

KENT TAX PAYERS NEED TO BE ALERT FOR BOGUS HMRC CONTACT
Self-assessment taxpayers are being warned to beware of fraudsters pretending to be from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the run up to the 31 January deadline for submitting their annual tax return. According to Kent accountancy firm MHA MacIntyre Hudson,…

PROTECT YOUR ASSETS FROM A DIGITAL GRAVEYARD
A lawyer who specialises in estate planning has warned that thousands of people across Kent may be failing to protect their digital assets, locking value in online accounts that are not easily accessible to family members after death. There is…

HOLLIS RELOCATES THEIR ASHFORD OFFICE
International, independent real estate consultants Hollis have established a new base in Ashford, moving to larger, more central premises. The move to new offices on Dover Place near the city centre follows the rapid expansion of the Hollis team in…

BREACH OF COPYRIGHT IS A PROBLEM
Breach of copyright not solely a problem for Duchess of Sussex Argues Dispute Resolution Lawyer A lawyer specialising in dispute resolution is urging businesses facing copyright infringements to take legal action to protect their intellectual property. Nicola Webster, a solicitor…

POPULAR ANNUAL EMPLOYMENT LAW WORKSHOP RETURNS
Leading regional law firm Furley Page is hosting a workshop to provide business leaders and HR professionals in Kent the opportunity to gain vital insights into the latest changes in employment law. The firm’s employment law specialists will present the popular annual Employment Law Update 2019-20 workshop on Wednesday…

IN THE #METOO ERA, CAN BUSINESSES STILL USE NDA’S TO SETTLE EMPLOYEE DISPUTES?
The use of so-called Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) has been making headlines recently in the wake of the #MeToo movement. A host of celebrities and business leaders, including Harvey Weinstein, Philip Green and President Donald Trump, have been accused of using…

WORKSHOPS OFFER KENT BUSINESSES ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS IN CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT LAW
Business leaders and HR professionals can gain valuable insights into the latest changes in employment law when a popular series of breakfast workshops returns to Kent in May. Leading Kent law firm Furley Page will once again host the workshops, in partnership with Kent…

SOUTH EAST HAS UK’S HIGHEST POTENTIAL SME’S OUTSIDE OF LONDON
BGF research finds 2,000 South East businesses experience 16% combined turnover growth and responsible for 27,000 new jobs since 2015 A group of 2,063 SMEs headquartered in the South East represents the UK’s largest concentration of high potential businesses outside…

LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY REFUND
Local residents who have made a recent Lasting Power of Attorney urged to check eligibility for a refund, as £77 million is still unclaimed Kent law firm Furley Page is urging local people to check their eligibility for a lasting power of attorney (LPA) fee refund, after almost two million…

CT TRAVEL RELEASES KEY FINDINGS ON CONCERNS OF FEMALE BUSINESS TRAVELLERS
Local travel management specialist, CT Business Travel, has released key findings on the concerns, preferences and challenges of female business travellers in the UK. Key findings include: 61% of respondents would avoid countries that are hotspots for dangerous activity 50%…

IN THE EVENT OF ‘NO DEAL’ HMRC WARNS BUSINESSES TO PREPARE
In the event of ‘no deal’ HMRC warns businesses to prepare. The latest guidance to businesses in the event of the UK leaving the EU with ‘no deal’, includes updates on customs procedures, import & export registration information as well…

SIX STEPS TO PICKING THE RIGHT ACCOUNTANT
As a small business it’s important to keep a close eye on money – at the most basic level you need to know what’s coming in, what you’re paying out to suppliers and staff, and what’s left over as profit.…

ARE BUSINESS CARDS STILL RELEVANT?
Business cards aren’t going anywhere just because we’re in 2018. Business cards form an important part of the interaction you have with other companies, passing on a little bit of your business’ identity to others. Whilst we’re very much living…

CRIPPS ADVISES ON £22M SALE OF INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES LTD
Law firm Cripps has advised the shareholders of Kent-based Integrated Technologies Ltd on their sale to Gooch & Housego PLC, a specialist manufacturer of optical components and systems, in a deal worth up to £22 million. Based in Ashford, Kent,…

BUSINESS ADVICE FROM SEAN SMITH – BUSINESS DOCTOR
What makes good customer service for an early stage SME? Well firstly, I would suggest that you ditch the word good and start thinking about great: what makes great customer service? For any start-up or small to medium sized business…

MAIDSTONES SEAN TASKED WITH TURNING UNDERPERFORMING SME’S AROUND
Business Doctors, the national support service for small and medium-sized businesses, has opened a brand new operation for Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. Describing its offer as ‘somewhere in between consultancy and coaching’, the company provide hands on support to owners of…

NEW PLANNING RULES WILL HELP AND HINDER
The latest planning changes look set to offer opportunities for the owners and developers of light industrial buildings, although they also bring some uncertainty for tenants, according to experts at Ashford-based Hobbs Parker Property Consultants. In the drive to increase…

MAKING TAX DIGITAL DELAYED NOT DEAD
Despite the General Election having put the Government legislative plans on hold, Making Tax Digital hasn’t gone away, it’s more a case of simply delaying the inevitable, according to Crowe Clark Whitehill, the national audit, tax and advisory firm. If…

GETTING THE BEST FROM BREXIT
Kent companies must make their views known if the county and country are to make the best of Brexit. That was the conclusion of a seminar jointly hosted by Kent’s leading law firm, Cripps, and Canterbury Christ Church University. The…

MCBRIDES RESPONSE TO SPRING BUDGET 2017
Statement in response to today’s Spring Budget 2017 from Nick Paterno, Managing Partner at McBrides Chartered Accountants. “With two Budgets this year, today felt like the first act of a two part performance. Leading man Philip Hammond delivered his monologue…