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Boris Johnson, mayor of London, has said that Britain could be better of if without the EU (European Union). The mayor has made the comments to coincide with a publication of a new report which is expected to say that London`s economy would not really suffer is they did decide to leave the EU.Boris who is scheduled to make a speech regarding the report on Wednesday is expect to discuss an 8 point outline on how the EU should reform. The plan he has come up with is expected to far exceed any demands being put forward by the prime minister David Cameron, who is also trying to reform the EU. David Cameron is holding a meeting with EU leaders at the summit in Brussels, and is expected to discuss his idea of reform. Boris Johnson is pushing a more rigorous reform plan with more pressures which the EU leaders will not be happy about.This is widely thought to be a political point scorer with Boris expected to stand for a MP in 2015 with a bid for the Conservative leadership in tow; if David Cameron fails to win the general election.If you found this news article interesting, you can find more in our business and economy blog.

European home owners are now worrying about soaring energy bills a new survey has explained. With lack of security over supplies and increased localised conflict, Europeans are now starting to think about the consequences and what they can do to help combat the increasing costs.Many home owners are now looking to maximise the energy efficiency of their houses, in order to combat the rising cost of energy.Over 77% of European home owners surveyed explained that they are looking to changing their home in order to meet better regulations on energy efficiency. The driving force behind this is the rising cost of energy and uncertainty of stable supply from Russia.Read more business and economy news in our business blog.

Wondering about top employer questions to ask at an interview? Having your questions prepared in advances is a good idea, this helps to add structure to the interview and helps the meeting progress its natural course.

Some timeless questions that must be asked in an interview:

• What are you main strengths?
• What are your main weaknesses
• What makes you different?
• What would your past employers suggest are you best qualities?

These questions will help you assess how honest the candidate is and well as if they are confident and bring the correct skills to the role. A good candidate will highlight one weakness but turn this into a positive.

Some good questions to ask the candidate about the company:

• What makes you want to work for our company?
• What do you know about our business?
• What skills do you think will make you suitable for this position?

These questions will help you find out if they candidate has done their research, any well prepared candidate will do their homework on your company, they will find out exactly what you do and how they can fit in using their skill set. You want to find out if they have applied for your position knowing they can bring their experiences and knowledge and apply them to the available position for the greater good of the organisation.

Progressive questions

Again these questions will help to find out vital information about your candidates. Many employers will be looking for a long term fill for their position, assessing your candidates future plans is important for planning. Some questions which can help assess their plans are as follows:What are your main goals in your working life?Where do you plan to be in five years?These questions will help to see how important the position is to them. If they are keen and see their future with you, the replies will be about progressing in your company. Of course some positions are short term or a stop gap, and thus the answers will be different. These questions can help the employer understand the candidate and plan appropriately.

What drives the candidate?

Finding out what motivates the candidate is important, this will give you a great insight into the mind of the potential new staff member. Understanding what drives them can help you integrate them into the surrounding team and lead to better performance and higher output.

Simple questions to ask:

• What part of work do you enjoy most?
• What motivates you?
• What tasks give you great satisfaction?
• What tasks do you dislike the most?

Conclusion

When interviewing staff always make sure to ask the same questions to all the candidates, this may sound simple but having an organised structure to the interview is not always easy, especially when you are in full flow conversation with the candidates. Make sure to make notes of all answers, as this will prove invaluable when it comes to reviewing the candidates after the interviews have finished. If you find it difficult to choose between candidates we would strongly recommend inviting them back for second or even third interviews if the caliber of candidates is that high.If you found this blog insightful you can read more tips and tricks in our business blog.

If you`re starting a business, whether you`re a sole trader, Limited Company, Limited Liability Partnership or even a Public Limited Company you may want to use and display a prestigious London business address as either your primary or secondary address. Your Virtual Office London provides you with a prominent address in a prestigious central London location. Our business address and mail forwarding service is designed to give your business instant credibility for a very minimal initial outlay.

Why wouldn't I just use my residential address?

There are a number of good reasons why you may not want to use your own residential address as your trading address. If you display a residential address to your clients as your main business address it instantly tells your client that you are more than likely to be working from home, this can give the client an unprofessional image as they will think you are a very small company that may not be well established. If you upset any customers they may be inclined to visit your work address and if you are using your residential address as the trading address then this can lead to awkward and embarrassing visits when you are least expecting them.

What benefits do I get from using your mail address service for my trading address?

Our service comes with many features which can really help boost your businesses overall client acquisition and retention rate. Many people overlook the importance of image, however image is everything in business and in order for your business to progress you must impress your clients.

Mail Forwarding & London Business Address Features:

• Central London EC1 location
• Private & Secure
• Signed For parcels accepted
• Customer service at door for visting clients
• Collect or have mail forwarded to any location worldwide
• Unlimited mail volumes

How easy is it to setup?

We have made the process very simple, all you need to do is purchase online and complete a very simple online form. Once the order is received our end, we try and get your accountant live and activated within 2 hours on a working day. We do need two forms of Identification, one photo graphic and one proof of address dated within the last 3 months. Once this is received we are able handing the mail you receive out to you.

Why Your Virtual Office London

We are the leaders in Company Formation and Virtual Office Services. We have been providing supplementary business services such as registered office address, mail forwarding, directors service and accounting for over 20 years. When you decide to choose us are your professional service provider you are taking on a team that has experience and a great working knowledge. If you would like to find out more information on any of our services please don`t hesitate to get in touch, we are always happy to help.

When you register a company with Companies House, a lot of information is stored on record. Details of your registered office address, directors address and shareholder information is required. As Companies House is a public registrar the information is made available for the public, this is to ensure transparency of trading and that the company owners are accountable for the actions.

What details are made public?

When you first form the company you will be required to provide all the correct details; shareholders full names are on record along with the shareholders addresses. Once the company has been formed and new shareholders join only their full name is required. This means no address is needed, you are not legally required to inform Companies House of your address or change of address. When you first form the company you will need to provide the value of the share, the type of share (class), and the number of shares that have been issued.

Your Virtual Office London

If you are thinking of starting a Limited Company or Limited Liability Partnership please do get in contact with us. We have been forming companies since 1971 and have vast experience in the types of companies and what would be best suited for you. We provide supplementary services for your company formations, such as registered office address service in London, director`s service address, London mail forwarding service, and business accounting. Whatever you require we can help provide expert professional guidance without any obligations.

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Alternatives to using your home address as a registered office address

If you have formed a company you will be aware that you are legally required to provide a registered office address for your company. This is a public available record, which means anyone can search for your registered office address online. This of course can have implications if you use your own residential address.

Why do I have to give a registered office address?

A registered office is for mail correspondence from HMRC and Companies house, you will receive several letters on a yearly basis from companies house and HMRC, including tax notices, company documents and other statuary mail. Its also a legal requirement for any legal action against your company, the address will be used for any legal letters that could be aimed your company if there have been some disputes.

What address can I use?

You can use any UK address, many people who start a company for the first time will use their residential address however you can use a registered office service which we provide. The address service gives you the best london office address option for forming your company. Our address gives your business credibility as it`s a real London address in location where many businesses operate. Many of our Limited Company and Limited Liability Partnerships choose the registered office address before they form the company as any registered office changes will be listed on public record.

Our service also stops junk and unsolicited mail, it helps to prevent unwanted callers aswell, if you have angry customers they may want to visit your registered office and if you use your residential address it could be very awkward and unprofessional.

We also include free mail forwarding worldwide to any location of your choice, this means any HMRC and Companies House statuary mail will be forwarded on to your location.

Your Virtual Office London

Your Virtual Office London are one of the most experienced company formations and business address service providers in the UK. We have been forming companies since 1971 and fully understand the needs of your fledgling business.

Our London registered office and mail forwarding service is located in a prominent and prestigious commercial area in central London. Our registered office is only £45.00 per annum and we can also provide a real business trading address to complement your registered office address, this costs £92.50 per annum.

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Europe's inflation has fallen to a new record low since the beginning of the financial crisis. The European Central Bank has said this is now becoming very dangerous for the economies of Europe.Inflation rose only by 0.4% in July, down from 0.5% in June. At this low rate there is a very real risk of deflation. The European Central Banks target is 2%. If it stays lower than 1% there is a chance prices could begin to spiral.A few EU countries have also felt a deflation and Spain`s latest figures have shown a fall in prices over the last 12 months. Other countries such as Greece and Portugal have had inflation well below Zero.It is widely expected that the European Commission Bank will begin on a programme of quantative easing, with them buying financial assets from governments such as debt and bonds, with the aim to help increase inflation.These figures show how weak the Eurozone economy is and the UK is very lucky to not be part of the since currency at present, as the UK continues to grow and thrive.This blog was brought to you by Your Virtual Office London, if you enjoyed this post, you can read more interesting and insightful articles on our business and economy blog.

Yes, annual return and company tax return are two obligations bestowed upon companies which are a legal requirement. In this article we will look meticulously as what is needed and when you need to act upon this.

I have a limited company do I need to be aware of an annual return?

If you run a Limited company you will need to understand the legal requirements that are necessary in order for your company to run legally. An annual return is a legal requirement, this is snap shot of your companies` information, this is required at least once every 12 months and needs to be updated if major changes have taken place. The annual return is a publicly available record and provides Companies House and the public with key information.

Key features of an Annual Return

• Provides a comprehensive view of how the company is set out
• Substantiates who runs the company in the form of directors and shareholders details
• It confirms the registered office address of the company
• It will confirm the secretaries` details if there is one allocated
• Compulsory every 12 months, and are due 28 days from the anniversary of the company incorporation

Do I need to complete a tax return?

If you run a limited company then you are legally required to complete a tax return. It`s a legal requisite from HMRC that facilitates a tax calculation to be performed on the financial figures produced from the companies trading. The director of the company is normally responsible for ensuring the statutory tax return is completed, if this is overlooked the company will amass fines and will ultimately be struck off if the notices are ignored.

How to find out when my tax return date is

You can find out when your tax return date is by using the Web Check system for companies house, this is a free online service and it provides insightful information about any Limited Company including your own. This is different to an annual return; the tax return provides more detailed financial information regarding your company`s financial trading. It is used to determine how much corporation tax is owed. An annual return is required by Companies House; a tax return is required by HMRC and then is submitted to Companies House so that they can list this on the company register for public access.You will need to either type your company name or company number in the search field. You will then be presented with a list of companies, select your company. On the next screen you will see the snap shot information including the accounts due date.

Key features of an Annual Return

• Legal requirement normally every 12 months,
• Your accounts due date can be found online via the Web Check service
• The tax return is for HMRC, need for tax computation to establish if any tax is due

If you found this blog helpful you can read more insightful articles on accountants and taxation here. Your Virtual Office London is a leader in virtual office, accounting and company formations.

With effect from January 2015 UK drivers may face the prospect of dealing with driverless cars on our already overcrowded city roads.At present the UK government has announced that these driverless vehicles will be allowed on public roads from January next year and have invited cities to declare an interest for the hosting of just three technical trials before the start of October. The trials will be starting at the same time and are intended to run for between 18 and 36 months, and it is thought that in addition to testing public opinion and safety these trials will be used to review the current UK road regulations and to provide appropriate additional guidelines if it is proved necessary.Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, made the announcement at the research facility of Mira, an automotive engineering firm based in the Midlands, and mentioned that this transformational technology will open up new opportunities for the UK economy and society.The UK government has set aside a £10m fund to cover the cost of the trials and this will be divided between the three host cities.The government has already requested civil servants at the Department of Transport to publish a review of road regulations and has given them a deadline of December 2014. This review will concentrate on the compliance with safety and traffic laws and which may involve various changes to the current Highway Code as it applies to England, Scotland and Wales.Additional areas to be reviewed will examine how these new rules and regulations will apply to these driverless vehicles in which the driver can take back control at short notice, for example in an emergency situation, and how they should apply to driverless vehicles, especially in the case of an accident where both legal and insurance issues may require specific conditions to be met by either the driverless vehicles, such as a routine testing of the guidance system, or one of the passenger(s) may need to be nominated as the designated driver in case of an emergency situation.If you found this business blog interested you can read more articles in our business blog here.

it is reported that the US economy grew at a high rate of 4% during the months of April to June. The United States Department of Commerce have reported that the growth during this second quarter now has reversed the contraction seen at the start of the first period in the current year.Now growth is forthcoming the Federal Reserve would start to ease the economic stimulus, it is expected that the Federal Reserve will reduce it`s monthly bond purchased from $35 billion to $25 billion.However the growth is now leading to inflation fears, the US labour market is a lot weaker than predicted and this could lead to higher inflation when combined with low interest rates, which are suggested to remain low until mid 2015. Low inflation rates could increase inflation, inflation increased by 1.9% in the first quarter of 2014, it is higher than the 1.4% target.If you enjoyed this business blog post, you may like to know there are more interesting and informative articles in our business blog.Your Virtual Office is a leading virtual office provider in London, if you would like to speak to us about our products please get in contact with us here.