What do you need to know when setting up a freelance office for the first time?

Any individual who has been considering quitting the '9 to 5' to set up their own freelance office will probably need little encouragement to do so by our own accountants in Canary Wharf here at Freelancer Accounting (http://www.freelanceraccounting.com). It does, after all, seem to reflect an increasing movement by many people and organisations towards more flexible ways of working. However, you will still need to be organised and disciplined to make the transition work.

The benefits of becoming a freelancer, with an experienced and capable PCG accountant by your side, are many - but it doesn't suit everyone. Those who want to be able to work more flexibly, choosing their own hours, are certainly likely to welcome becoming freelance, as are those who are sick of long train or motorway commutes. It's also very cost-effective, both in terms of the initial launch of your company and its subsequent operation. You can also enjoy your home surroundings and amenities and better accommodate the needs of the family, in addition to demonstrating to the tax authorities that you are 'in business on your own account'.

There are many aspects of freelance working, however, that people do not look forward to so much - such as the potentially increased isolation and boredom and clashes between family and business demands. You may also struggle to switch between a home and work mind-set, and family and neighbours may continually interrupt you while working. There are, though, ways of overcoming these issues that many of the clients of our accountancy services adopt. These include having a separate phone line installed for work purposes, as well as scheduling breaks and taking the time to meet and socialise with people - the latter especially important if you live alone.

Other ways in which you can ensure that your transition to home working is as successful as possible, include simply treating your work time as seriously as you would if you were working in any other office, and ensuring that anyone you share your home with understands this. The most experienced people who use our small business accountants also know the importance of a definable, permanent workspace rather than the kitchen table, and also ensure that they meet the people that they are working with occasionally, given how much more memorable personal contact is than communication via email.

Bear in mind that rules that have been in effect since 2003 mean that business rates don't normally need to be paid on a home office, subject to certain conditions. These include only using the kind of equipment that might be found in any domestic study and not employing people from the premises, among others. The Valuation Office Agency assesses the ratings and each case is considered on its merits.

Get in touch with the accountants in London of Freelancer Accounting (http://www.freelanceraccounting.com) for more assistance with the management of your freelance business's affairs, including advice on the tax treatment of business expenses such as home working and travelling expenses.

Editor’s Note: Freelancer Accounting (http://www.freelanceraccounting.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

The main points of the new employment tribunal procedural rules

Following up recent coverage by Employee Management Ltd (http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk) of commencement dates for the provisions of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, there is also news to share with HR support clients on the publication of The Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2013.

These regulations arise from Underhill LJ's (then Underhill J) fundamental review of employment tribunals last year, with the key points including further details on the workings of the tribunal fees. Recipients of HR advice should especially note that a Claim Form will be rejected by a tribunal if the fee or a remission application does not accompany it. The hearing notice sets out the due date by which the hearing fee is to be paid, and if this date is missed by the Claimant, then they will receive a letter from the tribunal giving a deadline for payment of the fee or the making of a remission application, in lieu of which there will be a dismissal of the claim without further order.

If the fee is paid or remission application made after the passing of this deadline, then there is discretion to reinstate the claim. Elsewhere in the regulations, HR services clients will also notice important changes to the rules relating to default judgements. These include the Tribunal no longer automatically issuing a default judgment if a Response has not been received by the 28-day deadline with an Employment Judge instead deciding whether the Claim can be determined from the information already provided and the extent to which the Respondent in question should be permitted to participate in any future proceedings.

There will also be an initial paper sift of all Claim Forms and Response Forms by an Employment Judge, who will check whether there is an arguable claim and defence. If the Judge does not deem there to be an arguable point, then the right exists for written submissions to be presented arguing against the dismissal of the Claim or Response.

Nomenclature and practice also see several changes, including the merger of 'case management discussions' and 'pre-hearing reviews' into 'preliminary hearings'. Employment Judges will also be given more case management powers, with specific provisions relating to ‘unless orders’ and the power even given to conduct a hearing by email.

Finally, those individuals and organisations seeking employment law advice should also note the changes to cost rules, including the power for detailed assessments of costs to be carried out by employment judges, removing the £20,000 cap.

Our employment law specialists here at Employee Management Ltd are able to advise you on the effects of these latest changes, and can even provide excellent employment tribunal representation. Visit http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk for more information.

Editor’s Note: Employee Management Ltd (http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

What could you do with cartons from Simpson Packaging?

Cartons have long played a key role in the wider range of packaging materials, being simple to use, practical and sturdy. You can use them to transport or store all manner of items big or small and light or heavy... and when you need to stock up on them, it’s difficult to look past the UK’s leading suppliers of modular and specialised cartons, Simpson Packaging (http://www.simpson-packaging.co.uk).

You might not imagine at first that cartons could possibly vary to such a great extent. However, Simpson Packaging actually stocks them in many different shapes and sizes, for a range of possible applications. Our selection of modular cartons, offers the combination of strength, durability and competitive pricing that our customers require.

Manufactured from high quality double wall kraft corrugated cardboard our modular cartons can be specified in various stock sizes and are tried and tested to industry standards. They can be despatched immediately for next day nationwide delivery and feature our unique branding, which includes a dual purpose grids for use as a removal and storage carton or a standard despatch box. As these cartons conform to a modular size system, they help customers to maximise available space, while they are also compatible with our range of export shipping cartons.

The shipping cartons that we offer in our ‘S’ range are specifically designed to complement our modular cartons so that space is used optimally, and are intended for the protection of export shipments. Heavy duty ‘Toughwall’ corrugated cardboard and wire stitching are used in their manufacture for extra strength, while bespoke pallet boxes or ‘cap and sleeve’ cases can also be made to your exact specification.

Other cartons that are available at Simpson Packaging, among its many other packaging materials encompassing the likes of floor protection and paper rolls, include the Small Pack 6 carton that is ideal for packing books and crockery. When cell divider sets are added to this carton, it can also be adapted for the packing of bottles and glasses. Wardrobe cartons are available for the transportation and storage of garments in various sizes. From a single suit to multiple garments we have the appropriate wardrobe carton to meet you needs. “File Away” archive storage cartons quickly fold together without the need for tape and have long been popular for use in the office, document storage and commercial markets.

Our specialised carton range makes the packing of more obscure items far easier with Plasma TV cartons, Bike Boxes, Golf Boxes, Computer Boxes and more being available. Custom printing is available on our full range of modular cartons, shipping cartons and specialised cartons. Customers also have the option of cardboard recycling bins that are easy to assemble and ideal for your office recycling scheme and single or double wall corrugated cardboard sheet board for such purposes as layer dividing, pallet top covers and export wrapping.

When considered alongside a complete range of packaging materials including the likes of packing paper, bubble wrap, edge protectors and more, it’s clear that the Simpson Packaging (http://www.simpson-packaging.co.uk) range of cartons is entirely befitting of such leading packaging suppliers.

Editor’s Note: Simpson Packaging (http://www.simpson-packaging.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Better structure your experiences with submodalities

Would you like to be able to see, hear or feel certain experiences of yours in a new, more positive and more productive light? Would you like to change what aspects of your past mean to you, so that you can be more motivated in your present life? Are there certain locked-in behavioural patterns of yours that you would like to break? Well in that case, you really need to know about submodalities and how they structure our experiences, which are a prominent part of Opt2xl’s (http://www.opt2xl.co.uk) NLP coaching in Birmingham.

There are five basic senses that human beings have: visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, gustatory and olfactory. For the purposes of neuro linguistic programming courses, when we talk about how someone structures their internal experience, memories, these are referred to as representational systems or modalities. So the visual representational system will consist of the pictures that you see in your mind, the auditory consists of the sounds and voices that you can recall, the kinaesthetic  your internal feelings, the gustatory the tastes and olfactory the smells. Finer distinctions can be made within these modalities. You may, for example, say that a picture is black or white, or that it is bright or dim. You could describe a sound as being loud or soft, or coming from a certain direction, while smells can be strong or light and feelings can be in various parts of the body. Called submodalities, such finer distinctions define the qualities of a person’s internal representations.

Submodalities have been known about for centuries, but weren’t always known as submodalities. With the emergence of programmes akin to our own NLP courses in Birmingham, however, various therapies arose based on changing a person’s submodalities. Research within NLP has suggested that these structural elements are generally used by the brain so that it ‘knows’ how it feels about them and what they internally signify. There is a bilateral link, with the emotions that are attached to a certain experience being affected by certain associated submodalities, while if the emotional significance changes, there can also be an effect on specific submodalities.

Many NLP change techniques are based around submodalities, with NLP training in Birmingham that makes use of them in some shape or form potentially helping people to change their diet, stop smoking, enhance motivation, change beliefs and values, address phobias and reduce stress, among many other possibilities.

Changing key submodalities to help address an undesirable behavioural response to a specific stimulus can be done with the Swish Pattern, for example, which begins with the client identifying a specific behaviour that they wish to change and the trigger image that starts the process. They can then identify a new self-image with the desired behaviour(s) that they would like in its place. The person then imagines the trigger image as a large picture in front of them with the new self image inserted as a small dark image in the lower left hand corner. The person then has the new self image explode up big and bight as the trigger image then shrinks and disappears down and to the left. The person continues this process until when they think about the stimulus all they get is the new self image which will drive the new desired behaviour. Amazingly simple and very effective.

Here at Opt2xl (http://www.opt2xl.co.uk), we have extensive expertise in advanced modalities that we can pass onto you as part of your personal and professional development journey. As an NLP practitioner in Birmingham, you can help yourself and others to banish undesired behaviour with the intelligent use of submodalities so that you and they live happier and more productive lives.

Editor’s Note: Opt2xl (http://www.opt2xl.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

An introduction to the world of Swift caravans

When you peruse the range of caravans for sale in Yorkshire that we offer here at Albion Caravans (http://www.albioncaravans.co.uk), you'll probably be impressed by our considerable number of represented brands, including Abbey, Ace, Bessacarr and Sprite. They're all great names in the world of caravanning, and you may have owned one or two caravans in the past bearing such nameplates... but did you know that they are all linked to one company?

That company is Swift, the British manufacturer that has long been at the forefront of the latest developments in leisure vehicles like caravans and motorhomes. As a matter of fact, as proud residents of 'God's Own County', we'd have good reason to be familiar with this company here at Albion Caravans, given that it, too, is a Yorkshire one, being based in Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire - having previously been manufacturing until 1970 on Hedon Road, Kingston upon Hull.

Swift was established in 1965, and as a result, has been well-placed to observe and react to the many changes that have taken place in the world of caravanning during the last half-century. When people come to buy cheap used caravans, they immediately trust Swift and those caravans made under its other aforementioned brands. That's because they know that Swift caravans have all of the qualities that one would want - from high build quality and luxurious interiors to functional layouts and class-leading value for money.

Whether they are new or second hand caravans, the vehicles of the Swift brand are respected across the UK and overseas, thanks to a well-earned reputation for quality and innovation. This was the case right from the start, with the first Swift caravans being based on a distinctive tri-front window design. Uniquely for the time, all of these windows opened. This design made it easy for the driver to see through to the rear of the caravan while at the wheel, something that has influenced caravan design ever since.

Of course, like any leading company, Swift has evolved considerably down the years in response to continually changing customer lifestyles, requirements and expectations. The present-day Challenger Sport, Challenger SE and Conquerer caravans continue to win acclaim for their envious specifications and trend-setting designs, incorporating features like panoramic front roof windows, Truma Combi-Boilers, Alde central heating, 20W solar panels, extensive headroom and more. 

There's also been considerable change in the brands that the company has marketed down the years. Major developments on that front have included the purchase of Abbey Caravans in 1992, Sprite Leisure in 1994, Bessacarr in 1996 and Ace Caravans in 2001. The Abbey and Ace brands were dropped in late 2008, but for those who appreciate bargain caravans for sale in West Yorkshire, they remain well-represented here at Albion Caravans (http://www.albioncaravans.co.uk). Feel free to get in touch with us about our present stock.

Editor’s Note: Albion Caravans (http://www.albioncaravans.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Better than guaranteed rent, bank six months’ rent upfront with Advanced Rent

As rewarding as life as a property landlord can be, ensuring that you receive your rent on time can be extremely frustrating, not least as you may desire access to it for further investment in your portfolio. Many landlords find the cash flow that rental income provides to be unreliable, and would like to somehow guarantee their future rent. Thankfully, the innovative and unique product of Rent in Advance (http://www.advancedrent.co.uk) is designed for exactly that purpose.

Rent in Advance is more than a rent guarantee scheme, it allows landlords to access income before it is due, averting the risk of late or non-payment of rent. The ability that it gives our growing base of partner landlords to immediately bank their next 6 months' rent, continuing every 6 months, provides them with valuable peace of mind, as well as the resources that they require to much more rapidly invest in or grow their property portfolio. It is available for a fixed fee of 12.5% of annual rental income including all taxes, with no hidden costs.

Advanced Rent was established in 2011, by a team of seasoned private equity investors and residential property financiers who realised how difficult it was for many landlords to access capital for the growth of their property portfolios. These professionals, who already had a proven track record in providing residential landlords with bespoke insurance and financial products, decided to improve upon standard landlords rent insurance with Rent in Advance.

In the short period for which it has been available, this enhanced guaranteed rent product has already attracted acclaim, as shown by Advanced Rent's shortlisting as a finalist for 2012/13 in the Innovation category of the prestigious Landlord & Letting Awards. Similarly, the more direct feedback that has been received from partner landlords has been extremely positive, with many choosing to tell their friends. Such landlords may want to know about the introducer's fee that we pay for every property of their friends that we accept.

Our bespoke landlord rent insurance includes both legal expenses cover and 24/7 emergency call-out insurance, and both are included as standard with Rent in Advance.  It is a straightforward process to take advantage of. Interested landlords simply have to provide us with details of their property and incumbent or potential tenant, for a full reference and credit check. After the collection of the first month's rent, we advance you 6 months' rent less our fee. You will receive another 6 months' rent upfront, 6 months later.

For landlords that are presently struggling to access capital, there is nothing else currently available in the sector quite like Rent in Advance. We speak directly with landlords before they sign up, as part of our investment in long-standing client relationships - so we would urge interested parties to contact us, either via info@advancedrent.co.uk or by calling us on 01603 821030. Don't wait any longer to contact Advanced Rent (http://www.advancedrent.co.uk) and start receiving 6 months' rent in advance, it’s better than guaranteed rent.

Editor’s Note: Advanced Rent (http://www.advancedrent.co.uk) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Harness the power of choice with NLP

Neuro-Linguistic Programming in Birmingham (NLP) can be defined in different ways and has at its core a number of key elements, one of the most important being communication. But NLP is also about harnessing the power of choice, as people find out when they study NLP with Opt2XL, the leading providers of NLP training in Birmingham (http://www.opt2xl.co.uk/) 

Every day we make hundreds of choices, most without even realising we are doing so. The majority of choices we make can be seen as mundane, every-day choices, which appear to have little or no long-term affect on our lives. However, you may be surprised by how some, seemingly small choices can alter the journey we are on quite dramatically. Making the best choices, whether that is in how much time we spend with our loved ones, what changes we make to our diet or lifestyle, or how we interact with our work colleagues, can really be life changing. Many people believe that they don’t have enough choice in their lives. How many times have we told ourselves we can’t work our way up the ladder at work; it’s not possible to save any money; we have no choice but to work every weekend?

If NLP is, as it’s co-creator Richard Bandler puts it, “an Attitude and a Methodology leading to a Trail of Techniques”, then the mindset NLP creates and the techniques can help us all increase choice in our lives, allowing us to harness the power of choosing how we deal with situations as they arise in life. By exploring how our mind works, understanding effective communication, and in learning how we construct our experience through our cognitive processes, NLP can then model practical techniques which put the power of choice back into our hands. In this way, real and effective personal change can take place.

Helping people to create more choice in their life and ultimately to help bring about far-reaching, positive, personal change is one of the many things that attract people to becoming an NLP Practitioner. To find out information on NLP courses in Birmingham, go to the website of the experts at Opt2xl - http://www.opt2xl.co.uk/.

Editor’s Note: Opt2xl (http://www.opt2xl.co.uk/) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

An introduction to the exciting world of video games

A blog post about video games may seem a curious addition to a grandparents journal like Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com), at least if they are being talked about as something for the grandparent rather than the grandson. It's fair to say that video games have not always attracted the best news headlines, with much controversy surrounding the supposed glorification of violence and cruelty by certain games. However, that's for another debate - and in any case, video games need be no more controversial than films or any other popular media.

After all, if you think back to the last time you played a video game (if, indeed, you ever have done such a thing), it was probably something as innocuous as the arcade version of Sega Rally in the local amusement arcade, or even a brief go at a platform game on a relative's PlayStation. But let's get back to the basics. A PlayStation is an example of a games console, and these have been revolutionary in recent decades in bringing high-definition gaming away from the aforementioned amusement arcade, and into the home. As part of each game, along with sounds, moving images are generated and displayed on a screen, normally a television.

Such images and sounds can be manipulated with a handheld device connected to the console typically known as a controller, although you might have also used a joystick for playing various games. And really, those are the basics. You insert a given game into the console - often in disc form, with cartridges having been popular in the past and direct downloading from the Internet becoming more widespread these days. Then, it's just a case of sitting back, controller in hand, and awaiting the fun that can be produced by one of the most popular grandchildren's toys that also has a certain amount of adult appeal.

If the console that you are using is not one of the simpler ones that merely have a fixed selection of built-in games, then you will have a decent range of games to choose from - whether from your grandchild's collection, that built up by yourself, a high street shop or online. There are so many video game genres to peruse, including action games, adventure games, role-playing games, strategy games, driving games and so many more. If you are ever in doubt, simply pick up a relevant games magazine - but also bear in mind the age ratings of games that you buy, especially if they are intended as gifts for grandchildren.

Having once been the preserve of the stereotypical spotty teenager in his bedroom, video games are now a massive industry giving Hollywood something to worry about. From Pac-Man and Halo to Super Mario Bros. and Gran Turismo, there are so many instantly recognisable and iconic game titles and franchises. As an open-minded and young-at-heart reader of the Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) grandparents guide, you may well fancy trying a few of them yourself! 

Editor’s Note: Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

New study uncovers the freelance 'north-south divide'

As a southern-based company, Freelancer Accounting (http://www.freelanceraccounting.com) has accountants in Richmond, Guildford, Reading and various other areas in close vicinity to London. But have you ever wondered how the state of play differs between north and south based freelancers? Whichever part of the country or beyond you are based in, the results of a new study from the online freelancer marketplace PeoplePerHour may surprise you.

What was discovered by the research was that the north is actually outpacing the south when it comes to the freelance entrepreneurial boom, with the endeavours that people in cities like Manchester and Leeds set up also more likely to be creative ones compared to those in the south. The research encompassed some 400,000 self-employed workers, with Manchester and Liverpool topping the list of those cities experiencing the greatest rise during the last 12 months. It may shock many of the clients of our contractor accountants, in fact, that only one of the top 10 hot spots was outside northern England and Scotland.

Manchester's top ranking is thanks to a 163 per cent rise in its self-employed population over the last year, only narrowly ahead of the 162 per cent achieved by Liverpool. Plenty of small business activity in Yorkshire was also found, with Sheffield seeing a 159 per cent increase, Bradford a 143 per cent rise and Halifax a 122 per cent one. Other cities to see increases well in excess of 100 per cent included York, Darlington, Newcastle, Leeds, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Such a strong showing for northern cities can, of course, be attributed in many ways to a tougher labour market, as many of these areas are traditionally more dependent on public sector jobs, and have therefore disproportionately suffered the effects of government cuts amid the continuing economic slowdown. However, it also shows how proactive many northerners have become in response to such challenges.

We can't pretend that the south was exactly a slouch in comparison, with London's rise of 'just' 101 per cent being balanced out in part by the greater number of people living there. Nonetheless, the difference is marked, with PeoplePerHour's Xenios Thrasyvoulou stating that the results showed a British labour market "going through a fundamental change." He added that "traditional employment is unlikely to return to pre-recession levels, as increasingly businesses want a more flexible workforce" - good news for many of our contractor accountancy clients.

It's fascinating, too, to see the variations in what precisely freelancers are doing in different parts of the country. While services like legal support and general administration are most common among the southern-based users of accountants in London, more creative services - like writing, design and illustration - are more widespread among freelancers in the north. If there's a definite conclusion that can be drawn, it's that opportunities abound for self-employed workers across the country, as our established team and clients here at Freelancer Accounting (http://www.freelanceraccounting.com) have long known.

Editor’s Note: Freelancer Accounting (http://www.freelanceraccounting.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Sow the seed of a different gift idea this Christmas

Why is it so many of us turn to the same old presents at Christmas time? Jumpers, socks, smellies, the latest celebrity autobiography...it’s hardly imaginative is it? Here at Seeds By Post (http://www.seedsbypost.co.uk), we may be biased but we think it’s time to sow the seed of a different gift idea this Christmas. Buy seeds online from us for gifts this festive season, not only for the existing gardening enthusiasts among your friends and family, but for anyone, regardless of their age or experience. Here are just some of the original and highly affordable gift ideas on our website:

Little Gardeners My First Mini Greenhouse As Christmas is really all about the little ones, let’s start with an ideal gift for children from the fantastic seeds for kids range ‘Little Gardeners’. The ‘My First Mini Greenhouse’ allows you to build a mini reusable greenhouse from scratch (easy enough for little fingers) in which kids can grow cress, sunflowers and even unusual Coleus from seeds. Includes plant tags, ‘magic’ compost, widger and dibber and an activity sheet which will hold their interest for months with year-round growing tips and advice. And all at great value for just £9.99. 

Roast Dinner Collection Christmas may be all about the kids, but the festive roast Turkey dinner tends to take centre stage too! With this in mind, how about the fun ‘Roast Dinner Collection’ of vegetable seeds? Included in the low price of £4.99 is five packets of vegetable seeds which have been hand-picked to accompany a whole winter’s-worth of roast dinners: Sprouting Broccoli, Savoy Cabbage, Drakar Cauliflower, Spinach Beet and – who could forget? – good old festive Brussels Sprouts. A great little stocking filler.

Herb Starter Collection Box We all know at least one person among our friends and family who loves to cook, and a great and unusual gift for the gourmet is the ‘Herb Starter Collection Box’. For just £7.99 (currently reduced from £9.99) the recipient will have everything they need to grow their very own herb garden ready for picking and popping in recipes. Herb seeds include Sweet Basil, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Italian Parsley and Sage – what else could they need?

Salad Veg Collection And finally, how about inspiring some healthy New Year resolutions in this time of excess with the Salad Veg Collection, which includes 5 packets of easy to grow salad vegetable seeds: Celery Green Sleeves, Chard Bright Lights, Lettuce Little Gem, Spring Onion and Radish, currently reduced to just £4.99 for the whole collection. With a generous 100 seeds per packet, there are enough seeds to grow a great little salad garden which will contribute to some much needed healthy eating after all the festive feasting.

May we take this opportunity to wish all our shoppers of cheap seeds a very Merry Christmas and healthy and happy New Year from us here at Seeds By Post (http://www.seedsbypost.co.uk).

Editor’s Note: Seeds By Post (http://www.seedsbypost.co.uk) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Can you see outside your office window for all of that junk?

Each day, many of us love those moments when we can glance outside the nearest office window, perhaps in-between stressful major assignments. Whether what you see out of that window is relaxing, the average urban street or a construction site, we all like to see the external world from time to time - and now, our office clearance clients here at Just-Clear (http://www.just-clear.co.uk) might be interested in new research suggesting just how good for us that could be. 

While looking out of the window might not appear entirely good news from a productivity point of view, especially for those of us who are prone to daydreaming, the research has addressed that as well. Yes, that's right... exposure to bright light could not only make the employees of our office clearance clients feel and sleep better, but also boost their productivity. Scientists have claimed that an individual could help to double their alertness if they sit next to an office window on a sunny day, rather than remain stuck in the centre of the room dependent on artificial lights.

There's also evidence that your office employees could sleep better, therefore waking up more refreshed in readiness for work each day, if they simply spent 30 minutes walking in the bright morning sunlight. Sunlight exposure is especially important for older people, given that age brings a decline in their sensitivity to light. The average building gets less than five per cent of daylight, and don't think that energy-efficient light bulbs help much, as Oxford University neuroscientist Russell Foster has declared that their lack of intensity makes them an "unmitigated disaster".

Speaking at the recent Cheltenham Science Festival, Foster added that studies had uncovered a link between light and the release of serotonin - the happy hormone - which may help to explain why so many of us are attracted to office windows in the first place. It's all the more interesting given another recent study that links the amount of daylight that employees are exposed to in their workplaces with the standard of their sleep.

But what does it all mean to you, the humble director of an office-based business? Well, it definitely suggests that you should prioritise getting rid of anything and everything that could be blocking your workers from natural daylight while working - including that junk that may have accumulated in your office over time. With an office clearance in London from Just-Clear, you can even dispense of larger unnecessary items like furniture, including any filing cabinets that may be partially blocking the sun.

Of course, the findings also suggest the importance of carefully considering the design of your office before you move into it in the first place - but for those of us who don't have the luxury of moving, a thorough office clearance from Just-Clear (http://www.just-clear.co.uk) could make a greater difference than you think.    

Editor’s Note: Just-Clear (http://www.just-clear.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

There's no shortage of great earth friendly living room products

From gorgeous tableware and luxurious beauty and bath products to food containers and mugs for the kitchen and even the likes of chalk boards and clocks that really look the part pretty much anywhere, here at Yours Sustainably (http://www.yourssustainably.com), we stock many great eco gifts for the home. But what about the living room? It's a place where many of us spend a great deal of time, socialising, dining and being entertained, so as you'd imagine, we have a decent number of products for this part of the house, too.

The living room, unsurprising given its status as a 'lazy' space for many of us, is where one can find so many of the things that make a home truly... homely. It's where you'll find a lot of artwork and family photos on the walls, and sure enough, we have some great glass wall frames in our sustainable gifts range. Hung with a recycled sari tie, these metal and glass hinged frames each feature a glass front and back, and can be specified in either landscape or portrait form. That makes them ideal for the display of photographs, postcards, mementoes, craft projects and other treasured items.

Other things that help to make a living room feel truly like a living room include a nice, warm blanket... and our range of earth friendly products does indeed include a recycled wool celtic weave blanket, made in Wales. This distinctive woven throw is made from 100% recycled wool, or to be more specific, waste yarn and woollen jumpers from charity shops that have been shredded up and re-spun. The use of waste yarns results in charming colour variations from rug to rug. All in all, if you need a nice throw for your living room sofa, it's the ideal choice.     

If you've been checking out the images of these eco friendly gifts on our website as you've read this, then you may have noticed a certain vintage feel about them. Certainly, living room items don't get much more traditional than heart-warming tea cups and candles, and we offer gorgeous vintage teacups and saucers that have been filled with lovely afternoon tea themed scents, including rose, lavender and camomile, almond cake and coffee and walnut cake. The soya wax has been hand poured and is more environmentally friendly than paraffin wax, given that it burns cleaner and longer. What's more, once you have enjoyed the scents, you're left with a nice teacup that you can use in the traditional way!

Elsewhere in our eco friendly gift range for the living room, you can find the likes of French candles, recycled glass bowls, antique glass candle sticks and even a retro clock made from recycled coffee cups. If you want something that's going to stand out in your living room while also doing that little something to help save the planet, you're sure to find it at an affordable price in the Yours Sustainably (http://www.yourssustainably.com) online store.

Editor’s Note: Yours Sustainably (http://www.yourssustainably.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Fourth specialist IR35 team deployed by HMRC

Many of our clients here at Sherwin Currid (http://www.sherwincurrid.com) initially approach our accountants in Surrey for advice on IR35. Such people may be intrigued to read that HM Revenue & Customs is now deploying a fourth crack unit of officers charged specifically with investigating freelancers and contractors working under the legislation.

It was confirmed at the last IR35 Forum Meeting on April 29th that HMRC would not only be updating the aim of its existing specialist teams based in Croydon, Edinburgh and Manchester, but would also be adding a new team in Bradford. HMRC stated as its ultimate aim the "normalisation" of the approach taken by the four teams, so that investigations into IR35 could be carried out by non-specialist officers on the basis of its not being the sole or main risk, with advice being provided by specialists as necessary.

The addition of the new team could possibly be attributed to extra resources simply being needed in the light of an increase in investigations. The move appeared to be supported by forum members, who said that they would be "disappointed" in the event of IR35's removal from the dedicated units. For those clients of our tax accountants in Surrey who are unaware, the Forum was established after the 2011 Budget, when the Government announced its commitment to making clear improvements to the administration of IR35. Its members include both taxpayer representatives and professional advisors.

Although the Revenue was asked at the meeting to provide details on the precise number of investigations and other "IR35 statistics", it declined to do so, citing an intention to publish such data on the basis of a set timetable "in the future". However, there have been suggestions by industry observers that even the existing three teams could handle as many as 1,000 IR35 investigations in each tax year. HMRC did at least concede, on the subject of the teams' capacity, that there was a "finite amount" of work that they were capable of handling. This could be partly attributable to the request made to its non-specialist tax officers to "channel cases involving IR35 to the specialist teams."

Supporting the implication that there will be more IR35 investigations in future into many of those using an accountant in Surrey, it was also confirmed that there had been a significant rise in the number of customer enquiries into HMRC's Contract Review service. The department added that it had reviewed 94 contracts and was able to give a response in 89 of them. However, of those, it was "unable to give an opinion" for IR35 purposes in 79 of them. The Revenue said that an evaluation into the Contract Review service would take place in the summer.

Nonetheless, such a high number of "unable to give an opinion" outcomes is likely to concern many of those using a tax accountant in Surrey from Sherwin Currid (http://www.sherwincurrid.com), and indeed, may simply confirm the continued considerable usefulness of our own fixed fee IR35 review service.

Editor’s Note: Sherwin Currid (http://www.sherwincurrid.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Employment Appeal Tribunal finds lack of consultation before redundancy dismissal ‘not unfair’

Clients of human resource consultants such as those at Employee Management Ltd (http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk) might have ordinarily concluded that a failure to consult with an employee facing redundancy would be unfair. However, a recent decision by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has suggested that in very limited circumstances, such consultation may not be appropriate or necessary if such an exercise would be futile – even more so if the employee is a very senior one.

This interesting change management case study involved a Claimant who had been employed as a Head of Human Resources and Payroll and known by the title of Associate Director. In the wake of a significant reduction in revenue at his company, major changes were made across the entire business. One consequence of the restructure was the creation of the more senior post of HR Director, which was offered not to the Claimant, but instead to an individual possessing more than two decades of experience in senior HR roles and a Masters Degree in Management Development. The Claimant was not told of or interviewed for the position, and nor was the vacancy advertised.

The company decided that the Claimant’s payroll responsibilities could be taken on by the Payroll Manager, with his other tasks being made the responsibility of the Legal and Operations Director. As a result, the Claimant’s role was made redundant and he was dismissed – without consultation or warning – on the grounds of redundancy, following which the Claimant issued a claim for unfair dismissal.

The subsequent employment tribunal saw the Claimant argue that he should have been consulted with by his employer, and that he should have, at the very least, been interviewed and considered for the new post of HR Director, if not immediately appointed. However, the tribunal held that “consultation with the claimant would serve little purpose and would have been a sham which would not have been to the Claimant’s benefit” and dismissed the claim for unfair dismissal – with the Claimant appealing to the EAT in response.

The EAT, however, agreed with the tribunal as to the futility of consultation with the Claimant, dismissing the appeal on the grounds that “this was, in truth, a case far from the ordinary case of redundancy selection; it concerned a manager in a very senior post which was being lost due to a substantial reorganisation”. Despite the company not consulting with or warning the Claimant, the dismissal was therefore fair.

Here at Employee Management Ltd (http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk), our HR specialists would still urge this decision to be viewed with caution by employers. In most cases, it would remain advisable of companies to minimise the risk of employment tribunals arising from claims for unfair dismissal, simply by properly consulting with their employees. Contact us now for more informed employment law advice.  

Editor’s Note: Employee Management Ltd (http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.