finance

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The decline of the traditional pub is a growing concern for many operators in the industry, after The British Beer and Pub Association revealed last year that up to 29 pubs close every week in the UK. The BBPA attributed this decline to high beer tax, competition from supermarkets selling cheaper alcohol, and an ever-changing demographic.
The Crown in Hawk Green is just one example of how a pub has successfully adapted to survive and thrive in these circumstances. Operators, Simon and Claire Hood, took a new direction with their business, venturing down the gastro-pub route to reinstate great quality food and drink at the heart of the trade.

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Funtazia Soft Play Ltd. opened this March in Blackburn, Lancashire. The site offers a fun, safe and educational environment for children to play, giving parents the rare opportunity to relax in the adjoining cafeteria. We caught up with Managing Director, Helen Sproates, to discuss the industry, alternative finance options and why on earth nobody has yet attempted an adult soft play site…
You’ve been open for a couple of months now. How are you getting on?
So far we’ve had an incredible 47,000 visitors. It’s completely packed- we’re exhausted! But what a good problem to have. We’ve also had lots of children’s parties, and we’ve got plenty more lined up.

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Whatever the reasons behind choosing residential care for your loved ones, it helps to know they’re in a supporting, friendly and caring atmosphere- and you can be rest-assured they’re getting the care they need.
Ken Bhanji is an established care home operator, also owning Haven Care Home in Maidstone and Clair Francis Residential Home in Peterborough. Founded in 2004, Fernbank Nursing Home in Finchley is the largest of the independently-owned sites, homing up to 34 residents at any one time.

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Crimestoppers, Spar, Genting Casinos and the University of Cambridge are just a handful of the established brands Focus Integrated has worked with in the UK. Specialising in both digital and offline marketing, the award-winning agency has 15 years’ experience in the field and continues to deliver innovative design and results-driven strategies to their clients.
In order to remain at the forefront of the competitive industry, Focus Integrated recently replaced their 10-year-old system with Synergist software, helping them to track, manage and collaborate on projects with ease. The features available with the software can cover a number of time-consuming tasks; from tedious expense reports to lengthy analytics documentation.

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The first glimpse of spring sunshine has got us excited for the summer ahead, and while we can hope that the weather gods are kind to us this year, the lucky ones amongst us will be jetting off to somewhere slightly more exotic. The rare British sun also brings the onset of pre-holiday panic, seeing a rise in the number of people investing in costly gym memberships in a last-minute bid to obtain their desired beach bodies.
The team at Life Leisure gyms see fitness as a long-term goal reached by implementing realistic lifestyle changes and setting achievable goals, rather than a quick fix that’s unlikely to satisfy you in the long term. As the biggest fitness provider in Stockport, Life Leisure offer members access to fitness classes, swimming and the latest gym equipment across all sites.

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Slides, ball pools, interactive games and laser tag are just a few of the exciting features enticing ‘Mini Monsterz’ to Whitby and Scarborough soft play sites. The safe and clean facilities, rare opportunity for relaxation, cosy customer café and peace of mind while the little ones play is what brings the monster-tamers back week after week…
Director of Demrahh Play, Brian Moore, is the established site operator and founder of Mini Monsterz. First established in 2008, the Whitby site proved a popular attraction to local and visiting families alike. The Scarborough site opened five years later in 2013 and Demrahh Play now boasts two of the biggest indoor play centres in North Yorkshire.

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The Recent release of the Chancellor’s budget for 2016 has us thinking about the impact on small businesses for the coming year. With features such as Business rates, Corporation tax, Capital Gains Tax, Fuel Duty, and Stamp Duty, this no doubt is going to interest and engage the future of small business.
The change to business rates will increase the threshold for claiming small business relief from £6,000 to £15,000 from April 2017. This would indicate that an estimated 600,000 small firms would not have to pay business rate, and then that a further 25,000 will only need to pay reduced rates as of April 2017. Along with the main rate of Corporation tax being reduced to 17% from the current 20% as of 1 April 2020, this is surely good news for SMEs.

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Last week saw the annual Finance & Leasing Association’s Dinner hosted at Grosvenor House, and hosted by guests John Hymphrys and Gabby Logan.
The annual dinner is always a favourite of the finance and leasing industries, and gathers together members and non-members to celebrate the industry’s progress and successes from the year. There were over 100 companies represented, and guest speakers Robert Peston and Adam Hills kept the group informed and entertained!

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We know all too well that the ‘New Year, New You’ attitude often falls short of our expectations- especially during those tricky winter months. The gym can feel like a harsh replacement to a cosy bed on cold mornings, motivational mantras on our social media feeds can be guilt-inducing and although you might intend to snack on almonds at work, the chocolate is always the more tempting option…
At Scunthorpe’s Elite Fitness, however, the team have been helping members blast through the winter blues and offset their fitness regimes with helpful guidance, a huge range of equipment and enough of a reason to keep returning!

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With email addresses, Dropbox, Google Drives, an overabundance of passwords and endless files to juggle, your IT system at work can understandably seem a little overwhelming. By simplifying and integrating business networks, Staffordshire-based ITP Group aim to replace computing chaos with their entrepreneurial ‘Inner Circles’ software. Sharing files with colleagues, scheduling appointments, managing invoices and recording your billable hours from your desk or on your smart phone are just a few of the useful features it offers.
“Most small businesses are stuck with old IT systems that are struggling to cope with the demands of customers and the needs of the business. Information technology is the engine room of all modern successful businesses.” –ITP Group