Established in 2004, the Nationwide Caterers Association is the only designated association for for mobile caterers and street food traders in the UK. We chat to NCASS Copywriter, Charlotte Vile, about the multitude of member benefits, flexible finance options and how you can get involved.

Venturing down the finance route can initially seem a little daunting, typically associated with credit checks, tedious paperwork and onerous conditions. Whilst this may have been your experience with banks and finance houses in the past, this certainly doesn’t need to be the case. At Johnson Reed, we understand the time constraints and daily pressures of running a business, and facilitate your finance requirements in a quick, simple and fuss-free manner.

When making a new purchase for your commercial kitchen, it can be incredibly easy to focus on the cost of the equipment and let the running expenses take a backseat. Electricity, gas and water can all be expensive extras, so it’s important to remember to take these into consideration and budget for them accordingly. It’s estimated that, on average, restaurants use around 2.5 times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings. You wouldn’t want to part with cash for your new equipment to find out you can’t afford to run it!

Have you ever wondered how your gym or leisure business measures up against the latest benchmark standard? Do you know what drives key performance indicators across your business and how to adopt the very best practices from across the sector? In such a competitive industry, it’s becoming vitally important to understand how and where your business should focus, both in terms of operational performance and realising your full commercial potential. 

‘More than just accountants’, Stockport-based Hallidays pride themselves on their comprehensive service and exceptional levels of support for their clients. As our accountants, Hallidays have a well-established and ongoing relationship with Johnson Reed. They have used leasing on several occasions as a tax-efficient method to acquire new kit, and have recently purchased new hardware and telecoms equipment through a sale and leaseback facility.

Established in 2008, Make Ur Move launched as an online letting agent, managing thousands of residential properties for landlords all over the UK. The award-winning business has been inundated with fantastic reviews from landlords, and tenants alike, working with all parties to ensure a seamless process. The efficient team of ten were previously operating from a serviced office space in central Manchester, and have recently relocated to a permanent leased premises in a similarly central location.

The industry has grown exponentially over the past few years, with around 150 parks now up and running in the UK. With the number of trampoline parks growing by 3000% since November 2014, it’s no wonder that regulation has struggled to keep up! In total, 15 organisations were involved in the development of the British Standards Institution Publicly Available Standard (BSI PAS) guidelines, including the International Association of Trampoline Parks (IATP), who sponsored the specification.

Michael Jordan and Emma Payne are the Director duo behind the three-year-old Crabb Cross site in Redditch. The bar, takeaway and restaurant underwent a significant refurbishment and refit earlier this month, financed through unsecured loan and equipment leasing facilities by Johnson Reed. The new frying range unit by Hewigo is entirely bespoke, with a unique design to suit the shop’s contemporary new interior.

Being confined by the restraints of a 9-5 job is never the ideal scenario if you have a young family, but an inevitable necessity for most. That said, there aren’t many professions that allow for enough time with little ones! As young parents themselves, Lorna and Steven Hessey immersed themselves in a profession that is centred around and inspired by their own children. Founded in 2012, Bounce-A-Roo was initially formed as a bouncy castle rental service, and has grown rapidly to incorporate a diverse range of children’s party and entertainment services.

Fengate Gym was acquired by new Director, Steve Hoffman, earlier this year. Having been a member of the gym himself since 1990, Steve earmarked the business as one with huge potential, and since taking over, has implemented a series of incremental upgrades to boost membership and modernise the facility.