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Our mail forwarding service allows a customer to use our prestigious office address in London as if it was their own. Using our address enables our clients to have post sent to the central London office address we have provided, they can then choose to have the mail forwarded from the provided mail forwarding address to an address of their choice.

Why would I use a mail forwarding address?

There are many reasons why you someone would choose to use our mail forwarding service. Firstly it can be used by personal customers who have decided to go travelling or take a long vacation, using our service allows them to have post sent onto their address no matter where they are in the world. This has obvious benefits, someone who spends long periods of time away from their main postal address can expect many bills and important letters that may be time sensitive. Our mail forwarding service enables the client to receive these documents no matter where they are in the world.Many business customers also benefit from the use of our mail forwarding service. Our address is situated in a prominent and prestigious location in central London, this creates a positive image for any prospective clients who may be looking to work with your company.Our mail forwarding address service also has can help with privacy, all businesses are legally required to provide an address of where they are operating from in the UK. Our address service can help protect your home address, thus preventing any unwanted callers turning up when you least expect them.

Other key benefits to the mail forwarding service

• Private and Confidential
• For personal and business customers
• Prestigious address in central London
• Creates a professional image for your business
• Mail forwarded worldwide
• Collect mail from our premises
• Parcels and signed for post accepted
• Digital scanning of post available

Your Virtual Office London has been providing professional mail forwarding services for over 20 years. Many business customers also choose other supplementary services which can complement the mail forwarding service.We provide a registered office address in London for our Limited company clients; this allows them to use our prominent London address at Companies House in place of their existing registered office address. Another service that is popular with our company clients is a directors service address, again this is for updating the directors address at Companies House. Both address services are aimed at improving your image and keeping your personal details safe and secure, away from public view.If you would like to discuss any of the services mentioned in this article please feel free to contact us, we have an expert team on standby ready to take your call.

In this article, we explain who can act as a company secretary and how one can be appointed or removed and the typical duties performed by the secretary.

Who can be a Limited Company secretary?

There are not many people who cant act as your company secretary in a private Limited Company. There are a few restrictions; the company secretary must not be an undischarged bankrupt unless the court has given leave. Also the companies auditor is not allow to perform the role of secretary. A partnership, company and of course an individual are allowed to perform the role of company secretary.

What is the process of adding or removing a company secretary?

The adding of an appointment of a company secretary or the removal of a secretary will be governed by the Companies Articles of Association. It would be decided by the board of directors of the company, that they wish to add or remove the appointment. The Companies Act 2006 doesn't provide details of how the process should be handled.

What are the main duties of a company secretary?

The duties of a company secretary can vary, there are no right or wrong duties however typically the duties are as follows:1. The company secretary would normally provide the service of Filing annual returns.2. Preparing and maintaining the statutory records.3. Arranging meetings for shareholders and directors, maintaining minutes of meetings.4. Maintaining correct company details with companies house, updating when changes happen.5. Legal compliance6. Holding and safe keeping of company documents7. Maintaining a registered office address

Why use Your Virtual Office London to form your company?

Your Virtual Office London are company formation experts. We have been forming companies for over 30 years, we have a huge amount of experience and we are always happy to share this with our clients. It is important to understand the supplementary services we provide our company formation clients, services such as registered office address, mail forwarding, virtual office and business accounting. Incorporating a company can be a daunting process and our team are specially trained in guiding small businesses through the minefield of forming and starting a new company.

Europe-Zone economies under-performed worse than what was predicted in the second part of the financial year. The German Gross Domestic Product contracted by 0.22% in the last three months leading up to June. This is in contrast to the first part, the German economy grew by 0.7% in the first three months of this year.The German Federal Office explained that they were losing momentum due to the trade balance directly slowing the growth of the economy.The French economy remained stagnant; the economy had 0% growth. This is the second quarter where no growth took place; again the official figures were not what was expected. The French economy was predicted to have a slow positive rise in growth; this is suggested to be due to weak manufacturing output. Another aiding factor has been sighted that the second quarter has a larger number of public holidays which can also slow manufacturing output.The minister of finance for France, Michel Sapin, has explained that France is not expected to meet its deficit reduction target in 2014.Other causes have been signalled to possible reasons for slow growth. The Ukraine fighting has possibly affected confidence in both countries. Along with Russian sanctions, investments may be reduced and overall confidence lowered in the region.If you found this news article interesting, you can read more on our economy blog section.

Unemployment in the UK has hit a six year low in the last three months. The ONS (Office for National Statistics) has reported that the amount of people out of work has fallen by to 6.4% in the last quarter. This is the lowest level since 2008 and it has gone done from 6.5% in May.The actual figure of people out of work decreased by 132,000 to 2.08 million, however average wages rose at the slowest rate since records began in 2001.The Office for National statistics suggested that the slow wage increase was affected by a large number of employees actually deferring bonus payments in the hope of the top rate of tax being cut.This deferment is thought to have affected the actual real rate of increase, which would have been higher if it was not for the bonus deferring.Low salary inflation, the rate at which the real value of a salary increases is a growing concern for top financial decision makers in the Bank of England, it could ultimately have an effect on the timing of when to raise in the interest rate.The Bank of England has now reduced its forecast by more than half, saying the average salary increase would be around 1.25% for 2014.The slow salary growth is likely to prevent an increase in interest rates this year, mainly due to the average person being made to pay more for their mortgage and subsequent knock on effects to the cost of products and services.The slow increase also suggests that the economy is still fragile; the figures should be used seen as a warning sign that the economic recovery still has a long way to go.The unemployment is still expected to fall further as we move into the second half of the year. It is also very probable that the unemployment rate will fall below 6%.If you found this news article insightful you can find more economy posts on our blog.

What is a registered office address?

A registered office address is for Limited Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships. It is a legal requirement from Companies House that a registered office address must be given when you incorporate a company. The address will then be used by Companies House and HMRC to send your company official statutory official post.

Why do I need a registered office address service?

Many small start up businesses are usually formed from a residential address, a homeworker for example starting a business would normally have no choice but to use the residential home address as the registered office address. The address is then available on public view, which means customers and business associates will be able to find out where you live and of course this can sometimes have privacy issues which may not be suitable for someone working and living at home.

Why Your Virtual Office London Registered Office Service?

Your Virtual Office London provide a real London office address in a prestigious and prominent area of central London. Our service can be used by Limited Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP`s). The service can be used as long as the company is trading from England or Wales.

Is postage free?

We include all postage of statutory mail for free, your registered office post is sent first class same day and we also include free postage for our international clients; this post is sent out via airmail same day.

I am a director can I use this for my service address?

Our registered office is only for the company address, if you are looking to update your directors details with a London address, we do provide a directors service address. This is used by directors and secretaries of companies, it allows them to receive staturoy notices in their name to our service address in London. Again all post is included with this service, so there are no additional mail handling fees.

Can I have normal business post sent to the address?

If you are looking to have everyday trading mail, such as letters from clients and business associates, statements from banks and other marketing materials, you will need our London mail forwarding address. This is ideal for real trading businesses looking to have a prime address in the heart of London. Postage costs for this type of mail is not included and we would require a postage deposit.A London address can really help boost your companies image, increasing the prestige of your operation through a prime address in central London can help your client perceive that your business is established and secure. Image is key to winning important contacts and clients, we strongly recommend our mail handling services to help aid the progression of your business. If you would like to discuss any points raised in this informative business article, please get in touch with the team today.

Over 30% of business managers in the UK did not use their full holiday entitlement. This comes as a warning to business owners, holidays are an important part of the workforces entitlement and can lead to increased productivity and happiness.The institute of Leadership and Management said that firms should make sure all staff take their full annual leave entitlement.One in 20 UK business managers has said that they have lost a week or more due to the annual allowance not being taken.It is known holidays help creating a happy and healthy workforce. When staff return from holidays they are refreshed and re invigorated which is ideal for businesses to increase productivity.

Leading UK firms BDO has suggested that its job index for July which measures hiring plans for the coming three months was at the highest level since 1998.The report has seen a large increase in firms looking to hire new staff. An increase in the rate of new jobs that are being created is expected to last for the rest of the year.Another index report from BDO which measures businesses expectations over the next 6 months was at the highest level for more than one year. This is testament to the UK`s economic growth and increase in consumer confidence.The increased optimism will only have a positive real outcome on the UK economy and employment figures, which is great news for Britain as a whole.However increase employment can lead to a shortage of skilled workers and it is thought Europe will help fill gaps in the employment market.If you enjoyed this business and economy article you can read more on our informative business blog.

For accountants who are responsible for project formulation, financial statements are the corollary of their work and the culmination of their efforts. For entrepreneurs and managers of businesses, this allows them to take actions and decisions they deem appropriate for the proper conduct of the business.This situation can be summarised in the financial statements, whereby they record the financial results for the integrated management of business that the organisation runs. This information is of interest to various sectors, such as:- The owners and / or shareholders and those fully interested in knowing the results of the economic entity.- The directors and officers are interested in the excellent conduct of the business, to know if you are meeting the objectives established.- Administration: To guarantee the proper administration of the institution in accordance with its goals and objectives.- Supervisors and control bodies: Those that manage audited financial statements give credibility to your financial information.- Government bodies: Interested in the financial statements that are audited by aspects of formality and regulation.- Workers : As a means of feeling security in their employment.- Suppliers and creditors: Because they are interested in liquidity and fairness of the financial statements.- Investors: Because they will be able to analyse, to invest or not to invest in certain types of business.- To the general public: To know whether a particular organisation has a good picture of trade, if there are good services, products and whether they have quality.Under this perspective, the audit of the financial statements involves an examination of the financial statements of its operations holistically, including media, economic, administrative, financial / accounting, legal, environmental etc. An established, well respected company such as thecheapaccountant.co.uk can help with this aspect.Due to the above, the financial audit should not only aim at the verification of the accounting record, but also the detailed examination of the actions of the organisation, areas, processes, licenses, operations, records and support in a responsible manner to be as efficient as possible.In that way a financial audit process requires consideration of, among others, the following:- Understand the organisation, policy, regulations, structure, processes, financial reporting and accounting handbook with your chart of accounts.- Prepare guidelines, programs or questionnaires for an audit and internal control and other working papers, based on the representative account.- Know the computer applications that manage the organisation, especially accounting and finance.- Review the different accounts assigned to the financial statements, considering the accounting, financial, administrative, legal, economic, environmental or otherwise. Determine for each of them, the cause, effect and impact as well.- Translate in technical working papers, supported and objective manner, each of the findings, to be considered in drafting the final review report.With respect to internal control you should:- Evaluate the quality of information systems and media in the accounting process.- Check profiles of who will be able and responsible for handling and recording of accounting functional areas.- Verify proper handling of correspondence and memory of the organisation file.- To verify the existence of control processes that perform the accounting area of dependencies and other sources of accounting information.- Monitor an Improvement Plan,Another insightful blog post produced by Your Virtual Office London.

Undoubtedly, one of the keys to invest successfully is to have a vision for the future. Having clear decisions to be taken with regard to long-term financial investments becomes vital, in order to achieve the desired results in investments and profits, after all, investment is the result of careful analysis.Generally, the goals are achieved by determining how far away the investment horizon is. But why is it so important to establish a horizon? Very simple. Establishing what the long-term investment is (5 years, 10 years, 15 years) has a great importance, since it directly influences the investment strategy. Generally, long-term investments allow investors to take more risk when investing.A clear example is the investment in gold , and that despite the ups and downs that occur in the market, the long-term trend is always upward, so that it always comes as a great way to invest safely long term and is profitable for your money. The key to any long-term investment is that it will ensure future financial security.

Here are just some key elements to successful investing:

1. Get control of your expenses before investing - Pay off your credit card debts and other high interest rates as fast loans or mini-credit is something unavoidable before you even think about starting to invest. If you get some extra income, I dedicate it to pay your debts and thus bring the moment you can start investing. Learn to cut your expenses and a little short in one of your unnecessary purchases to get away with your debts as soon as possible.2. If you're going to invest, do it - Once you have your financial house in order, no debt, and a good emergency fund set up , start investing.First start with simple investments in which you feel confident and let it rest there money for a while to see how you react to the ups and downs of profitability. Do not sell quickly to take short-term profits or bands to avoid big losses. Wait until you actually have a good reason to change your portfolio.3. Do not forget risk - Do not put all your money in one place. Make sure you have invested in at least a couple of different assets. Especially, do not put all your money into risky investments such as a large number of shares of small cap companies.4. Begin preparing for retirement. Your first objective should be to prepare to invest for retirement. If you have not started yet, do it now. Do not hesitate for a second, even if you do not know 100% what you are doing or exactly how you want to invest - invest your money in an index fund.5. Stop worrying about how to invest and just do it. Whether you later modify your investment for improving, then so be it, but do not get caught in the paralysis of the investment and become stagnant.6. Be sensitive to your impressions. If your gut tells you it's a bad investment, stop putting new money into the asset for a while.If after your instinct keeps saying it's bad, even long after you stop investing, move your money to another investment. Do not just keep putting money into something that does not work for you.7. Make sure you have the ego at the door. Do not ever think you're a great investor. The moment you think you are, your wallet will fall apart.8. If everyone invests in something, do not follow them. If you see that everyone is investing in the same asset, then it means that something is trending, but will not last, so you should be as far away from that kind of investment as possible.Your Virtual Office London are experts in helping businesses become more successful. We provide virtual office services including a prime mail forwarding address in London, telephone answering and registered office address. If you would also like advice about investing we have an accountant who is always on hand to help with professional advice.

Electronic billing is constantly evolving. In Europe, the European Commission requires Member countries of the EU to implement electronic invoicing. The purpose of the Commission is to get in Europe a predominance of electronic invoicing in the very near future, so it is very important to all SMEs, freelancers and entrepreneurs at the forefront in the opportunities and advantages offered by this technology. Here, we will analyse three of the most critical trends for your business and how to answer them.

1. Crucial Benefits

The benefits of online billing software align with the improvements in the speed of processes and resource efficiency. According to a global study conducted in 2012, 67% of companies believe that e-invoicing could improve operational efficiency, compared with 50% in 2011. Faster billing cycles and cost savings on billing paper are the two main benefits experienced by issuers.

Save time, money and space

Savings in administrative costs and manual labour are clear. It is easier to reduce the annual costs of messaging, mailing and faxing; printer paper and even volume of printing. No more printing costs of bills and handling of paper invoices. Speed and efficiency is the aim and now you can instantly send invoices via the Web. Up to 8 invoices can be processed every second on average.You manage all the information and only you have access to it, meaning security is tighter. No more typos, you can be sure that all your bills are generated with the appropriate data.A safe investment for any business is to have a flexible electronic invoicing system, even if there are changes in your system. Adaptable to any operating systems and platforms, there are major companies requesting electronic invoicing that are mandatory for its suppliers.

2. The Electronic Invoicing

At this time, customers have high expectations of those who bill, so excellent customer service over the Internet can be a key factor to converting into real customers loyal followers of the company, which is an aspect that should not be neglected. In this respect it is necessary to adopt the concepts of Web 2.0 and social marketing, which can be done by using cloud-based Software as a Service (Saas).

3. Comprehensive Customer

Knowing the customer is vital in business. This information can be extracted by digitising billing processes and provides a strategic basis for decision-making at the level of business. SMEs, freelancers and entrepreneurs that issue electronic invoices recognise the power of intelligence they can get about their client to boost ties with them and make them more profitable and beneficial through behaviour-based experiences. This improves loyalty and sales.For SMEs, freelancers and entrepreneurs, it is important to adapt to the digital environment and adopt solutions that help the company to be in a position of advantage. Today, there is great interest in the billing software online, as they are now available to companies who could not afford to adopt a proper solution beforehand.Electronic billing software in the cloud must maintain assurances that it is issuing and filing invoices in accordance with regulations. With billing software in the cloud, organisations experience a lower percentage of discrepancies in receipt of your payments, save on printing, time, space and may have access to an automated and integrated system that helps improve the efficiency of processes. It also allows access to the control of the company from any computer without installing any application on your PC, Mac, Linux, tablet or Smartphone.Today, SMEs, freelancers, companies like Your Virtual Office London and entrepreneurs can deepen relationships with their customers, improve your cash flow, reduce costs and accelerate sales through the use of programs for billing in the cloud. If you enjoyed our business article you can read more articles in our blog.