Solutions & Services
Cumbria Business for Business helps you by looking objectively at your business objectives and financial requirements and then recommending a suitable action plan.
We recommend the most suitable products and which lenders are the most appropriate in each case for the particular borrowing need.
Because we have access to a comprehensive range of lenders & funders, we can provide you with unique funding solutions, and once the funding is in place, we keep contact with you, to ensure that everything is running as smoothly as possible. You will be able to call on business specialists from many fields for assistance in selecting the best solution for you.
In short – we will help you all we can to make your business thrive.
Our product areas include -
- Asset Finance — equipment purchase
- Sale & Leaseback — effective & popular method of releasing business
equity. Continue to use the assets for the business - Vehicle & Equipment Leasing — tax efficient; preserves business capital
or "credit lines" - Factoring & Invoice Discounting — helps cash flow, and lets others chase
up debts. - Venture Capital — individuals and companies/organisations looking to
invest in appropriate businesses.
Whatever your credit profile we have lenders who can provide funds subject to maximum amounts.
To further support you, we offer the following supplementary services.
- Commercial Insurance
- Marketing advice
- Tax avoidance
- Commercial Estate planning
- Business sales
- Key man insurance
- Business Plans
- Pension advice
- Utilities optimisation
Business rescue applies to limited companies, sole trader businesses and partnerships alike. The term seeks to recognise that when a business is encountering financial difficulties, there are always options.
Despite of how bad or distressed the situation may seem, if the expectation is that the business going forward is viable and profitable then we may be able to use one or more of various initiatives and formal solutions to save the business long term and to properly take advantage of opportunities that may exist. If not, then other solutions might be more appropriate.
We consider many solutions from careful cashflow management and renegotiating of terms with creditors or the Bank, through to more formal procedures such as Individual and Company Voluntary Arrangements and Administration.
What is important to realise is that there is always a solution. Deciding on how best to go forward with a business rescue initiative or which solution to adopt is a complex matter and for those in business, seeking independent advice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional is vital. That is why we always meet face to face, in total confidence and when it is convenient for the business owner.
For company directors, it is also important to ensure that they are complying with the duties and obligations of their position irrespective of how we go forward. Otherwise they are open to criticism or possible disqualification proceedings if things don't work out as planned (which are always possible). Once again, by taking appropriate advice at the start from a suitably qualified adviser, we can manage all issues and provide the peace of mind to push forward.
Ok, I need to wind up my company, what should I do?
As a Director, you have responsibilities that you should address in order that you avoid being held personally liable for your company's debt. You need professional
advice. From Cumbria Business for Business you will get a free face to face meeting in total confidence with locally based experts.
At that meeting we look at the financial position of your company. We consider what is do-able, and what you want to do. It is, after all, your company.
There may be several options open to you. You will be given best advice as to the
way forward and told why it is so. The decision is yours.
When you have agreed the course of action, detailed financial information will be needed. A list of what you owe and to whom is needed. Staff details are required.
A potted history of your Company is needed. A valuation of Company assets may be required. CB4B can advise you and help with all this.
Once all the necessary information is prepared, there will be a meeting of creditors.
You will have to attend, but do not be alarmed. Only those who have done serious wrong have anything to fear. The creditors confirm who the liquidator is by voting
on his appointment. From that point on your formal responsibilities are over. You can get on with your life.
How much will it cost me?
That is governed by the complexity of the case. Straightforward cases would demand a fee of £3000 plus VAT. You will be made aware of the maximum fee
payable before you make your decision on what to do. It really is that simple.
How do I get started?
Contact us on 01228 527333 or by e-mail at info@cumbriabusinessforbusiness.co.uk.
You will be contacted by the next working day.
Contractors - Save Tax - Avoid IR35 risk!
If you or anyone you know is currently working as a self-employed contractor then we can help you save tax and remove the threat of IR35.
The key benefits are:
- Take home pay targeted to be 80% of gross after taxes and all costs
- Removal of IR35 risk
- Provision of all administration and insurances
- No joining or exit fees
- No minimum or maximum employment periods
- Personal account manager for each contractor
- Prompt payment mechanisms
- Scheme registered with Inland Revenue
Currently 2500 contractors using it paid £25m per month
For a contractor earning £100k per annum gross, that could mean a difference of up to £25,000 a year.
It is applicable for CIS contractors, NHS staff such as physiotherapists, IT consultants – in fact anyone working on a contractual basis.
This is an Inland Revenue registered scheme run by an accountancy practise specialising in helping contractors to remain legal and maximise their earnings.
Does your business have a company Pension scheme?
Are you aware of the new laws about pensions schemes and how they will impact on your company?
Any Business, whatever sector can be enhanced by building a motivated and loyal team of employees. We know that an integral part of that loyalty can come from having a quality pension scheme designed for you and tailored to the needs of your staff.
Would you like to:
- Enjoy a personal approach to your company pension?
- Establish a true employee benefit?
- Drive down costs by helping attract and retain the best staff?
- Reduce staff turnover?
- Create Key Worker packages?
- Tailor the entire solution to your business?
If a pension scheme can be so fundamental to your company's success why compromise? The all too common, "One size fits all" pension arrangement should have no place in today's business environment.
If you think bespoke equals expensive, think again.
Once we have a full understanding of your business and any current pension arrangements, we are confident we can create an exceptional and highly cost effective solution. Whether you wish to establish your first company pension scheme, or want advice on managing an existing arrangement, we can guide you through the whole process.
The world of work place pensions made simple.
There are myriad so called business support and advice available to businesses from both the private and public sectors much of it very good but busy business people, especially those of you running small businesses do not have the time or inclination to sift through this mountain of information and many business people tell us that the so called simplification process has made little if any improvement.
We want to keep our service simple, relevant and easy for you to use.
Our contacts with the public, private and third sectors enable us to keep up with the wealth of support available to businesses so we can tell you the relevant and best parts and put you in touch with the right people.
In the main we believe we can offer you a first port of call service. By working with key local partners in all sectors including the University we will direct relevant and up to date business support and advice to you, saving you time and frustration and enabling you to do what you do best in running your business. This will eventually be both an on-line and a face to face service to suit your specific needs.
Although this service is available to all business, irrespective of size and sector, it is specifically geared to small and micro businesses.
Two specific areas where we believe we can offer a unique service is with initial planning issues and dealings with your local authority on most issues. We are also developing a unique support service to any business in the creative sector and shortly will be producing detailed support information for this sector based on lessons learnt from our contacts with local creative businesses and best practice from elsewhere. This will be available both on line and in paper form.
Networking is simply 'word of mouth' referral. It aims to build new contacts, with the goal of gaining new business by providing the possibility of meeting the correct new cliental.
Key word – 'possibility'...
Between the Cumbria Business for Business team we have years of networking experience and have now launched Business Matchmaking. The aim of this is to cut out the possibility and turn networking into something definite.
These will be personally tailored meetings with potential clients / partners where you will be contacted beforehand to discuss what you would like to get from a networking event, what type of business person you would like to meet, how long you would like to spend at an event, and therefore allowing us to mould the event to your needs.
Too often networking events begin to get boring after a short time and businesses get little out of them. We believe that Business Matchmaking will turn into an essential business management tool for businesses of every size and sector.
All of our events will be developed to bring you the benefits of sharing best practice, exchanging ideas and developing new markets and products. It will provide you with the opportunity to meet new contacts you actually want to meet with a view in gaining ideas or even business.
We will look to you to suggest new ideas for networking and look at best practice from elsewhere for ideas that are not available at present. These could include Focus Groups, One to One Meetings, specific events tailored to suit different sectors and events to introduce to new services, regulations and opportunities.
CB4B can boast of a wealth of over 30 years experience in representing and lobbying for and on behalf of Cumbria's private sector businesses through Viv Dodd, one of CB4B's directors. He has taken delegations to Westminster and Brussels, countless meetings with politicians of all levels of government and was heavily involved in representing and lobbying for businesses in many high profile campaigns including during the foot and mouth outbreak, the Cumbrian floods, the West Coast Main Line Rail campaign and many smaller campaigns for individual businesses.
He can open the doors of many public sector bodies for you. He knows his way around the so called corridors of power. If you have a problem with the local authority or any public body come to us first. Don't start worrying. We will take up your case and let you get on with what you do best- running your own business. No issue is too small and none too large for us to take up on your behalf.
One of the benefits of membership is that you will be part of an independent, non party-political business organisation that can have a hand in influencing decision makers and opinion formers at local, regional, national and European level.
We will develop the service in such a way that it will be custom designed to meet your needs, for instance, many local creative businesses feel frustrated and constrained by the areas low-key image as a creative centre especially given the wealth of talent in the area and the quality of higher education available in the creative sectors. By lobbying and campaigning CB4B will ensure that Creative Carlisle and North Cumbria gets the recognition it merits.
No issue is too small and none is too large for us to take up on your behalf.
CB4B will prove to the public bodies that the private sector has opinions and ideas that demand to be listened to and taken into account. This will lead to better decision making which will benefit everybody.
Low skills levels can hold back productivity and growth and if not addressed will result in increasing inequality and the marginalisation of some groups within the labour market. The recently published Leitch Report projected that even if current targets were met, by 2020 the nation's skill base will be inferior to that of many other developed nations and a radical step-change was necessary.. He recommended that the UK economy should commit to "compelling new vision"- "to become a world leader in skills by 2020".
He also emphasised that "economically valuable skills" must be delivered through a demand –led approach, facilitated by a new culture of learning and an appetite for improved skills amongst individuals and employers.
CB4B will help you find the training that you need to develop your business.
We offer a an extensive training service from accredited Cumbrian Training providers that bring to you and your business a comprehensive range of training solutions. We at CB4B believe that good communications is essential to all successful businesses and therefore we welcome the fact that the emphasis of the courses we can offer is on improved communication leading to greater effectiveness, higher productivity, less mistakes, better customer care and improved business results.
Over 30 different courses are on offer ranging from general courses on management, team building, motivation, assertiveness, verbal, written and e– communications, managing change etc to detailed courses on customer care, marketing and selling, recruitment and the disciplinary and grievance procedures etc.
We will also develop working relationships with training providers and help ensure that the provision becomes "demand led".
Cumbria Business for Business are working with one of the largest and fastest growing consultancies in the UK's design, engineering, environment, management and infrastructure markets to bring you the best possible service in these fields.
In particular we can offer a speedy efficient response in the following areas of work,
- Architecture
- Surveying and Cost Management
- Development Surveying (including property management)
- Disability Access Consultancy
- Highway Consultancy (covering design and site supervision)
- Rural Land Agency
- Health and Safety advice including CDM services
- Traffic Assessments
- IT innovations
- Environmental Assessment
- Landscape Architecture
- Contaminated Land & Brownfield Regeneration
- Renewable Energy
- Ground Investigations
- Planning Consultancy
- Flood Assessments
- Countryside Management including Aboriculture
- Tourism
- Expert witness
By working closely with key local partners we will channel business support and advice to members, saving them time and frustration. In particular we at Cumbria Business for Business believe that we can offer you practical, pragmatic solutions to any human resources issue you may have. We will enable our members to appreciate the benefits an up to date strategy will bring their business and show them, where possible, how to use H.R. legislation positively. Our partners have extensive operational experience to fully understand the issues you face to make HR work for you. Our aim is to provide a professional, cost-effective approach to human resources management whatever size of business you operate. We ensure that your HR issues are handled sensibly and not in a bureaucratic way. if your company employs staff then you need to ensure that you not only comply with on-going employment law changes and requirements, but that you manage your most valuable asset without hindering your operation and we can help you in this.
We have the contacts to offer you a comprehensive range of services and advice on all staff related issues from recruitment through training, including marketing and merchandising, customer care and advising you on how to ensure that you have a healthy and more productive work force, to dealing with disputes and where necessary dismissals.
For those of you in the Creative sectors we will work through Denton Holme Arts and the University of Cumbria to help you recruit talent from the local education institutions
We will not impose anything on you that you do not need, our sole purpose is to help you and your business to work with current H.R. guidelines at the most cost effective price.
Businesses understand the reason behind regulations that protect employee's health and well being, or minimise the environmental impact of some industrial and commercial processes.
But, despite what the government keeps saying, businesses are being bogged down with red tape and it does not seem to accept the cumulative burden that is being imposed on you. The government needs to recognise that while some regulations may make society better a thriving business community creating employment, wealth and opportunity and driving regional economic development also makes for a better society.
Many organisations say that they will help businesses tackle all of the red tape, but little actually gets done apart from more surveys and a lot of hot air.
"CB4B believe businesses should and can make a difference"
We welcome the setting up earlier this year of risk and regulation advisory council which has been founded on the belief that "policy making would benefit from a fuller and more rounded consideration of public risk".
The new government is making some of the right noises and we will put pressure on them to deliver the right action.
We have built up a relationship with the Better Regulation Executive who say that they want to hear the concerns of your business and all businesses around Cumbria. CB4B can be your conduit. What they need however, is positive proof and concrete examples. By working with you we can make a case on your behalf. We are not talking about generalities but about actual hard examples where red tape has cost your business loss of money, lost you orders or lost you staff.
We also provide, at very reasonable prices, a service to keep you up to date on new regulations and legislation. CB4B will keep you informed in a language you understand!
We can provide excellent IT support from simply fixing your broken router to a full-blown support contract to look after your network.
We can also put together top-class websites and online marketing packages.
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