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The vast majority of SME companies are being fooled when it comes to phishing attempts, research finds. We are constantly informing our clients about the increase in online threats and this article from www.smallbusiness.co.uk affirms the concerns.

 

Results of a survey challenging respondents to spot fake emails used for phishing have indicated that 98 per cent of respondents (including a number of IT professionals) failed to recognise email phishing attempts.

The survey, conducted by IT services company, Conosco, targeted a select group of senior individuals across a range of SME companies, to gauge how well this ‘IT savvy’ group could identify increasingly sophisticated hacking attempts.

Some 70 per cent got more than half the answers right but only 6 per cent managed 100 per cent success, indicating that businesses remain exposed to risk. In fact, lack of staff awareness/training was highlighted as a significant security concern.

The ‘Real or Steal’ challenge involved participants judging a series of emails and trying to decide whether or not each email was genuine.

Out of the examples, most people (93 per cent) correctly identified a PayPal email as being fake. On the other hand, most participants were fooled by a phony LinkedIn message, with 63 per cent getting it wrong.

Phishing is an increasingly worrisome problem, particularly in the UK, as the annual Internet Security Report from Symantec (April 2016) points out.

In the report, the UK was ranked as ‘the most targeted nation for spear phishing attacks and ransomware in 2015’.

Max Mlinaric, managing director of Conosco says, ‘When there is a security breach in blue chip companies you tend to hear of it, and can wrongly assume large companies are most commonly targeted.

‘SMEs often present easier pickings for the hackers, as IT skills, security levels, awareness and sometimes personnel training are sometimes lower than in large companies which have deeper pockets. It is crucial that SMEs ensure their IT is as secure as possible, that complacency is battled and their staff are regularly trained in resisting phishing attempts.’

Read more from www.smallbusiness.co.uk

In an article on www.smallbusiness.co.uk, Philip Pepper advises on how employers can manage risk and ensure workers are fully aware of their obligations when it comes to Christmas staffing.

As we approach the busy festive season, one of the key issues facing business owners is staffing. Holiday requests and increasing employee demands for flexible working are making it difficult for smaller businesses to ensure they have adequate resource. Forward thinking management teams are already planning ahead to fill any employment gaps.

There are a number of staffing options for businesses to consider over the Christmas period. For example, they could take on more temporary workers such as agency staff, employ casual workers or they could hire self-employed contractors to lend a hand. Both casual and self-employed contractors are a popular choice for businesses at this time of year.

The flexibility of self-employed working arrangements can be attractive to both businesses and the individuals concerned as they have the flexibility and freedom to choose their own working arrangements, and businesses are able to secure a bank of ‘on-call’ individuals to utilise as and when needed. However, the contractual terms of their engagement have come under significant scrutiny in recent months, with high-profile businesses like Uber and Deliveroo facing criticism for allegedly treating these individuals unfairly.

Dispute over working rights

Following an investigation into Uber’s pay and employment practices, the taxi app business lost a tribunal claim over its drivers’ working rights last month (October 2016). It was found that the firm was wrong to classify two of its drivers as self-employed contractors as their contracts placed too much demand on them to work at particular times, indicating that they should be treated as ‘workers’ and have the rights attributed to ‘workers’ such as minimum wage, holidays and rest breaks.
The ruling has acted as a catalyst for further examination of businesses using self-employed contractors and a group of couriers working for Deliveroo have recently announced their intention to take legal action to gain union recognition and workers’ rights.

As cases like this become more common, it’s increasingly important that employers are aware of the potential risks associated with engaging casual workers or self-employed contractors to help manage peaks in demands at key times of year.

Business owners sometimes complain that there is a lack of clarity and guidance about how to recognise the different categories in engaging individuals to undertake work and, in some instances, this is leading to misunderstandings and workplace disputes. However, the onus is on businesses to do their homework so they can distinguish between the various categories and ensure that they comply with the varying degree of employment rights each may have. Getting this wrong could have serious legal consequences and give business owners and workers alike an unhappy New Year.

The risk of misunderstandings arising is greatest when hiring flexible workers and self-employed contractors. Businesses need to manage these relationships with care to protect themselves from potential disputes.

When questioning the true nature of the relationship, an employment tribunal will consider a wide variety of factors including the ‘mutuality of obligation’ that may exist between the parties. They will consider whether there is any obligation on the business to provide work and whether the individual is obligated to accept it. They will also look at who has control in the relationship and what happens in reality by looking at the current and historical methods of working.

Establish the terms clearly

To make sure this is well documented, businesses should ensure there is a clear agreement in place setting out the terms at the very start of the engagement, regardless of whether or not they are being hired as a casual worker on a zero hour contract or are self-employed contractors. This agreement should outline obligations on both sides and, crucially, should detail the regularity of work patterns.

The documentation, working practices and length of the engagement should also be revisited and assessed regularly. For instance, if a self-employed contractor is called upon more and more to the extent that all they do is work for one business (having done so for a prolonged period) and they undertake identical or similar duties to existing employees, then this should set off an alarm bell and be reviewed to avoid staffing issues arising later.

Other ways businesses could unwittingly alter an individual’s status to become workers or employees are:

• Offering to put salary through the company payroll every month and deduct appropriate tax to reduce admin
• Requesting the individual provides a doctor’s note if they are off sick and submits approval forms for holidays
• Offering them overtime pay, bonus payment or other benefits normally given to employees in an effort to motivate and retain them
• Applying the company’s own disciplinary and other policies and procedures to the individual
• Encouraging the individual to stop providing work for other employers and instead work solely for their business

While all companies need to be aware of these staffing issues, small businesses are more likely to face staffing disputes of this type as they often lack resource and a dedicated HR department. In these situations, subtle shifts in employer/employee relationships can be easily missed.

It’s vital that companies avoid getting caught up in the Christmas rush and put the necessary measures in place to manage employment-related risks now. This includes setting out a clear agreement with each individual from the outset, regularly reviewing the relationship and keeping processes and documentation up to date at all times.

By taking this diligent approach, employers can still fulfil customer demand this festive season, and hopefully avoid any nasty legal surprises come the New Year.

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Charise Marsden, debt recovery manager, at Keeble Hawson writes for smallbusiness.co.uk on how business can prevent late payments causing a cash flow crisis for your business.

Late payment is the most common reason for a cash flow crisis in businesses. If a number of customers, or even one big customer, fall behind there can be a far-reaching, destructive domino effect right down the supply chain.

The detrimental effects can also impair growth and spark redundancies. Cash flow problems are the number one cause of business failure.

It is therefore vital that suppliers are aware of how to prevent or tackle the different reasons for late payment of undisputed debt.

With some organisations it’s simply unofficial policy: they pay in their own time and if suppliers don’t like it, they can find new customers. So, if you don’t want to be prey to the whims of a stubborn financial director, always do your research – client knowledge is everything in credit management.

Legal status of customers

Rigorously check the name and legal status of each new customer, conduct credit checks and demand references from their existing suppliers before deciding whether they are likely to be a reliable payer or not.

Other businesses could be paying suppliers late because they may genuinely have a cash flow problem due to being one of those dominoes hit by another bad payer.

However, worries about their reputation and credit references often stop them being upfront about their difficulties and they may run through myriad excuses such as admin problems, staff absences, IT glitches, and the old chestnut ‘payment has been sent – hasn’t it arrived?’

In these situations it is important to remain calm. Avoid rushing to sour what could continue to be a profitable commercial relationship for years to come with threats or a leap to litigation.

Court action is the most expensive route to recovering outstanding payments and is also a public exercise, which might prompt dispute and counterclaim. All that aside, it is often unnecessary.

Much of the time, the difference between resolution and rancour is effective communication – and engaging a good debt recovery team can be the deciding factor.

Its professionals will talk to the debtor, emphasising that they want to find a discreet solution outside court. And once faced with their involvement and their stated objective of helping, rather than hounding, the customer often opens up – discussing frankly and confidentially issues it had been so reluctant to air previously.

As a result, a mutually beneficial arrangement is brokered in most cases. This might see the debtor being given more time to raise what is owed, or establishing a repayment plan that suits both parties.

There are times when the only choice is litigation.

In these circumstances you will have to decide whether it might be better business to write off the debt: it boils down to whether the recovery costs justify the amount owed.

While proceedings should be a last resort, be prepared just in case – which means always having access to the evidence created by scrupulous recordkeeping. Put every agreement and amendment in writing and know where you stored them.

Written records can vindicate a claim, whereas the memory of a verbal contract may not.

The best chance of preventing/recovering late payments is summarised in three vital steps – know your customers, keep a written record of all your dealings and secure the right support when problems occur.

 

We found this article on smallbusiness.co.uk and think it just reminds businesses on the areas to focus:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it’s safe to say there’s one trait that’s attractive to all business owners: profitability.

Any entrepreneur knows that getting your business off the ground requires a lot of time, research and investment. Once your business has established itself and you are finally making a profit, you might want to start thinking about how to grow your business to the next level. There are many possibilities for doing so, depending on your business, your resources and how much hard work and money you are willing to invest.

1) Increase sales to existing customers

Perhaps the easiest way to boost your sales is to persuade one-off or infrequent customers to buy more regularly and become repeat customers.

To do this you need to keep on top of who your customers are and what they bought previously so you can target them effectively.

When they make their first purchase ask them if they mind having newsletters and special offers sent to their inbox. This gives you a reservoir of customer data to target with marketing messages, which you can tailor to particular segments depending on what they’ve purchased previously (for example, you could target those who’ve bought a PlayStation games console from you with PlayStation games).

Another option could be seeking out lapsed customers (those who used to buy from you but have stopped) – have they been swayed by your competitors?

If so, think about how you can win them back. You could introduce loyalty schemes or discounts for bulk orders to win these customers back as well as to attract new customers.

2) Attract new customers

You need to attract new customers to really grow your business. Central to achieving this goal is increasing awareness in both your local area and further afield – for example through an SEO campaign or advertising in relevant offline and online media.

In our social-media-obsessed society, it’s never been easier to use the internet to your advantage. Read our guide to social selling and how to use it to boost your sales.

Another way of drawing in customers is to talk to your target demographic and find out what it would take for them to buy from you rather than your competitors. To this end you could ask them to complete a survey in your newsletter and at the point of sale, whether online or in your store.

Reviewing your prices and assessing them against the prices set by your competitors can also be an effective way of increasing sales.

However, it is also worth keeping in mind that while discounting your prices might increase sales, it will adversely affect profits if you cut prices too drastically.

3) Improve

Improving your products or services is a sure-fire way to grow your business.

Word-of-mouth recommendations are one of the most invaluable forms of advertising. The rise of the online reviewing culture means that good value and high standards are rewarded – and poor service punished – more than ever before.

Customer feedback has therefore become an even more integral part of improving your offering. So check reviews on, say, TripAdvisor if you’re in hospitality or relevant sites for your industry, take your customers’ criticisms on board and adjust your product or service accordingly.

However, it is also important to weigh up the pros and cons of making these changes. A minority of customers might claim, for example, that your shop is short-staffed, but hiring extra staff may simply be financially unaffordable.

4) Diversify

Many small businesses are one-trick ponies, with a single product, service or group of customers, and this can be good for start-ups that want to focus their time and energy on doing one thing perfectly.

But as your business grows, so do the opportunities. Diversification can be a great growth strategy, not just for growing revenues but for spreading your risk too. For example, if demand for your core product or service suddenly drops, then you have other revenue streams to fall back on.

Diversification can be done in a number of ways:

• By selling products or services that naturally complement your existing ones (like if a nail bar hired a masseuse or a laptop retailer introduced a repair service)
• Adapting existing products, or how they are marketed, to appeal to a new group of customers
• Selling your products or services online for the first time
• Or selling/exporting your products or services to a different region or country (increasingly doable for online retailers, while selling the master franchise for an overseas territory is a cost-effective option for offline businesses)

5) Open another location

When business owners think about growth, opening another location is often the first thing that springs to mind.

However, you need to make the decision based on what is best for your business – and this might not necessarily be what’s best for your personal finances in the short term.

It’s perhaps not wise to open a second location until your first outlet is profitable and running smoothly. You also need enough capital to make it happen.

If you do take the leap then make sure you do your research. Stay focused on your bottom line, choose your location carefully based on demand for your product and the level of competition in that locale and ensure that you have well trained and prepared staff in place – including a manager you can trust and rely on – before you launch.

A very interesting article from The Guardian online regarding Internet security and how your business can be more informed and less likely to get breached.

Where does cyber security fall on your to-do list? If it’s not a priority, it should be because 60% of small businesses suffered a breach in the year leading up to October 2014. The worst of these breaches disrupted operations for an average of seven to 10 days.

Where can I educate myself about cyber security?

Not all small firms will have the budget to outsource their online security. The panelists pointed out that it is possible to get advice for free:

• The IASME website has a list of sites offering free help
• The government recently published a free guide on cyber security
• A free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) developed by FutureLearn, which is owned by The Open University, offers an introduction to cyber security

What risk assessments should I carry out?

The most important thing is to make sure you understand what data and information you hold. “What are the crown jewels within the business?” asks Del Heppenstall, who leads KPMG’s cyber security teams across the southern and midlands regions. “These could be IP, financial, customer details, employee records – once you have a handle on what it is that is important to your business and where you store this data, then you can begin to assess the threats and risks that these information assets will be open to.”

Business owners should also take a look at their digital assets, such as domain names and trademarks, and ensure they have “secured all of your brand names with more common domain suffixes”, says Stuart Fuller, director of commercial operations and communications at NetNames. “You can also see if any third parties have registered domain names using your business trademark or brands that could be taking away website visitors (and potential revenue).”

You can do a simple domain name search using www.who.is, to see if domain names are registered.

How can SMEs instil a culture of information security in the workplace?

It just takes one person clicking on a dodgy link to put an entire enterprise at risk. Training staff to follow cyber security procedures could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Emma Philpott, CEO of the IASME Consortium Ltd, suggests the following:

• Include cyber security elements in staff contracts
• Implement training for staff about the basic controls and why they need them
• Hold regular discussions about what the threats and risks might be and how these change over time

Other suggestions included launching a safe phishing campaign to track improvements following training and developing an acceptable use policy.

Should small businesses dissuade staff from bringing in their own devices to work (BYOD)?

Allowing staff to bring their own devices to work is often more affordable than buying company equipment, but businesses need to have a BYOD policy. As a minimum, devices should have anti-malware on them and be regularly patched, says Philpott. “Ideally they would also be encrypted, capable of being tracked and remotely wiped but then there may be issues about who owns the data.”

You should plan ahead for if a device goes missing. Stephen Hind, who provides cloud solutions consultation and implementation for DrPete, says: “All the big cloud providers offer mobile device management so if a device does go missing the company can wipe the account from the device. If you cannot do this you need to ask yourself the question of how you would cope in that scenario.”

There are other ways that risks can be mitigated. Dr Stephen Moody, solutions director for EMEA at ThreatMatrix, says: “If, for example, users are connecting to business assets through a web portal then services can be run when users connect to check for malware on the machine and also provide additional frictionless authentication protection (if, for example, a fraudster has gained access to a staff username and password). This doesn’t require anything to be installed on the user’s device.”

What’s the best way to make sure that remote workers do what they can to avoid a breach?

With more businesses offering staff the option of home and remote working, avoiding a breach can seem out of your control. Panelists suggested activating a two-step verification process to sign in so users do not rely on a “static password”.

Remote workers should also be aware of who is working around them in a public space. Privacy screens can help shield your computer from prying eyes. Users should also be aware of the public spaces they use to operate online, specifically using open Wi-Fi connections.

 

George Cowcher at Devon Chamber of Commerce commented on the result of the EU Referendum vote: “Now that the vote has been confirmed, and the people of the UK have voted to leave the EU it is important that the Government provides a clear plan of action for the leaving process. Businesses are in need of stability and reassurance, without arguments or in fighting within political parties of how the leave process should be handled.

Stability and clarity will be of utmost importance in order to prevent any further damage to the UK economy caused by the uncertainty leading up to the EU Referendum vote. Of particular importance should be a focus on ensuring stability for the money markets, particularly relating to the strength of the British Pound, and in interest rates. The Government needs to take these factors into consideration to ensure that the leaving process does not send the UK economy into a downward dip.

The Chamber will be hosting a number of events across the county to discuss the EU impact and the consequences businesses face on leaving the EU, the first of which will be held on Wednesday 6th July, to further lobby for necessary actions to be taken to support the business community. It is of the best interests for the whole of the UK that business is supported throughout this process to ensure that the growth having been seen in previous quarters continues to pull the UK fully out of the recession it has faced for a number of years.

This is a very sensitive time for all businesses and the Chamber is keen to hear from anyone who has particular concerns surrounding the EU referendum result so that these issues can be raised by the Chamber with Government”

To share your concerns please contact Chamber Membership Manager, Verity French, on 01752 273892

Read more from Devon Chamber of Commerce.

HMRC have recently introduced “KC” as a new prefix for National Insurance numbers. This change was not included in the specification HMRC provided to payroll software developers this year. It’s also not catered for by the Government Gateway itself. As a result, Opera 3, Opera II and Capital Gold payroll systems do not accept NI numbers with the KC prefix, and FPS submissions containing these NI numbers are currently being rejected.

Until this issue is resolved, HMRC guidance to employers is not to enter NI numbers with the KC prefix into their payroll systems. We therefore advise users of Opera 3, Opera II and Capital Gold Payroll to leave the National Insurance Number field blank when adding a new employee with a KC NI number, and ensure that the employee’s name and address details are completed in full as HMRC will be using these as employee identifiers.

In this piece taken from www.smallbusiness.co.uk, Jonathan Watson discusses how businesses should plan for the future following Brexit and its impact on sterling.

Theresa May, new prime minister, has said ‘Brexit means Brexit’ and now it’s time for businesses to start planning for it. We have already seen some big movement on sterling exchange rates but what is next and just how can businesses plan for the future?

Brexit has had instant drawbacks, notably the plummeting value of sterling from the economic shock, and prolonged uncertainty until it is clear what it actually means. The positives are less tangible at present but a weak pound, whilst not overly positive for the UK, makes inward investment in the UK more attractive and allows businesses to explore new markets with a lower cost base.

The success of Brexit will be largely determined by the deals struck between the UK, EU and countries overseas, coupled with the reaction and willingness of business leaders and people driving the country forward. As 99 per cent of UK businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) it is vital they are supported as it is their success which will provide stability for the UK on this bumpy road ahead.

Brexit and the bumpy political and economic road ahead

Theresa May has committed the UK to Brexit helping a light rebound from sterling’s slides of 13 per cent against the Euro and 15 per cent against the US dollar. There are always winners and losers from large currency fluctuations, however let us look at how sterling will react and the impact on business.

To make important investment decisions business leaders and decision makers need confidence about the future. I expect the pound to react in a similar fashion as prior to the EU Referendum reacting to the headlines and rising on good news, falling on bad. The Bank of England is likely to pencil in interest rate cuts for August and markets widely expect an expansion of quantitative easing (QE) too. The last time the Bank of England cut interest rates and initially launched their QE programme was in 2008-09 when the pound dropped to near parity with the euro.

An important bone of contention in this new relationship is access to the single market and allowing free movement of people; there are no deals to achieve access to the single market without allowing the free movement of people. The only example is the Swiss who voted in a 2014 referendum to restrict free movement, however the implementation of this failed due to the EU stating that doing so would result in Switzerland losing access to the single market.

Article 50 is the legal mechanism for leaving the EU and it states that in any deal the member who is leaving is not party to the negotiations. Ultimately it is for the EU to propose a plan which Britain has to then accept or reject. Until a new deal is agreed, the UK has a cloud of uncertainty hanging over it which will prevent and limit investment and reduce business confidence to take key spending and employment decisions.

With so much uncertainty as to what type of deal the UK gets and with the Bank of England poised to act to stimulate the economy we now need to look at the implications of a weak pound and what business can do to manage the shifts.

Is a weak pound good or bad for the UK?

The answer is that it depends on individual circumstances. Any UK manufacturer importing raw materials from the Eurozone has seen their cost base jump by 13 per cent since the EU Referendum. Most companies could not just absorb 13 per cent increase in costs, and profit margins would be hit. On the other hand, if you were a film producer whose production company has many US-based clients you have just been given a 15 per cent pay rise; the recent movements would have worked in your favour. Significant exchange rate fluctuations also affect companies in the production chain or businesses located near to the primary business impacted. An example could be an IT business whose main client is a local manufacturing business that is heavily reliant on importing raw materials from the EU. The IT business has no direct exposure to currency fluctuations however they could potentially lose their main customer because of currency shifts.

A weak pound is likely to be the result of financial stress and loss of confidence in other areas which causes negative impacts on the economy such as the loss of jobs, less confidence and reduced spending in the economy. Using UK export data from 2008-2009 (when sterling was at its weakest in recent years), Gross Domestic Product from the same period and finally the value of sterling, it shows that a significant fall in the value of the pound did not have a significant impact on increasing exports and improving GDP.

A weak pound gives a great opportunity for businesses to explore new prospects overseas and in different markets. With the pound likely to err on the weaker side for the next few months and perhaps beyond, now is the time to take advantage of a discounted UK. This has already been seen by overseas investors with the stock markets rebounding and some London-based estate agents reporting an increase in demand following the referendum.

How can businesses manage such risks?

Communication with key suppliers and customers in terms of exchange rate implications is important. Foreign exchange brokers will provide useful orders to help businesses plan and secure costs in advance utilising contracts such as ‘forward contracts’ where one can fix a currency rate in advance for a period of up to 18 months or more. This tool is available for both buyers and sellers of currency allowing exporters paid in a foreign currency to lock in current buying sterling rates to guarantee profit margins. In such cases it really does pay to be prepared; we have had many cases where certain businesses have not made firm plans on their currency exposure and have been caught out with a much increased cost base.

Exchange rate clauses in contracts are vital to avoiding difficult and potentially embarrassing conversations down the line that could disrupt further business opportunities.

Conclusion

The new deal is critical to the success of Brexit since access to the single market is vital to the UK economy. It helps support the SMEs that make up over 99 per cent of the UK’s businesses. While not all of them are exporting to the eurozone, any barriers to trade will have a negative impact on the ones that do and this will have wider economic consequences.

Looking at the Bank of England’s commentary, businesses should be preparing for rates to fall lower but also embracing and planning for new opportunities moving forward. The UK’s overseas suppliers and customers have not disappeared since June 23rd. Extracting the full potential from these relationships requires a strong government, some tough negotiating and an all-round tenacious determination to make it work.

Let us not forget that business leaders have been here before, we have only just picked ourselves up and dusted ourselves off following the financial crisis. From an exchange rate perspective, we have gone back about three years with most sterling rates including GBPEUR back to rates last seen in 2013, however the dollar of course is the exception having hit a 31-year low.

Businesses need clarity, simplicity and certainty. Unfortunately it will be many months and perhaps years before we get this certainty. From an exchange rate point of view, the pound could fall further so businesses should be braced to deal with it and making plans to use it to best exploit the future opportunities Brexit will offer.

Jonathan Watson is chief analyst at currencies.co.uk.

From April 2017 businesses whose properties have a Rateable Value of up to £12,000 will not have to pay business rates at all, a rise from £6,000 previously.

Property with a Rateable Value between £12,000 and £15,000 will receive tapered relief. Chancellor George Osborne says the ‘typical corner shop in Barnstaple will pay no business rates at all’.

Despite this, a survey by CVS, shows more than a third (36 per cent) of business owners are unfamiliar or unaware with the changes put in place by the government.

What’s more, three in ten small business owners, with between one and 49 employees, say the changes in business rates aren’t enough to help local businesses and our high street.

The amount that could be saved is up to £5,900 for those with a rateable value of less than £12,000 per annum.

Mark Rigby, chief executive at CVS Business Rates says that, on the whole, the changes are very positive for local businesses.

‘For many small firms, it will mean smaller overheads, less administration and an overall cost saving of as much as £5,900 in some cases.

‘This is money that could be reinvested back into the business for better marketing, trialling a new product, or increasing staff hours, for example.’

The changes are scheduled to be introduced from April 1st 2017. This is also when the next business rates revaluation takes effect; the process by which each commercial property has its rental value assessed by the Valuation Office Agency. This rental value is then used to calculate the business rates you pay each year on your bill.

The Valuation Office will publish its draft new values for each property on 1 October 2016 for consultation with local billing authorities, Rigby says.

When the next revaluation comes into force, some businesses will move outside of the £12,000 threshold for rates relief, and some will fall within it. This largely depends on the specific nature of your property and where in the country it is located.

Rigby advises that the Valuation Office Agency is responsible for valuing businesses and it will often request information from a business owner via a ‘form of return’. However, because there are so many properties to evaluate (some 1.8 million), it’s easy for the Valuation Office to make mistakes in this process.

‘Every ratepayer has the right to challenge their business rates bill at any time between revaluations. There is only one opportunity to do this however. Your chances of achieving success through an appeal, and therefore saving money, are improved if you get advice from professional, accredited surveyors.’

Read more from www.smallbusiness.co.uk