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The chances are you’re looking forward to a holiday over the summer, whether your tastes involve lying on a beach or something more active. If you’re running your business efficiently, there shouldn’t be a problem about taking a couple of weeks off to enjoy a well-earned break. However, there are potential dangers. There have been a number of cases where an employee has received a very plausible ema

As I reported in the spring, the government has introduced tougher measures against landlords who fail to meet their regulations. One of the most controversial of these is the Right to Rent rules, obliging a landlord to make sure all tenants are in the country legally. This has created a whole extra layer of bureaucracy for landlords and letting agents. The BBC has revealed, though, that fraudsters are making their p

The house has put the initiative in the rental market firmly in the hands of landlords, and while many act responsibly, there are enough exceptions to create a problem. A recent survey revealed that 60% of London’s private renters suffer from leaks, inadequate heating or infestations, with little choice but to put up with it. However, London is now set to take a leaf out of New York’s book and start naming and shamin

If you own a company, it’s likely that you also own patents or intellectual properties. These can be valuable assets, and violation could result in someone taking profits that are legally yours, so it’s important to be vigilant for any infringement of your rights. A patent, as long as it’s renewed annually, restricts commercial exploitation of an invention to the holder or anyone they’ve licenced. Even if you’re the

In order to obtain an order from the court that a director is personally liable for wrongful trading under section 214 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (the ‘Act’) the Liquidator or Administrator have to not only prove the elements of wrongful trading, but they must demonstrate how the wrongful trading caused an increase in the company’s net deficiency. That is its losses. That is the company should objectively have been p

It’s an unfortunate reality, especially in difficult times that any SME could find itself insolvent. This isn’t necessarily the end of the world. Properly managed, a business can survive insolvency or, at worst, the owner can walk away sadder and wiser. Improperly managed, though, you could find yourself in serious trouble. Insolvency A company is insolvent when either it can’t afford to pay its bills by their due da

It’s over a year since the home secretary, Theresa May, closed down the National Fraud Agency and transferred its duties in various directions, including to the National Crime Agency and the City of London police. One of the NFA’s last acts was to publish its annual fraud indicator showing that in 2014 fraud was costing the economy £52 billion a year, of which £21.2bn was to the private sector. Given that the agencie