Hornbeam Highlights 28

Credit Control

About 18 months ago Jayne Everett joined Hornbeam for one morning a week, returning to work as her children grow older. An ex member of the Inland Revenue’s collection team, Jayne has taken on the job of managing Hornbeam’s sales ledger. A few of you (it has only ever been a fairly small number of clients who do not pay us on time) will have experienced Jayne’s unfailingly courteous, but determined collection techniques.

Changes in the law allowed us to introduce interest and admin charges for late payment into our terms of contract. It is a testament to Jayne’s success that in September only 8 out of about 600 clients were issued with invoices for interest and administration.

Jayne’s success for us has freed up some of her time and we are pleased to be able to offer her services to any of our clients (or anyone else for that matter) who are having a problem managing their sales ledger.

H M Revenue and Customs - Interventions

The Revenue have started piloting a scheme of ‘interventions’ which may mean you receive a letter or phone call from them. They may word this ‘intervention’ in such a way that you feel your tax return has been completed incorrectly and they will:

1. Ask you if you will answer a few questions
2. Try to arrange a home visit
3. ask you to agree to changes to your tax return

In all these cases we would like you to politely refer them to Hornbeam, and to let us know you have been contacted. It is important to remember that these are informal requests which have no statutory backing. It is important that you do not give any answers apart from referring the caller to Hornbeam. Please note that if you have fee protection insurance, this will only be operative if you insist that the Revenue route all communication through Hornbeam.

Offers

The rest of this Highlights is about a selection of our clients and the services we offer to them. Each of the featured businesses has agreed to make a special offer to Hornbeam clients (My apologies to those of you who live a long way off and may have difficulty in taking advantage of these offers).

Melsop Farm Park

Based at Scoulton between Watton and Attleborough, Melsop Farm Park has become a significant visitor attraction, with one of the highest visitor return rates that I have ever come across. For younger children there are indoor and outdoor play areas. For children of all ages there is one of the widest ranges of rare breeds in the region, many of which mingle with the visitors, an excellent café overlooking the indoor play area, and there are often entertainments. For the winter the small herd of Reindeer are a special treat.

Since winning this client Hornbeam have helped sort out and catch up the accountancy. Our staff now carry out monthly visits, prepare quarterly VAT return, Payrolls and prepare Accounts. We have also helped management by putting together a straightforward business model, and by helping with grant and borrowing applications.

I am pleased to enclose a complimentary children’s ticket.

Mayday

Mayday Office Equipment Services Ltd is one of the premier suppliers of office furniture, equipment, consumables, copiers and IT support in Norfolk. You should ask for a catalogue!

Mayday is also Hornbeam’s longest established client. Since Hornbeam was set up we have provided Mayday with management accounts every month without fail. We also provide company secretarial support, management services, statutory accounts, and taxation support. We have collaborated on many projects.

I am pleased to enclose a free calendar offer.

Adlards Restaurant

Situated at 79 Upper St Giles Street Norwich, Adlards is justifiably proud of its reputation as one of the best Restaurants in the city.

We were pleased to win this Restaurant from one of the bigger firms in the city and have until now mainly provided accountancy support, year end accounts and tax compliance work. However we have recently worked with the client on business economics and identified the need to improve demand at off-peak times. As a result of these discussions the client has introduced a very successful fixed price menu. And as part of his promotional effort David Adlard is pleased to offer hornbeam clients a free glass of champagne on presentation of the enclosed voucher.

Jeffrey Pellin Consultancy

The Jeffrey Pellin Consultancy produces innovative and effective graphic design for print, internet, multimedia and display, as well as internet-based software to automate workflow.

Hornbeam provides this client with Ltd Company Statutory Accounts, and tax compliance services, as well as occasionally acting as a sounding board on business management issues. The client has developed an extraordinarily easy to use “instant website” product called Webalistic which is due for release shortly. They have agreed to offer this software to Hornbeam clients for free. Please see the enclosed voucher for details.

Hornbeam

I have two more offers for you from ourselves:

Many years of practical experience are wrapped up in my book “Successfully Managing Your Small Business”. There are just four topics covered:

Chapter 1. How to sell for more
Chapter 2. How to get paid quicker
Chapter 3. How to work smarter
Chapter 4. How to plan for success

If you think this book might help you we have 20 to give away to Hornbeam clients, just contact us and ask.

Lastly, Hornbeam Highlights goes out to more than 500 clients, we are more than willing to carry promotional material for your business, just contact us and ask.

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