Spork Garden Tools Testimonial

Robert Todd - Business Owner - Oxford, Oxfordshire

Davenports taking care of us has been pure medicine. As well as helping us cut our costs with accounting, they have been instrumental in improving our image, with, amongst many things, an amazing new website. New business followed with almost immediate effect. At no time has anything been beyond their capability with accounting, business advice. printing, contacts, and insurance etc. A real shot in the arm. I firmly recommend Davenports as an innovative company for the modern age with the integrity of the client at the forefront.

http://www.sporkgardentools.com - An ideal present for the spring season.

Un-Muddling and Fire-Fighting

Are your accounts in a state? Wish you could just make them disappear? Try our fire-fighting and un-muddling service! We’ll take the load off your hands. We take your paperwork in any state - even if it’s stuffed into bin bags!

Visit our fire-fighting and un-muddling page.

Darling Confirms 2009 Budget Date

Alistair Darling has told the House of Commons he will present his Budget statement after the Easter recess.

The 2009 Budget will be held on 22 April the Chanceller announced.

Davenports – Helping You Through The Economic Crisis

As the economic crisis starts to bite, often the first to feel it are the small businesses. However, there are many steps that can be taken in order to reduce the effects and to ensure that you come out the other end stronger and ready to take advantage of recovery. Davenports have a range of offerings that are designed to re-enforce all of the accepted advice on business survival. Here are our top tips and how we will address them for you.

Control expenditure

Every business has scope for reducing costs. You should be carrying out an audit of all of your expenditure and a good place to start is with your true costs of paper processing. Using Davenports all processing is electronic ensuring that postage and printing costs are reduced whilst also reducing your carbon footprint at the same time.

Collect debts with enthusiasm

Many small businesses find that payments to them are late and that valuable management time is taken up with chasing debts. Davenports can manage all of your debt problems leaving you free to develop new markets and position yourself for recovery.

Focus marketing

Too many businesses cut their marketing costs when times are hard. The surviving companies continue to market but focus their work so as to get the maximum return on their marketing investment. Disappearing from the radar is a sure fire way of people thinking you have gone. Davenports can assist you in keeping a strong presence in the marketplace through their web design services.

Maintain and improve quality

In difficult times the customer has to feel valued. You need to ensure that you are offering a level of service that reflects this. Paying your bills on time and processing in a professional manner all helps to convince people that you are a reputable business. Davenports accountancy services linked to debt management can ensure that you provide a quality service whilst also ensuring that you do not run into cashflow problems.

Don’t be complacent

You may feel that you have everything under control and that you have all the suppliers that you need. However, if you are finding things tight so may many of your suppliers. By choosing Davenports you not only have a supplier with a long track record of quality service delivery, you also minimise your dependence on suppliers by using one supplier for a number of services. Sensible businesses always have an alternative in these difficult times.

Be honest about your business

Burying your head in the sand about the true state of your business will do you no good and will probably lead to things getting worse. Davenports understand that it is difficult in today’s business world to be perfect at everything. We are realistic enough to accept the shortcomings of our clients and we are happy to work with them to resolve them. One of our favourite phrases with our clients is that we offer to ‘unmuddle things for them. So let us help you to face up to the challenges within your business.

Position yourself for recovery

In order to be best placed for recovery you need time to innovate and develop new markets. This is impossible to do if you spend all of your waking day fire-fighting and trying to survive to the next dawn. Davenports service offerings are designed to leave you free to be the innovator that you started out as before the economic situation started to bite.

We are not someone that wants to tell you what to do. We are an organisation that exists to work in partnership with you, releasing your potential to return to being a business owner, not a business slave. All of our offerings are designed to tackle the real problems facing you and businesses like you. They aim to ensure that we will be working together in the good times as well as the present ones.

Take responsibility for your own destiny

In difficult times it is easy to do nothing and blame everything from the Government to the problems with mortgages on the other side of the Atlantic. The trouble with that approach is that failure becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. Those businesses that use this time to strengthen the way they do business, position themselves for new markets and see the present situation as an opportunity for the future will be the ones to benefit. Davenports exists to help those that want to look for a way forward rather than those that want to adopt a blame philosophy.

Remember:

There are three types of people in this world –

• Those that make things happen
• Those that watch things happen
• Those that say ‘what the hell happened’.

If you want to be someone that makes things happen, please contact us.

Film tax relief supporting UK film industry

New figures showing the success of the Government’s film tax relief were published today by Financial Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms.  The figures, which are the first to be published since the scheme began in January 2007, show that £104 million in tax relief has been provided to support the production of around 100 new UK films.

Film tax relief is designed to promote the production of culturally British films. For a film to be eligible it must qualify as ‘British’ - either by passing the new cultural test or under an agreed co-production treaty - and incur at least 25 percent of the total production expenditure in the UK.

The figures show that 110 claims received tax relief to the end of March 2008 totalling £104 million, and covering around 100 new films. Overall 155 claims have been made over this time, for a total of £126 million, although a number of the claims are more recent and therefore still being processed.

Stephen Timms said:

“These figures reinforce the role film tax relief is playing in strengthening the British film industry and encouraging the production of high quality home-grown films. This is a dynamic industry that has continued to be resilient in the face of difficult economic times. The UK’s share of the global theatrical market was $3.3 billion in 2007, with the top 10 performing UK films worldwide grossing around $2.5 million, up 26 percent on the previous year.”
Culture Minister Barbara Follett said:
 
“The importance of film tax relief in supporting one of our most successful and culturally important creative industries should not be underestimated.  UK-made films provide entertainment, employment and a cultural commentary that I think is vital and the tax relief scheme is an indication of just how committed the Government is to this vibrant and diverse sector.”

UK Window Films Testimonial

Daniel - Business Owner - Windsor, Berkshire 

“I am extremely pleased with the customer service I have received off you. I haven’t even begun to use your services yet and you have assisted me with problems and have even offered to come to my home to assist. You will be an informidable asset to my new company now and in the future.”

Loyaltynet Ltd Testimonial

T4GM Ltd Testimonial

Jason Tye - Director - Bristol

“The work that Davenports have done for us has been beyond fantastic! They have been a dream in all of their work processes, web development and the support that they have given us throughout. Being a new organisation they were able to respond to our requirements being a very new organisation - lets just say we are beyond impressed!!!!! The staff are always friendly, welcoming and always have a “can do” attitude - so for me it was fantastic quality at a fantastic price - what more could you ask for?? If you were looking for any web development work this is the company to do that for you. Words I would describe Davenports as - friendly, inspiring, go the extra mile, willing, energetic, passionate - the list could go on….”

Use of Premises

For many self-employed people the home has a dual role.  It is where you live and also where you carry on some or all of your business. Even if you carry on most of your business elsewhere, you are still entitled to a claim a taxable deduction for the part of the house that is solely used for business purposes.

Many of the bills for household expenses cover both business and private use. For example, you’ll probably get only one electricity bill, but will use it both privately and for business.  A single bill does not mean that the whole of the expense is disallowable for tax.  Part of the expense will be related to your business and therefore, tax deductible.

Not all expenses are allowable, such as business entertaining, and what is allowable depends on the particular facts.  These facts will include the extent and nature of the business activities undertaken in the home.

Costs
Some costs relate to the whole house, and even if there is no business use, will have to be paid; these include Council Tax, mortgage interest, insurance, water rates, general repairs and rent.  These are know as fixed costs, there will also be some running costs and they will include cleaning, heat and light, metered water, telephone and broadband.  The total bill for these running costs may vary with the amount of business use.

Davenports will help to ensure you pay the correct amount of tax and claim for what you are entitled to, for more information about tax returns and business accounts please contact us.