Opening A Business Account In The UK

If you are looking for business opportunities in the UK, setting up the right kind of bank account and looking for the best banking service is the first thing that comes to mind. As overwhelming as it may seem, you want to get the fundamentals right for your business.

Gathered here is all you need to know about opening a business account in the UK. Possible options, best banks and the pros of having a business account; whether you are a one-man-band, a freelancer or a newly-established business, we’ve tried to cover every kind.

Why a Business Account?

There are a number of reasons why one might need a business account.

Professionalism

A dedicated business account makes you appear more legitimate and professional in the eyes of partners and clients.

Keeping accounts clean

It’s a wise practice to keep personal and business accounts separate; they are easy to organize and minimizes the risk of a personal account being deactivated or banned by the banking authorities if the bank statement shows a suspiciously large number of business-related transactions.

HMRC

If your personal and business account is one, the HRMC might demand an explanation from you upon investigation about your source of income, your turnover and the tax returns.

It’s important to familiarize yourself with the process of opening a business account and finding the right service that fits your needs, otherwise, it could be quite a hassle.

Opening a business account in the UK with foreign identity

If your business is based overseas, your local bank could possibly set up a business account for you if they are in alliance with a British bank.

Most major banks in the UK offer international accounts. If you do not have enough documents to prove that you are a resident of the UK, they could be a great option for your business.

Most banks even have the online banking service so you can apply online. Banking Leaders like Barclays, Lloyd’s, HSBC and NatWest all offer international bank accounts.

However, due to limitations like account-opening deposit, maintaining minimum/average account balance and monthly service charges, opening an account in the UK from overseas may not be in your best interest. Moreover, there may be other restrictions like the inability to change services or close the account until a certain time-period comes to an end.

Luckily, a lot of virtual money transfer services like TransferWise, Western Union, Payoneer and PayPal have made banking and lives easier.

TranferWise is our best bet among all. TranferWise allows you to set up a business account within minutes with their easy and safe verification process. the activation is free of charge. The virtual account can hold around 40 currencies at once. You could convert at retail rates, with a transfer fee (depending on the transfer type which you can choose from a drop-down list) and transfer money worldwide; all under one centralized platform. Although some countries don’t offer the service yet, you can request a debit card as well, which gives you even more freedom.

Some of Transferwise’s key features

Make international payments up to eight times cheaper than high street banks

Convert your money at the mid-market exchange rate

Holdover 40 different currencies in one account and convert between them quickly and easily

Get unique international account details for the UK, EU, AUS, and US (so you can invoice customers in those geographies like a local and get paid in these currencies for free)

No subscription or monthly fees. The only fees you’ll pay is a small, transparent fee on the value of the transfer

FCA regulated

Open an account quickly with typical verification times around 2 – 5 working days

What documents and details do I need to provide to open a business bank account?

In order for businesses to set up a bank account in the UK, the process is relatively simple as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.

Ensure you have all the following necessary documents ready to submit upon opening your account:

Proof of ID.

A hard copy/ Scanned copy of passport, national ID card or photo driving license should suffice.

Proof of address.

A utility bill, rental property/ own property contract or recent bank statement. A council tax statement also works.

You will be mandated to provide the following details of your company:

Full business address (including postcode)

Contact details

Companies House registration number (for limited companies and partnerships)

Estimated annual turnover

In some cases, you may be asked to prove your personal financial stability, with enough documents to corroborate that you have a clean credit and banking history.

How to open a business account in the UK

The process of setting up a business account in the UK may vary from bank to bank and also on your business’s goodwill/ net worth. It’s suggested that you search online for possible options, before anything else. Most banks would require you/ a business representative to visit the bank and meet them in person before they can grant you access to business accounting privileges. You will be mandated to submit the above-mentioned documents with valid photographic identification for all partners/shareholders. the physical presence of one of the stakeholders would be required in the UK to sign all necessary papers/ mandate so the business account could be set up without a hitch.

You should mention if you have foreign shareholders/ business directors, thus you need a business bank account rather an international bank account. You are free to use your local bank account for your business needs.

Best business bank accounts in the UK

Barclays

1,500 branches in the UK

Free and contactless Visa debit card as standard

Business account free for the first year and comes with a choice of financing options

Offers a start-up business account with free business banking for the first 12 months, and an established business account with two simple price plans

HSBC

1,100 branches around England and Wales

Active in 80 countries

If you bank with HSBC in your home country, they can help you set up an account in the UK before you get here

Range of business bank accounts available

Businesses with a turnover up to £2 million receive an annual review to ensure the best standard tariff for their business

Lloyds

Around 1,300 branches in the UK

18 months’ free day-to-day business banking

Three business accounts with a range of tools, including reduced-price legal assistance, and accounting software

NATWEST

1,400 NatWest branches across the UK

NatWest’s Select current account is free to use and comes with a contactless visa debit card as standard

Four business accounts to choose from, depending on the size of your business.

Business banking monthly fees

Business account fees Free business account period

Barclays £6/month 12 months

HSBC £5.50/month 18 months

Lloyd’s £6.50/month 18 months

TransferWise £0 N/A

How long does it take to open a business bank account in the UK?

The application processing time may take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. It involves meetings and verification of documents, so make sure this time is considered in your business planning process.

Business accounts for non-UK residents

There is a rampant number of foreigners opening/ registering companies in the UK, which is why they may also need a corresponding UK bank account.

Non-UK residents not having the necessary ID documents can still open an account, as in recent years banks have shown greater flexibility.

Opening a business account as a non-UK resident

It is not necessary to be a resident in the UK in order for you to open a UK business bank account, although it’s advisable to acquire UK residence permit before applying for one.

To open a UK business bank account, banks generally require two documents:

• proof of identity (usually your passport or National Identity Card)
• proof of address, (applicable to both in branch and online). It’s usually easier to open a bank account with one of the UK’s largest banks i.e. Barclays, Lloyd’s, HSBC. This is because they have lots of experience dealing with non-residents, so they might show flexibility with their requirements.

Things Not To Do While Investing

Veteran investors worldwide are always on a quest of finding new opportunities to put their extra cash to profitable use thus, growing wealth through INVESTMENT.

People generally confuse investing money with trading.  In a nutshell, investment is when the assets are solid; and HELD for a certain period whereas, trading involves instantaneous buying and selling of liquid assets.

There are a number of channels through which you can put in your money in return for a sound return. But, as far as long term investment goes, it is not suggested unless you have apt knowledge about the game and its rules.

Following are the things NOT to do while investing:

Don’t invest if you are not ready

It so happens when your family friends or corporate allies invest their money somewhere, you end up bagging the same deal voluntarily or persuasively. The right thing to do, however, is to refrain ourselves from such impulsive, emulative financing decisions. The likelihood of you regretting this decision, later on, is fairly high.

Don’t make minor moves

Ensure that the finances you are planning to lock up aren’t your only resort. When you say you want to make a long term investment, you should prepare yourself at least for the next 3+ years. Don’t expect to see returns anytime soon or check the market fluctuation every few days. You must realize that money should be left untouched for years to come.

Don’t start with a huge amount

Bring into account point number 1, Impulse buys often involve a hefty amount of money just as well. So, even if you are investing upon request or demand, make sure you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Granted the profits would be minimal, but so would be the risk.

Don’t panic when the prices drop

Most investors become panic-stricken when they see the prices dropping. The best decision you could make at that point is to determine how to make your investment portfolio withstand this glitch thus, invest a little more if you will. The media should not manipulate your investment decisions.

DON’T BUY WHEN THE PRICES RISE.

Another hasty decision that most businessmen take that they buy too soon when prices rise. Another courtesy of media; due to which such news is exaggerated. But, little do investors know that whatever goes up must come down, so the prices would most likely drop as soon as they arise.

To round it off, investors must stay true to their investment instincts if they really are in this for the long term.

Safe Investment In The UK

The United Kingdom (UK) stands to be the sixth largest economy in the world. It is not only home to the world’s largest financial center alongside New York but, London is one of the largest cities in the world with the highest city gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe. This makes the UK a major financial hub for international investors.

Benefits of Investing in the UK

Even though investment in the UK may be low-risk compared to other emerging markets, there are still some risk factors that a potential investor should take into account.

Some benefits of investing in the UK include:

Financial Hub:

London has one of the world’s fastest and most advanced financial markets next to New York, which makes the financial and securities market highly stable for investors looking for opportunities outside of their region.

Economic Stability:

Although slightly sluggish and the population getting denser by the day (which is a big plus for real estate investors), the UK Economy is nonetheless among the most stable in the world, being home to the biggest stock markets and an unmatched scope for investment.

However, some risks to investing in the UK include:

Risks of Investing in the UK

Service Economy:

The economy of the UK is comprised of over 70% services and businesses providing so, which is common among developed countries. While this may mean more stability, changes in consumer credit and commodity prices may cause problems.

Political Risks:

Britain threatened to quit the European Union in 2016, which exposed the economy to a high level of political risk. Scotland has made similar threats to no longer be a part of the United Kingdom. These kinds of political feuds could lead to economic volatility.

Key Points to invest in the UK:

The UK is one of the world’s oldest and largest financial hubs, being home to some of the biggest companies operating within its economy. These factors make it an attractive investment destination for international stakeholders.

Investors can invest in the UK using a variety of different methods, ranging from easy-to-use ETFs and ADRs to more complex direct investment in the London Stock Exchange, to property and real estate.

In the next 20 years, the number of UK households is anticipated to reach 28 million – an increase of around 250K households per annum. Single person households would rise by a further 3.2 million – accounting for 20% of all households – putting forth an even greater demand on available housing stocks.

The UK is now more crowded than any other major economy in the European Union. With around  410 people per square kilometre, the population density is four times that of France and will be double that of Germany in the next 20 years.

The latest Government calculations suggest that around 232,000 new properties need to be built in England every year just to keep pace with the rising population and to avoid the demand-supply problem. However, the number of new homes being built is now at a decline since the early 20th century.

Since 2002, the demand for rental property has almost doubled. Currently, Rental properties account for 11% of the total housing stocks, which is great news for new and experienced investors altogether.

Selling Inherited Property In The UK While Living Abroad

The real estate in the UK is an all-time high with an average rise of 12.5% per annum. Having acquired a residential property in the UK is an investment one might live off while they retire.

Real-estate investors are individuals and they require custom consultation and solutions that are tailored to their preferences.

Owning or inheriting a property abroad can seemingly be a satisfaction, keeping in mind factors like return on investment and financial security leading to a sound future.

But what if you are looking at selling your property in the UK, while you are abroad? Following are some if not all the factors to keep in mind before you make the big move remotely.

– Consult a Trusty and Experienced real estate consultancy based in the UK

While you are struggling to make a sale remotely, you are going to need all the help from peers and professionals altogether. The best thing to do is look up or ask around about trusted and well-informed real estate consultants based in the UK to create the best options for you.

– Hire a Solicitor

In other words, hire a lawyer. A solicitor would be well aware of the procedures. With their qualification and experience, they would deal with all of your legal matters and ensure that there aren’t any complications.

– Find out about the legal formalities/ Paperwork

It is suggested that you should be fully aware of the legal requirements and paperwork that may be prerequisite for the disposal of your property. Whether you look it up online or ask your friends based in the UK, the general code of conduct should be in your knowledge before even hiring your real estate consultant, so that you have a clearer idea of what to expect in terms of service and progress.

– Transfer the Power of Attorney

It is a common practice in the world of real estate and foreign investment. You willfully assign a peer, friend, an immediate family member or a common in law partner as the attorney; that is, giving someone else the power to act on your behalf while you are away. The right way to do this is to fill out necessary forms

– Take advice on your Capital Gains Tax Position

You may be liable to pay taxes if you are not a UK based resident. It is difficult to render a generalized decision because there are many variables in the area of liability of paying taxes. Moreover, according to the new rules introduced in 2016, individuals who are selling a property in the UK remotely must file an Online Capital Gain Tax return with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Regardless of any tax payable, the seller might be wholly covered by a relief put forth by the UK government, but they would still be obliged to fill out HMRC forms. It is an additional mandatory requirement and quite tedious a task at that, considering the time allowed is only 30 days. Find out more about the HMRC forms here.

Guidelines For Finding Cheap Rental Property In A Landlord’s Market

Undoubtedly, finding a perfect rental home/apartment is a difficult task, and it becomes much more difficult when you have a limited budget and rents reach sky-high prices. It is to be noted that things get worst during the landlord’s market and it becomes more challenging to find the best rental home/apartment at a reasonable price.

Effect of Landlord’s Market

What is the landlord’s market?   It takes place when the demand of apartments by the renters exceeds the number of the apartments available. As there is high demand for apartments, therefore the landlord can easily find renters during Landlord’s Market. Apart from this, Landlords can easily charge high rent from renters due to the increasing demand of the apartments.

Different factors that result in the landlord’s market trend

• When there is an increase in interest rates then it becomes difficult for people to buy a home; therefore people prefer a rental property over buying homes.
• When there is a boost in the property market then prices of property increase, as a result, it becomes difficult to buy a house and easy to choose a rental property.
• In a slow economy, although there are no high-interest rates, there is a high rate of unemployment and low salaries, so it’s challenging for people to buy their own house.

Tips for finding cheap Rental Property

• If you can share your accommodation with others, then definitely you can save your money by sharing the apartment with other persons.
• In a landlord’s market, you may find a cheap rental apartment in winter. Most people avoid moving in winter, so if a landlord has a vacancy, they may reduce the rent to get it rented rapidly.
• If the tenant takes some of the maintenance duties like keeping the common area clean, collecting leaves, shovelling snow, taking out of garbage, then some of the landlords reduce the amount of rent.
• You can find a cheap rental apartment if you compromise on your requirements. For instance, rents of apartments on upper floors are cheaper than the lower floor. Similarly, apartments that are on busy roads have low rents.

The best advice is to take the services of any professional property sourcing company. A professional property sourcing company will help you find a rental property that not only meets your demands but is also kind to your wallet. Hiring a professional property manager can help you a lot because he/she knows all the market trends and tactics and understands how to find the best and economical rental place for the client.

Guidelines For Finding Good Tenants

Finding a tenant is basically a challenging task. Although there are no hard and fast rules here are some tips that help to find the best tenants for your rental property:

Follow the Rules and Regulations

First, try to follow all the rules regarding rental property and tenants and make a fair deal. There are different laws according to different states so try to follow these rules. One more thing, don’t discriminate your future tenant based on race, religion, sex, or any disability because it is against the law.

Choose the one having Financial Stability

Try to choose the financially stable tenants because if the tenant is financially stable then will pay your bills and rent on time. You can check the finances with two different ways:

• Verify the income of the tenants by their employer. The income of the tenant should be three times the required rent.
• Check the income to debt ratio.
• Check the history of paying the bills on time.

Check Criminal Background

Complete a criminal background check for the safety measures. Doing a criminal check, yourself can be a very long process. It may be best to hire a reputable tenant screening company to make this patterned for you.

Check Rental history of Applicant

Try to investigate tenant’s rental history by talking to the applicant’s previous landlord like:

• History of paying the rent on time
• Reason for moving to another place
• How did they keep their apartment?
• Did they cause any damage?
• What was their behaviour with the neighbour?
• Did they complain often?

If the applicant is first time renter or a student, then there will be no rental history.

Choose a Small Family

Choose a small family for your rental property because more the number of people in an apartment then greater will be the noise and repair tensions. Although there are different guidelines while choosing but sometimes judging by your own is the best tactic to find the tenant.

Professional Advice is always helpful

There is also another good option. You can hire the services of a professional property sourcing company for finding best tenant for your rental property because they have a wide knowledge of an area and do their research about your property and similar properties in the area. All this process is very time consuming and stressful so be relaxed and take professional advice for best output. This will help you a lot for finding best tenants. They also handle all your financial and legal matters very efficiently.

Some Tips To Generate Positive Cash Flow

A positive cash flow property is an investment that earns more than it costs to own. In other words, for your better-investing future, you must have a positive cash flow to continue moving ahead. Every approach can work according to the different properties to boost your cash flow. You can use a combination of these strategies for best yields and outcomes. More you’ll be consistent with your policies and strategies better will be the results.

The elementary tactic and policies that support positive cash flow contain:

• Cut-Rate
• Restructuring and Regeneration
• Subdivision

There are some other aspects that count a lot in generating positive cash flow:

• Sometimes there are different types of situations and you have to make your strategies according to these situations like if you have investment property in a location that’s emergent, you may have enough equity which can be used in two different ways like utilize the equity to maintain rising your investment assortment by purchasing positive cash flow properties and the other option is to deposit your positive cash flow into an offset account to cover any potential deficit when the property market changes. This will help you to maintain a positive cash flow.

• While making a decision where to buy an investment property, don’t be limited your options. You can invest in property markets outside of the area where you live.
• The basic purpose is to select the property that fits with your property investing policies and plans as well as capital growth. This will help you to gain maximum positive cash flow.
• If you are a beginner, then try to take professional advice for great returns like any property sourcing company or professional and experiences property manager. They can give you all the minor details regarding property market trends as well as other factors and market drivers like Demographics, Infrastructure, financial side, Supply and Demand, Rental outcomes and Population development. They also guide you about all the financial and legal matters.

Tips For Beginners To Make Money From Property Investment

Property is the safest and most traditional forms of investment rather than any other form of investment like stock, bond and commodity. Land and structure have its own value and it increases with time because the property will always be in demand.

The key to effective property investing is to comprehend the location and its future potential as an investment asset.

For the beginners in property investor there are following choices to choose in the field of real estate:

• Renting out your property is the best way of investing in property. Many investors rent out their property for a constant monthly cash flow that you can use to increase your wealth. Although non-paying tenants, maintenance issues, and property management are some of the negative points of rental properties all these can be sorted out by hiring professional property sourcing companies. These companies solve all your property issues either financial or legal.
• Indirect investment deals can help property investors double their initial investment in as little as five to seven years. This model uses a deposit to collect money from various investors to use in a designated plan. The investors agree to loan their capital to the project and expect an internal rate of return on their investment.
• Whatever model you choose to follow in investment, do not expect instantaneous success. Property investment specialists all agree that every deal is a learning experience and a lifetime of investing yields plenty of lessons. Keep persisting with your investing, seek advice from professionals and make practical decisions with your capital.
• Renovating a house according to current trends helps you a lot in making a large amount of profit. You can sell it on large profits. Renovation of a house gives a modern look to the house as well as increase its current value according to the market trends.
• Select high Yielding Locations. In this case, the cheaper home offers a better return on investment and value for your wealth.

Why Smart Goals Are Important For Successful Property Investment

When you want to plan something then you set some goals and aims that what do you want to achieve? Same is the case with property investment. For a successful investment one should have some attainable goals as a property investor.

Wealth, financial freedom and the security upon have upon retirement are some of the basic objectives that people usually have. But these goals and objectives are not usually measurable so for making a clear roadmap first make smart goals

There are different types of investors. Some are the risk taker, or some prefer reliable and secure asset or investment that eliminates stress and increases income?

Some properties are more secure than others. Always invest according to your personal risk profile, because you are intended to fail if you distress the expedition before it even starts.

• Financial Goals should be perceptible and achievable.
• Allocate timeframes to your goals.
• Financial goals should also account for how and when you pay down any debt attached to your investment portfolio and the type of loan structure you put in place to service that debt.
• Determine Your Own Strengths and Weaknesses. This will primarily regulate how long it takes you to reach your anticipated objectives, and what type of help you’ll have to seek out along the way. Just like your risk profile, it’ll also help establish the investment path you take.
• Your goals must reflect the resources you have at hand when you first start rising the property ranking to financial liberty. Within those fiscal boundaries, you must then control.
• Regulate your priorities that Who you are as an investor, What level of financial obligation you can convincingly make to start, or add to, your investment portfolio, and Your risk profile and personal
• You as an investor can also take professional advice. There are a lot of property sourcing companies working for the assistance of the investors for making smart and achievable goals. They also help in achieving these goals and generating positive revenues. These professionals also help in financial and legal matters.

How To Increase The Value Of Your Property

The main objective of every property investor is to increase the value of the property to gain maximum output. Renovation and proper care are very important to increase the value of your property. There are a few things that any property owner can do which can increase the demand of your property.

• Cleanliness is a very important factor for both outsides and inside your property. Avoid any kind of Garbage, dirt, and odours.
• Revive and brighten your entire space with neutral colours.
• Outdoor plants, outdoor lights or shutters, new siding, new walkways, or driveways can make your property more attractive.
• Peace of mind is a very important factor. There are many ways to reduce noise such as adding insulation, installing double pane windows and doors, installing carpets and rugs to minimize footsteps and placing plants to further absorb noise.
• You can give a new look to different rooms by updating carpets or flooring and adding hardwood or tiles.
• Properly positioning windows and doors can also help highlight a beautiful view that your property may have or minimize one that is not so desirable, such as a brick wall or a view right into your neighbour’s home.
• Add some modern architectural looks to your property for giving more value to your property because people love new and modern designs like designs of your bathrooms, kitchen cabinets, flooring etc.
• Before renovations, you must do some detailed research that what kind of renovation will be valuable and beneficial in your area and will increase the value of your property. Do not over improve like if your property is in the middle-class area and you fix high appliances in your property then this will not give you any positive returns.
• You don’t want to spend an amount of money on a renovation where you will not see a return on your investment. So, for proper research and a professional advice, you can consult any reputable property sourcing company. The company will give you a complete plan according to your requirement and budget and make sure that high outputs will be generated to gain maximum profits. They also give the investors financial and legal advice regarding properties.