Benedict May

When's an intermediary not an intermediary? This week, we go deep into the whys and watch-outs for agencies who work with intermediaries. 💰 We highlight different fee models - some cost, no cost and hidden costs 📈 📉 We uncover how to realise the value of your intermediary partnership with a particular focus on balancing short term gains with long term growth 📣 We present the case for objective endorsement, a supportive community and ongoing learnings We pride ourselves on holding our clients accountable and on being transparent about the best practice we champion. And you can read this week's Oystercatchers Opinion here - and I'd love to hear your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/e7j9DqF4 #intermediaries #bestpractice #marketingexcellence

21

2 Comments

Relief for Investors in Small Companies A bit of good news for individual investors and small and medium sized companies: An extension for the enterprise investment scheme (EIS) and the venture capital trust (VCT) scheme. The EIS and the VCT scheme offer tax reliefs to individuals investing in small and medium-sized companies.  A number of conditions must be met for a claim for tax relief to be valid. One of these conditions is that the shares in the company (for EIS relief) or in the VCT are issued before a date specified in the legislation. That date has now been extended from 6 April 2025 to 6 April 2035.  Companies and Investors alike will be relieved - Allowing the schemes to lapse could have lead to a significant gap in early-stage equity finance.

2

1 Comment

Was great to join ApprovalMax and Syft Analytics a couple of weeks ago talking about how to 10 x your financial controls and reporting Yes, that's a big claim, but it's totally possible. If you wanted to catch it there's a link to the recording in the comments 👇 Massive shout out to Miriam Owusu and Jodilee (Harebottle) Manuel for being awesome webinar buddies as well 👏 #betteraccouning #syft #approvalmax #webinar

12

3 Comments

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗞 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁𝘀 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁? With Capital Gains Tax potentially doubling from 20% to 39%, (not sure what you think?) but for me, it feels like a huge blow to entrepreneurs across the UK. Entrepreneurs are the ones who make sacrifices: Working 7 days a week Earning low salaries for years (during the first growth phase) Paying taxes while putting themselves second. ....and in the process create jobs and opportunities for hundreds. Entrepreneurs don’t risk everything just for money. They’re driven to innovate, improve the world, and create something valuable. The harsh reality? 𝟵𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, and this tax increase punishes the risk-takers who put it all on the line to try and succeed. The government’s response? Take almost half of what entrepreneurs create, in exchange for underfunded public services and a difficult business environment. If we continue down this path, what’s next? Entrepreneurs moving abroad, businesses are growing outside the UK, and the erosion of Britain as a hub for innovation. If there’s no reward or appreciation for risk, who will take it?  #Entrepreneurship #UKEconomy #BusinessTax #CapitalGains #Innovation

6

6 Comments

Speculation, speculation, speculation! 🤔 Endless updates, rumours, and twists with the upcoming budget! 🙄 First, it was all about... Finding £22 billion to plug that “black hole”... ... then suddenly, we’re looking at £40 billion in tax rises and spending cuts—while still somehow staying committed to “supporting businesses” (sure, sure, we believe you). 💤 And now we’re hearing whispers about employer National Insurance hikes… But wait, Labour says in their manifesto that they “won’t raise taxes on working people.” Hang on a minute... “Aren’t we all working people?” 🙃 Honestly, at this point, who knows what’s coming in this budget! 🤷‍♂️ But as an accountancy practice owner, I know one thing—we’ve got to be ready for whatever curveballs the budget throws our way, not just for us, but for our clients too. 💪 That's why Adam Lawrence and I are running a post-budget analysis on the very same day - because property and construction businesses deserve to stay one step ahead! 👇 Click the link in the comments to join us at 7pm! #AutumnBudget2024 #SmallBusinesses #Construction #Property #Tax

15

3 Comments

Lots of Founders want to sell their business someday. However, what they don't realise is that they themselves are often the blocker in making the business attractive to a potential acquirer. Most Founders spend their weeks spinning plates, performing many roles across many different areas. Their week looks something like the first chart below. They know that they need their week to look more like the second chart, splitting their time equally between the 'key' areas that a Founder should be focusing on. Getting from one to the other takes a lot of skill in both delegation and trust in the people around you. But if you can get there it's absolutely worth it! #marketingagencies #founders

13

16 Comments

Every UK PLC not targeting retail investors is leaving money on the table. A £2 trillion pool of capital held by individuals earning a collective annual wage of £850 billion. If you’re a large shareholder or an executive then I advise to look into this. Are you leaving money on the table? #RetailInvestors #Investment #ir #investorrelations #comms #pr #esg

2

😁 I'M IN A GREAT MOOD 😀 👇 Loads of positive headlines in the press to share with you this week 👇 Labour pledges to embrace Fintech in bid to deliver £328bn in tax revenue Sterling rises and investors welcome "stability" of Labour win Markets surge as Reeves promises to spur growth Companies confident of boost to revenues Confidence high as prices rise ease Fed chief hails "modest" steps on inflation France's brightest tech talent could make le short hop over the Channel Labour landslide " positive" for City, predicts fund boss Pound hits one-year high as UK economy returns to growth The BDO Optimism Index remains above the 100 mark for the second consecutive month Fall in US inflation raises hopes of interest rates cut Business confidence raises to highest in 2 years UK Bank Staff numbers see biggest jump in a decade as sector outperforms Europe GDP rises by 0.4% in surprise growth boost UK Leapfrogs India to become the World's third largest Venture Capital market as analysts forecast a return to growth UK Sweeps up a third of European tech funding in 2024 as London and Cambridge Boom Deals that caught my eye this week: Alphasense acquire Tegus Canoe Intelligence in $36m funding round led by Goldman Sachs Nala raises $40m to go Global GROWTH, GROWTH, GROWTH I don't think I've seen a week with more positivity in the papers and long may it continue. There's plenty of opportunity out there. Let's go and grab it! Allez, Allez!!

67

11 Comments

As an investor, it's tough enough to navigate the constantly evolving world of cryptocurrency, let alone keep up with the ATO and how you're activities are taxed. Whether you're an expert or just starting out, you won't want to miss this upcoming webinar. In it, I'll be sharing my top tips for the months leading up to EoFY. I understand your time is valuable, so I'll be keeping my tips brief and to the point. That way, we can maximize the amount of time for me to answer your questions directly. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn something new and valuable. Follow the link in this post to sign up for the webinar. I guarantee you won't regret it! Orange Brick Road Brandon Bartlett 🟧 Electra Frost Alex Mora Blockchain Australia Kaylene Bryant Jeremy Jacka Sophie Amat Leo Treasure Bisher Khudeira

21

2 Comments

Pension funds enjoy a very material tax exemption privilege. I wonder if some element of that privilege should be linked to commitment to the sector, increased over time to stop a wall of money, where for example a vehicle like Adam proposes and/or direct investment would qualify. Pension funds free not to participate, might have a size threshold, but if they do not they pay some tax. Link that to whatever regulatory tweaks needed to ensure funds are not penalized for investing a portion in growth - rationally 4% has to be a perverse allocation, someone has got the rules wrong. It feels like it is not in their investors' interests, aside from the societal point of the need to support growth, the no.1 claimed objective of the incoming government.

7

1 Comment

August Hedge Fund Performance - 0.5% average return for HFs in August FI/Credit returns leading performance with CTA suffering a 4th straight monthly loss. YTD - Equity funds lead the way for performance so far in 2024 - up 7.9%. CTA recent losses mean they are the least profitable strategy so far this year. #hedgefunds #performance #recruitment #portfoliomanager #investments #investmentmanagement source - with.intelligence

20

Latest Business Networking Clubs Updates by Latest Business Offers. Title: Lancashire Online Networking For Accountants | Go Connections Link: https://lnkd.in/eNMQAhru Are you looking for opportunities to connect with other industry leaders? Look no further than Go Connections! Our platform is designed specifically for Accountants. #accountants #accountantsnetworking #onlinenetworking #businessnetworking #uknetworkingevents #events #businesses #globalnetworking #lancashire

1

Offering referral fees to partners is commonplace, but massively ineffective- here’s why…. They don’t care about getting a measley 10% of your first year revenue!! You know what they’re interested in? Selling their stuff - not yours! If you want to incentivise your partner network, focus on helping them to sell. Not trying to bribe them for bringing you leads. It took me A LONG time before I accepted that. But once you realise it, you can focus on helping them. That’s was drives partnerships - reciprocity. Be honest. How many times has an ecosystem partner hassled you to collect a referral fee? (The exception to this rule is individual agents, but I’ll leave that for another post)

31

5 Comments

Great tips here for anyone thinking about podcasting with a twist. Who said you can only have 1 guest on a podcast?

2

2 Comments

Valuing your startup can feel like walking a tightrope. On one hand, you want to present a compelling case to investors, highlighting the potential for exponential growth. On the other hand, you don't want to overvalue your company and create unrealistic expectations. 🤔 In our latest blog at Standard Ledger, I've teamed up with the wonderful Dan G., Head of Insights at Equidam, to demystify the process, with practical tips on striking that crucial balance. ⚖️ From understanding market potential to mastering negotiation tactics, we've got your back every step of the way. Don't just guess your worth, know it! Take a read 👉 https://lnkd.in/eZmR_8bv #StartupValuation #Valuation #Startups #Equidam

7

1 Comment

Many founders know the pain of the HMRC SEIS/EIS advance assurance process, but few know that something even more painful awaits. But first, a reminder that FounderCatalyst takes the pain of an advance assurance away - we produce advance assurance submissions for founders for free when they commit to a funding round. So...more painful than advance assurance? It's the SEIS/EIS Compliance and Certificate (AKA (S)EIS1 to (S)EIS3) process required whenever you issue shares under the SEIS or EIS schemes.  The process is painful in and of itself, but each submission can only cover one scheme (SEIS/EIS), one share class (hopefully you are only issuing Ordinary shares anyway) and, crucially, one day of issue. So, you may find yourself undertaking this process several times for just one funding round. Ouch. Great news though - FounderCatalyst has you covered: we'll support you in undertaking the compliance process and we'll issue each investor a fully completed SEIS / EIS for ⭐️FREE⭐️. This is a service that our competitors charge £490+VAT for 🤷‍♂️ Try FounderCatalyst today - we are sure you'll love it as much as James Tanner from Last Fan Standing did 🎉

82

14 Comments