Business

The UK`s economy is seeing signs of positive growth. It is reported that the economy grew by 0.8% in the first quart of 2014. This is now the fifth period of continual positive growth, which has been overseen by the conservative government. It is the longest run of positive growth since the financial crisis in 2008.Gross Domestic Product measures an economies activity and if it has increased or decreased in size. However the Office of National Statistics has explained the economy is only 0.6% smaller than its highest peak in 2008.The Chancellor George Osborne has stated "Britain is coming back".

However has warned that Britain`s biggest risk would be to abandon the plan of prosperity and restraint. The US and Germany economies have now surpasses their pre-recession growth peaks, the UK is still not ahead of its economy peak from 2008.However the UK did suffer from server weather which would did have an impact on large industries such as agriculture. Agriculture dropped by 0.07% as a direct result to the server weather the UK faced earlier in the year. Further good news is the International Monetary Fund explained that the UK is to the most impressive performing economy from the world`s largest economies in 2014 with growth forecasted to be 2.9% for the 12 month term.

Update June 2016:

The UK Economic Outlook has seen a 2.2% rise in real GDP growth in the first quarter of the year giving the UK the 2nd fastest growth rate in the G7 membership. Figures for the first quarter also show a 3%consumer spending growth with inflation standing at 0.5 percent. Although our economic recovery has been relatively slow since mid-2009, it is still growing at a faster rate than most of the other G7 member economies over the same period. Consumer spending has remained strong and many economists put this down in part to lower global oil prices meaning less cost at the petrol pumps for British consumers.

Financial experts have mixed outlooks globally for the rest of the year with the unknown effects of the EU Referendum, as well as the continued recessions in Brazil and Russia, plus a slowdown of growth in China. Many economists have predicted an average growth in UK GDP of just over 2 percent during 2016, mainly driven by consumer spending. This will be helped by a combination of low food prices and energy bills being kept down. The Capital city of London is expected to continue to lead the UK recovery with growth levels predicted to be around 3 percent for this year, but other regions across the country are also expected to show growth levels between 1.4 to 2.3 percent overall by the end of the year.

Long-term views held by economists predict that inflation will remain low for now, but may see a small rise in rates over a gradual period as we head towards 2020.With Government targets set to clear the budget deficit before 2020, we may see some further drag on the economy due to fiscal tightening of budgets, but it is thought that the strength of the private services sector will help to offset this with continued job growth and productivity. Are you looking for a virtual office service? why not get in touch with our expert team today, we can really help to boost your businesses presence and give you that professional edge that others in your sector may lack. Take advantage of the UK's growing economy with the prestige of having a London based office service.

The UK is said to have missed the export targets of doubling the value of its exports to £1 trillion by 2020. The PAC said the UK is not performing as well as its European counterparts, France, Germany and Italy. However a government spokesman stated "real progress" has been made on the increase of exports worldwide. The foreign & commonwealth office (FCO) and the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) offices spent over £420 trillion on 2013 on promoting exports worldwide. However reports state that the growth did not really increase, remaining 'flat' reported by the BBC. One factor which has been sighted in hampering the UKs export increase are tighter visa restrictions.

This is seen to put potential business travelers off from vesting the UK. This can really have a major effect in building relationships with foreign companies. A spokesperson explained that despite the coming shortfall in the governments, progress is being made. The spokesperson explained: "As part of the government's long term economic plan we have set ourselves an ambitious target to double exports by 2020. We make no apology for setting a stretching target and we are working hard to achieve this."" We are shifting our focus towards targeting high-value opportunities, providing more support and advice for UK small and medium sized businesses.

We are also establishing an overseas business network which will include British Business Centers in key markets across the world including India, China and UAE."" We have made real progress through our increased efforts in some of the growth markets further afield: exports to China, for example, have increased by 91%, and exports to Russia are up by 118%."

Update June 2016

Despite the government's aim of increasing UK exports to £1trn by the year 2020, recent projections are showing that we are still falling short of meeting that goal. However, UK businesses have even more opportunity to export than ever before. As a country with a proud history of trading, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that our goods trading deficit did in fact narrow during January this year, despite the gap growing overall as Britain imported more goods into the country. According to Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, “exports are being hampered by the sterling's overall strength in 2015, particularly against the euro, and moderate global demand."

While there are many reasons that cause figures to fluctuate, exporting still remains a key component of a healthy economy, and those companies who export their goods have been shown to be four times less likely to fold and go bankrupt. Even during times or recession, exporting companies are around ten times less likely to fail than other companies, according to figures released at the Global Trade Review UK trade and export finance conference. The head of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), Catherine Raines, has urged British companies that export, as well as foreign buyers and business investors to work together to boost exports – namely through Exporting is GREAT, a programme launched by the Government to help UK companies benefit from real-time export opportunities in all sectors, across the world.

Taking part in the programme has offered companies up to 40 new opportunities each day to export - or roughly an opportunity every 37 minutes. The programme links together 109 different countries across 44 business sectors, and export opportunities are not limited to the EU either with chances to trade with other countries such as China and Finland to name but two. The advancements in digital technology has enabled British business to potentially trade with the whole world, so even the smallest of UK companies can have a global reach and a chance to grow new markets. Capital Offices Virtual Office Services in London are great way for foreign companies and business investors looking to setup in the UK without having to outlay expensive overheads which are associated with London office space. Our complete Virtual Office London package is ideal for businesses who are wanting to get ahead and want to impress their clients and associates.

Our virtual office package combines our highly sought after central London business mail forwarding address with a professional and experienced virtual PA telephone answering service. Our team is highly experienced, having been based in City Road since 1971, we understand how businesses operate and have helped many countless clients expand and reach their goals. Why not take a look at the range of comprehensive packages we offer at very reasonable prices.

The BCC Has stated the UK economy to grow in the next year. The following was posted here in January 2015:The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is stating the UK`s economy is set to strengthen in the coming year. Looking at important indicators coming from over 8,000 businesses it shows that the factors are higher than the crisis in 2007. Specifically manufacturing sectors, showing orders and employment are at all time highs. John Longworth, director general of the BCC said: "It is a fantastic to start the New Year with a very positive quarterly survey. Firms across the board believe they can create jobs, invest, and export." It is especially pleasing that the spurt in manufacturing has proven not to be a fluke. But businesses have major ambitions, and to be able to meet them, more support must be provided," he said. The findings predict the UK economy to grow by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. The BCC has also said that they expert higher full-year growth in 2014.This is excellent news for UK business and shows the conservative recovery might just be working after all.

Updated June 2016:

The UK economy is predicted to continue to grow strongly during 2016 despite the global slowdown, according to a recent report by EY. With the continued growth in house prices, increasing demand for exports from the UK and a rise in the average household budget, financiers are now predicting this will boost Britain's economy and UK businesses further during the remaining months of 2016, according to research published earlier this year. Top London economists estimate that Britain's economy will grow by an average of 2.6% this year, compared with just 2.2% during 2015, despite a disappointing start to the year from global markets. With the rise in the new national living wage to £7.20 per hour, householders have an increased disposable income, and with a combination of low interest rates and low inflation, economists are seeing a boost in consumer spending resulting in a forecast growth of 2.8% over last year. The report by EY also predicted that house prices would rise by an average of 6.5% this year, but on the downside the levels of new house building is still set to fall short of what is needed to satisfy demand.

In a separate survey conducted by the Confederation of British Industry and accountancy firm PwC, showed nearly 50% of financial services companies reporting an increase in their business in the latter quarter of 2015 and into early 2016, with activity expected to continue to increase over the rest of this year, according to 30% of companies surveyed. It is clear that London remains to be one of the most desirable cities in the world to conduct business. Even if you don't have a London address for your own business, you can still benefit from the prestige of having your office listed here. Take a look at our Virtual Office Packages to see how our services can help you build credibility and good standing for your business.

There are many reasons why a small business owner may choose to benefit from using a virtual office. One great advantage of this is that it can help to boost your company’s image and reputation. A large proportion of small businesses use a residential address and for some people this can cause uncertainty about the reliability and legitimacy of the business, which in turn can lead to less trust, custom and sales. Virtual office can provide your business with a prestigious mail forwarding address in London which instantly gives your business huge credibility and a higher status.

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Virtual Office Helps Keep Your Privacy Protected

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When seeing a registered London address, prospective clients are more likely to view the company as well established, trusted and reliable. As well as providing security for customers, using our virtual office service will keep your home address private and protect you from unwanted callers. This is an important reason for you to use a virtual office, and will help by keeping your home address off all public records. By using our virtual office address you will be preventing cold callers from just turning up at your home address at any time of the day completely unannounced -  which can be very awkward to say the least! Our service provides great peace of mind to our customers, you will know your home address is secure from all cold callers. In addition to our mail forwarding service, many small businesses use our virtual call answering service.

This service works much like having your own personal assistant who will handle all calls on your behalf. Unlike employing a full-time PA, which could cost you over £20,000 a year, a virtual personal assistant is an affordable option for your business. A full time virtual PA on the same hours would cost just a small fraction of that from Capital Office for 12 months. Your virtual call answering service will receive all calls and then divert them to your home or mobile phone quickly and without revealing either number to the caller. Alternatively, if you prefer not to answer all calls live, your callers are able to leave a message which you can listen to and then respond to later. This can be ideal if your work is very hands on meaning you cannot answer your phone straight away each time it rings, or your job means you are away from your phone regularly throughout the day. All of our call answering staff are native English speakers and have impeccable telephone manners and customer service skills.

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Get the Best Virtual Office Services for an Affordable Rate

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Using this service will allow you to remain focused on your work without the worry of distractions or missing an important client’s calls. If you would like to discuss any of our services please do not hesitate to contact our expert team who will be happy to talk you through your preferred options. We can find a package suitable for your business. Why not take a look at our extensive range of Virtual Office packages we have available. We are confident that we will have something to suit your business needs!

Capital Office understand the importance of keeping overheads low when running a small business. We also know that keeping up to date financial records for your business is vital to help avoid any penalties from HMRC. With this in mind, we now offer affordable accounting services for small business owners who may struggle to find the time to keep track of all their business transactions.

Low Cost Professional Business Accounting in London

When you begin trading, it makes a lot of sense to get your business accounts sorted out as soon as possible to keep track of your daily finances as well as prevent yourself from becoming bogged down with too much paperwork. You can save yourself a lot of time and effort by keeping on top of your accounts, but we understand that sometimes it can be a struggle to juggle so many jobs all at once. This is why investing in our low cost expert business accounting services can save you so much stress, especially when it comes to those dreaded tax returns! When it comes to the Tax man our accounting team knows best! Don't struggle along trying to do everything by yourself - if you need more help or advice, do not hesitate to call us.

Capital Office provide top-class business accounting services all across London as well as on a national level. No matter where you are based in the UK, our team of fully trained and experienced accountants can help alleviate any issues you may be facing. We aim to make your accounting process as easy as possible by taking it completely off your shoulders, so you can be left free to concentrate on building your business. You can get a FREE QUOTE from us - so why wait? Let us take the strain of completing your business accounts completely off your hands.