Insight
Ways to WOW your clients
February 2019
Russell Bedford CEO shares his thoughts on how important it is to WOW your clients.
Does your executive team need change management training?
September 2018
Why do most change management initiatives fail?
Five eyes on the fence: structural capital
September 2018
Protecting the five core capitals of your business.
Measuring what matters – why you need a business plan
September 2018
All businesses need a business plan. In this article we will look at why and what exactly it should contain.
New York: the place to succeed
August 2018
Frank Sinatra once sang, ‘If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere’.
Creating a healthy workplace pays dividends
August 2018
Many benefits flow from having a healthy workplace for both employees and employers.
Bavaria for business
May 2018
Bavaria’s strategic position makes it an attractive location for multinationals to base their operations.
GDPR – what businesses need to know
April 2018
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation becomes law on 25 May 2018 - all you need to know.
INDUSTRY 4.0 – What’s up? The 4th Industrial Revolution
March 2018
The Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Italian business world moves to automated production systems.
Brand, purpose, culture: the triple threat for business
March 2018
Without brand, purpose and culture driving one another, rising to the top is not a possibility.
Customer referrals – How to get more of them?
February 2018
Word-of-mouth or customer referrals are one of the most cost-effective sources of new business.
Five eyes on the fence: social capital
January 2018
Tony Rose debunks the myth that the health of a business can be judged by its bottom line alone.
Doing business: reforming to create jobs
January 2018
We have all heard the saying, “what gets measured gets done”. The World Bank Group’s Doing Business report has been measuring the ease of doing business for 15 years, with the goal of helping governments and other stakeholders improve the business climate for domestic small and medium enterprises.
The importance of succession planning
December 2017
Business World interviews RBF managing partner Bill Rucci.
Data analytics - rising up the corporate agenda
November 2017
The amount of data that organisations generate every day has surged in recent times.
New IRS global compliance initiatives - impacting US businesses, and beyond
September 2017
Data-driven, global initiatives appear to have a new and unprecedented focus on the mid-market
Protectionism - on the rise?
September 2017
A recent EC report points to a 10% increase in export barriers worldwide. What might increasing protectionism mean for SMEs, and what should you be doing now?
What is the future of globalisation?
August 2017
A recent European Commission report has highlighted the growing resistance to globalisation. But is this mitigated by other trends that might be working for SMEs?
Five Eyes on the Fence: Intellectual Capital
August 2017
Protecting the five core capitals of your business
Four things to know before investing in Canada
July 2017
For foreign investors, Canada is a smart bet - but not without understanding the unique characteristics of the business environment
Auditor rotation - Does it deliver greater professional scepticism?
May 2017
A recently-published study suggests that mandatory auditor rotation does not, necessarily, foster greater professional scepticism. Klaus-Peter Hillebrand of Russell Bedford member firm Domus AG, Berlin, offers his comments.
Moving your business to France? - Locate to Lyon
May 2017
Ludovic Riboulon and Stéphane Mottet explain why Lyon presents an attractive option for businesses considering moving to France
Doing Business 2017: Equal opportunity for all
March 2017
The Doing Business project's goal is to promote more efficient and egalitarian regulations.
Five Eyes on the Fence: Human Capital
March 2017
Protecting the five core capitals of your business
What is IFRS 16 and what does it mean for your business?
March 2017
IFRS 16 promises major changes in the balance-sheet treatment of leases. Specialist software offers a solution, however. Frédéric Burband of Russell Bedford firm Saint-Honoré Partenaires explains how his company’s Blimp360 programme is helping companies make the transition.
Enterprise resource planning - avoiding the pitfalls
January 2017
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution is an integrated suite of software applications that can bring about major efficiency gains to businesses. It allows you to define your business processes, protect your data, and plan your workloads.
Mauritius - a stepping stone to sub-Saharan Africa
December 2016
Mauritius has now positioned itself as the jurisdiction of choice for those looking to structure their investments in the rapidly emerging African market
The importance of planning for uncertainty in business
November 2016
Silent film icon Buster Keaton showed us how - says Jack Malley of Rucci Bardaro & Falzone
Doing business in Mexico - a destination for growth
September 2016
Its economic and political stability, low inflation and strong economy make Mexico one of the world's most competitive countries for inward investment. It has one of the most open economies in the world having struck free-trade agreements with 44 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
ISO 9001 - would your business benefit?
September 2016
When your business operates in a competitive market it is sometimes not enough to have a good product - your business may need to stand out in other ways too. One way of differentiating your business from the competition is by offering high-quality service, but how do you demonstrate this to potential customers who are yet to use you?
Price discrimination and the psychology behind it
September 2016
As someone in business you will know that success is profit. To create profit you have to minimise your costs while getting your pricing right.
Real leaders create future leaders
September 2016
"You are not a leader until you have produced another leader who can produce another leader!"
VAT fraud - protecting your business
September 2016
European Union (EU) rules allow a VAT registered business to deduct input VAT (the VAT a business pays on goods and services that it acquires) provided the business uses the purchase in transactions for which it charges output VAT.
EU VAT Action Plan - solutions for micro-businesses and SMEs?
September 2016
The "EU VAT Action Plan", published in April this year, appears to promise a simpler VAT regime for start-ups, micro-businesses and SMEs - particularly those small businesses impacted by the introduction of revised "place of supply" rules in 2015.
BEPS and IP regimes - a new era in intellectual property
July 2016
How to root out harmful tax avoidance while continuing to encourage innovation? This is what 'BEPS Action 5 - Countering Harmful Tax Practices More Effectively' aims to do.
Interest deductibility under BEPS: a new and more level playing field?
July 2016
Concurrently with the OECD BEPS project, the European Commission has been developing its own anti-tax avoidance package to ensure consistent and fair tax policy throughout the EU. Philip Eagle explains.
BEPS - it only affects the multinationals, right?
March 2016
Not if your business operates under a 'Patent Box' regime. Or if it benefits from interest deductions, utilises 'hybrid mismatch' arrangements, or if its operations involve transfer pricing. And not if you employ internationally mobile employees.
Doing Business 2016 - Measuring regulatory quality and efficiency
March 2016
Entrepreneurs juggle so many tasks to keep their operations running that additional regulatory hurdles and red tape can get in the way of their ability to grow their business and, in turn, contribute to economic growth.
Three steps to coping in a downturn
March 2016
Since 2008 businesses around the world have had to cope with economic difficulties. Some economies suffered more than others. Some recovered quicker than others. Some are still recovering. Although the global economic crisis may have been painful, it was also an education and there are lessons we can all learn about coping in a downturn.
Turbulence is the new normal
March 2016
Dramatic changes are sweeping the global economy as businesses, governments, and the public sector struggle to adapt to a state of near-constant flux. Against this backdrop, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has been looking at what the future could look like, and how the accountancy profession can influence that future, and best support businesses.
Italy - an enticing business destination
March 2016
Italy is home to some of the world's most famous brands: Ferrari, Armani and Barilla to name just three. But Italy is more than big brands: small and medium enterprises thrive here. Anyone looking to set up business in Europe should definitely look at Italy.
Buy-sell agreement - put it on your to-do list
March 2016
Of all the business protections that companies routinely have in place, the one that seems to get the least attention is the buy-sell agreement. Business advisers observe that existing buy-sell agreements often go stale more quickly than most business owners imagine, especially when it comes to determining the value of their individual stake in their own business.
Going public - is an IPO an option for your business?
March 2016
Global activity in initial public offerings (IPOs) has soared in the past three years. In 2015, businesses raised more than US$180bn through IPOs, twice as much as in 2012. Although not right for all businesses, with market momentum strengthening many companies will consider going public. For a growing business that is well-prepared, an IPO can provide the capital it needs to boost development.
Hot-desking - the flexible office alternative
March 2016
In the last four years our workforce has grown by 300%. If we had decided to give everyone their own desk we would have needed to move to bigger and more expensive offices, something we were reluctant to do.
Shanghai is open for trade
September 2015
The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) officially came into being on 29 September 2013. This was a significant move for China, designed to cement its global trade position. Just over a year later, further steps were announced to help the FTZ achieve its objectives.
Optimising the sale of your company
September 2015
To achieve the best possible return on the sale of your company, the first step you must take is to set the highest possible asking price. However, you can only do this once you've laid the groundwork and put yourself in a solid negotiating position. Having done this, you must then plan your sale so you pay no more tax than you need to pay once the sale goes through.
Chile - a rocky ride to a brighter future
September 2015
Right now Chile is making the move from a middle-income to high-income country. The changes necessary for that transition, especially with regard to education, labour and fiscal policy, are making for a turbulent ride - although they are nothing more than what developed economies have been through already.
Transfer pricing and SMEs in Europe
September 2015
The pace of globalisation continues to accelerate and with it world economies become even more interlinked. This is often characterised by a strong contrast between multinational enterprises (MNEs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): MNEs account for around 60% of global trading transactions while SMEs focus more on internal markets. Indeed, a European Commission report from 2011 showed that although SMEs in Europe accounted for 99.8% of all companies, only 5% said they had overseas subsidiaries or joint ventures. On the other hand, that is still more than 1.2m companies.
Say Hello to the Elephants Quadrant Four: Sustainability
September 2015
We all have elephants - professional or personal problems, needs or truths that we ignore, usually to our detriment. In Say Hello to the Elephants, I offer a powerful system for confronting issues, along with tools to address problems, achieve clarity, and make decisions. I call this system Quadrant Thinking. In this, the last of four articles, I present an overview of Quadrant Four: Sustainability.
Accounting for post- employment benefit plans
September 2015
International Accounting Standard 19 (IAS 19) prescribes the way in which employers must account for and disclose employee benefit liabilities. The Standard establishes the principle that employers incur the cost of providing an employee benefit at the point an employee earns it rather than makes use of it.
Belgium - heart of Europe
March 2015
Belgium is a federal monarchy comprising three regions: Dutch-speaking Flanders, mostly French-speaking Wallonia, and Brussels, the officially bi-lingual but mostly French-speaking capital city. Belgium's cultural and language differences are reflected in its political history and complex system of government.
FATCA - impact on businesses and individuals
March 2015
US citizens must pay tax on their worldwide incomes regardless of where they live. In an attempt to make it more difficult for US citizens to evade tax by investing offshore, the US Treasury and US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) created a new withholding tax regime. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) became effective on 1 January 2013.
Say Hello to the Elephants - Quadrant Three: Implementation
March 2015
In Say Hello to the Elephants, I offer a powerful system for confronting issues, along with tools to address problems, achieve clarity, and make decisions. I call this system Quadrant Thinking. In this, I present an overview of Quadrant Three: Implementation.
Doing Business 2015: going beyond efficiency
March 2015
Reforming in any area of government policy is a challenge. Business regulation is no exception. Doing Business 2015 - the 12th in a series of annual reports published by the World Bank Group - looks at regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it around the world.
Getting yourself known
March 2015
If you are a newly-launched small or medium-sized business the chances are you do not have a big marketing budget to promote yourself. So if you do not have large amounts of money to invest in high-cost promotional strategies, you need to look at investing time in low-cost, or even free marketing activity. In this article we will take a high-level look at a few key areas.
Britain is Great for business
September 2014
The UK is one of the most prominent business locations in the world and has the highest level of inward investment in Europe, an endorsement of its business-friendly environment. The UK's open market offers a first-class business infrastructure, a highly skilled labour force, excellent transport links, and much more.
International employment - avoiding the pitfalls
September 2014
The world is a much smaller place than it once was. Technology has globalised business and recruiting overseas is no longer the sole preserve of the multinational corporation. All businesses - SMEs included - may find themselves needing to employ overseas talent.
Accounting in the Cloud
September 2014
When looking for a robust and efficient accounting system, most small and medium businesses have chosen a proprietary software package and installed it on a PC or local network. However, improvements in the speed and stability of the Internet have brought online Cloud alternatives to the forefront of accounting technology.
Protecting your image - the Guernsey Image Right
September 2014
Modern-day stars of sports, music and other entertainment media no longer derive their income solely from their primary professional activity; sponsorship deals and other forms of endorsement have made "image" a valuable commodity.