Covid-19

News

Sole traders face being named if they took out Covid-19 loan

Tribunal could decide this week if the names of 1.7bn small businesses that took out Bounce Back Loans should be made public – leaving sole traders potentially vulnerable to fraudsters

News

Less than a third of Covid business rates funding allocated

According to research, droves of organsations are missing promised financial support to help navigate Covid, with less than a third of funding being given out

Small Business Banking

Treasury small business loans could be permanent

Treasury in talks with banks about making Government-backed loans to SMEs to help them grow a permanent offer.

News

Two thirds of councils haven’t paid Covid rates relief

The £1.5bn Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund was to help businesses that did not already qualify for the £16bn pandemic business rates holiday

Employing & managing staff

Can I send an employee home if they have Covid?

What do I do if a staff member has Covid symptoms? Can I send them home to stop them infecting other staff? How much should I pay them to self-isolate? Claire Williams from CIPHR offers advice

Business management

5 tips for efficiently managing your remote SME employees

As remote work brings its own challenges, small business owners must embrace new processes to deal with these changes

Government Grants

Councils sitting on £1bn of unspent Covid grants

Local authorities still have £850m worth of Covid grants worth up to £6,000 owing to hospitality pre-Omicron to distribute plus another £350m unspent from previous pandemic financial support

News

Penalties waived for businesses missing tax deadline

Late filing and late payment penalties to be waived for one month for self-assessment taxpayers

Employing & managing staff

Re-employing staff after Covid

Many small businesses have had to make people redundant due to Covid. But you can rehire those same people again, providing you follow the rules, says Sue Tumelty

News

Businesses call for £12bn tax hike to be scrapped

Lord Bilimoria, head of lobby group CBI, is just one voice calling on the Government to drop a £12bn tax raid on businesses in April, while the gym sector asks for business rates to be scrapped

Employing & managing staff

Do I have to pay staff who are self-isolating?

Do you have to pay employees who are self-isolating full wage because they’ve been pinged by NHS Test and Trace? If so, what help is available?

News

Omicron and small business – what are the rules?

Working from home guidance, mandatory face masks and Covid vaccine passports for events. What are the new omicron rules and how do they affect your small business?