{"id":5958,"date":"2024-09-17T08:04:04","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T08:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/?p=5958"},"modified":"2024-09-17T08:04:06","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T08:04:06","slug":"boosting-confidence-in-tough-times-how-smes-can-adapt-to-financial-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/boosting-confidence-in-tough-times-how-smes-can-adapt-to-financial-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Boosting confidence in tough times \u2013 How SMEs can adapt to financial challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is already quite heavy due to the current economic climate, but it may worsen in the coming months, with potential changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) being considered in the October Budget.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If CGT is aligned with Income Tax rates, this could discourage investment and entrepreneurial activity, hitting SMEs the hardest.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The tax burden would not only make it more difficult to grow but could also force many businesses to close their doors entirely.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Despite these challenges, business owners should not feel too deflated, as there are a number of strategies available to keep SMEs ticking over.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Financial planning and forecasting<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Firstly and foremost, a strong financial plan should be in place. This should include cash flow forecasting and a clear understanding of when key tax payments are due.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Keeping a close eye on finances will help businesses better prepare for potential financial shortfalls and ensure they are prepared for upcoming tax increases.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Seek alternative funding sources<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">With traditional financial support becoming harder to secure, alternative sources of funding are a great way to secure the future of your SME.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Peer-to-peer lending, grants, and Government support schemes should all be considered.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Keeping up to date with these options and applying early can make a huge difference.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Manage costs wisely<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">A careful review of business expenditure is a must.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This may involve negotiating better terms with suppliers, reducing unnecessary overheads, or considering outsourcing certain operations to cut costs without compromising on quality or efficiency.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Plan for potential tax changes<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">SMEs should understand the implications of tax changes such as the speculated rise to the CGT rates and take steps to mitigate their impact.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This could include timing the sale of business assets before the rates rise or restructuring to minimise the CGT burden.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you are an SME owner and would like financial help and direction for the future, contact our team today.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is already quite heavy due to the current economic climate, but it may worsen in the coming months, with potential changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) being considered in the October Budget.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5961,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,125],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5958"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5959,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5958\/revisions\/5959"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bainesjewitt.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}