and a delegation of authority across the business which is making strong cost control hard to achieve.

The tools you need to raise money “The closest real-world analogy to raising money, whether you are seeking it from venture capitalists, angel investors, or the three Fs (friends, fools, and family), is speed dating. That’s right: In five minutes, people decide if they are interested in you, just as in bars and nightclubs. This isn’t right, and it isn’t fair, but it’s reality.” —Guy Kawasaki, "Reality Check"

What The budget means for you and your family We highlight a few of the stand-out points of The Budget which affect you and your families pocket.

4.5Million Brits to transfer credit card balance as New Year resolution More than 4.5 million Britons (10 per cent) are planning to move in excess of £3.2 billion pounds between credit cards in the first three months of 2010, to take advantage of introductory balance transfer periods, new research from Santander Cards has revealed.

Self employed motorbike commuters can save 40% tax Motorcyclists can save up to 40% on the price of a bike following a quiet change to tax law, experts have said.

Buried in the recent Finance Act is a change which makes motorcycles used for work 100% tax deductable, according to leading accountants.

Cheques to be phased out by 2018 Cheques will be phased out by October 2018, as long as there are adequate alternatives developed by that time, the body that oversees payments strategy has said.

Are you ready for the VAT rate rise? It is just a year since the Government rushed through, in a matter of days, a reduction in the VAT rate to 15%. We were told that this would stimulate the economy - whether it did or not is one for the political commentators - but the thirteen month temporary reduction is now almost at an end and we must prepare ourselves for a return to 17.5% VAT on 1 January 2010.

Cut out the excess fat on your costs A recent study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development concluded that making job cuts should be the last resort in the current economic downturn, after revealing that the cost of laying off an employee could be more than £16,000. Against this another study revealed that 69% of Financial Directors feel under pressure from board colleagues to find more ways to cut costs.

UK business missing major cost saving opportunity New research reveals businesses could do much more to reduce their business expenditure as it isn’t just MPs and Cabinet Ministers that should have an eagle eye on their expenses. The same goes for businesses throughout the UK.

New Year is crucial time for cashflow With the countdown to the New Year underway, new research reveals businesses are in for a tough time during the first quarter of next year. Bibby Financial Services is calling on business owners and managers to ensure they have their finances in order to help them avoid recessionary pressures and making cuts to their business.

Irish start-ups given an essential first step A new scheme has been launched in Ireland called Outvesting to give new start-up businesses with an essential €5,000 of seed capital from investors all pulled together via Twitter.

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