Name: Profits Plus Accountants
Address: Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai

7 Effective Cash Flow Management Techniques

Whether your business is small or mid-sized, completing decades of establishment or a few months – efficient cash flow management is critical because “cash is king” and a key to a successful future.

With cash flow management, companies exercise full control of input and outflow of funds which helps them make sure that the outflow of cash stays lesser, profits keep increasing, excess funds are available for further investment, and business is not going to run out of money shortly, and the return on capital is always maximizing.

7 Best Tips for a Better Cash Flow Management

If you are only looking for nonpayers, heavy invoices, and loan repayment deadlines for better cash flow accounting, you lack a strategy. Many companies, particularly SMEs, make mistakes of not planning, misallocating resources, or over-forecasting their sales, consequently affecting their cash flow. But, we have enlisted the most practical cash flow tips that will let you save big and enjoy positive cash flow.

1. Generate Cash Flow Reports

How do you plan on keeping a close check on each transaction without reports?

Well-maintained cash flow report, generated with accounting or Cash Flow Management software and tools (XERO), is necessary for calculating the incoming and outgoing balance. It is advised to use cloud-based storage spreadsheets to supervise and identify the highs and lows in the company’s money flow anytime.

Always assign such monitoring tasks to trustworthy team members who must be aware of all financial aspects as managing cash flow gets easier.

2. Smart Inventory Management

How to manage cash flow effectively?

Always keep your inventory updated for a better understanding of ongoing supply-and-demand levels. Also, keep it freshly loaded with your best-selling products to cope with the growing orders without delay. The clever way is to do “ABC analysis”, as it will highlight the products that have been the client’s favourite and the products that are not appreciated.

You can either dispose of your no longer needed stock or sell it at great discounts for quick cash, leaving the only products that your customers are demanding. Prioritised stocking will help you get rid of excess stock, as well, because apparently, they won’t be generating revenue any time soon.

3. Online Payment Methods

Never compromise on the payment method, or else you will face major setbacks. There are phone payment methods applications, but online payment methods will be a good choice as it tracks every activity and keeps a record. With net banking, Google pay, Paypal, etc., you will get your payment faster.

4. Fixed and Variable Expenses Across the Financial Year

It is essential to categorize your fixed and variable expenses. For instance, you will be paying rent, telecommunications costs, and employees’ salaries throughout the year – fixed variables. On the contrary, you will be receiving shipping fees depending on the location and paying for manufacturing material considering the demand or products – variable expenses. Cut their cost down from your total earnings and move forwards with another investment with a clear figure in your mind.

Additionally, a common area maintenance (CAM) fee for a brick-and-mortar shop needs your attention. It includes other outlays such as lighting, janitorial services, cleaning, etc. Don’t forget to add them up to your operating expenses!

5. Lease for Small Businesses

Buying is not always a secure option. Leasing the equipment or inventory will benefit you in the longer run. It might get tricky sometimes but it will save you from getting troubled with debt because you won’t be paying massive amounts; instead, making small payments over a defined period. And yes, it does write off your taxes.

Still, asking how to improve cash flow management? We have just told you the best way to manage cash flow!

6. Keep A Cash Reserve

With no backup cash, you will always be scared of making a new investment or taking a future decision because WHAT IF you fail to maximize capital or sales don’t give you the expected amount?! Petrifying!

That is why you must have a hefty cash reserve of a fixed amount to cover unanticipated or emergency expenses at any given time because companies run on money. If you face a sudden shortfall of money, your business will crumble.

7. Maintain Your Invoicing Workflow

One of the most important aspects of maintaining a positive cash flow is utilizing the invoice-on-demand model for the company’s benefit. You must practice and teach your employees to send invoices immediately after delivering the products and collaborate watchfully with the buyers to get your payment as early as possible. SMEs don’t go well with the monthly billing cycle. Your invoice should be:

Clear and understandable
Fully Detailed
Easy to read

Every profitable business must have a secure method for sending an invoice, such as an email automation system. Choose the method of payment that not only pays you faster but saves you time. It will play a significant role in cash flow management during a crisis.

Profits Plus’s Expert Accountants at Your Service

Do you want to predict your company’s future financial position? Or looking for professional assistance in financial management planning? Profits Plus has every solution to your business and accounting problems!

Our cash flow management accounting services are solely focused on helping businesses generate a greater amount of cash for a secure future. We use the best cash flow management tools & techniques to minimise the chances of negative consequences.

Corporate Tax in UAE 2023

Corporate Income Tax (CIT), also known as “Business Profits Tax” or abbreviated as CT (Corporate Tax), is an all-inclusive tax policy applicable to the income or profits of all corporations and legal business entities.

Recently this year, on 31st January, the MoF (Ministry of Finance) of UAE declared the regular implementation of a new regime of the corporate income tax system that will be effective for financial years starting on 1st June 2023 or later and supervised by FTA UAE (Federal Tax Authority) who will look after its administration and ensure collection.

If the company tends to adopt a fiscal year from 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2024, it would be subjected to corporate income tax beginning 1 June 2023 with the probability of the first tax return filing due towards late 2024. On the contrary, if the company opts for a fiscal year from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, it would be subjected to corporate income tax beginning 1 January 2024 with the probability of the first corporate income tax filing (return) due towards mid-2025.

The Objective of Enforcement of UAE CIT

The Undersecretary of MoF, Younis Haji Al Khoori, stated, “the certainty of a competitive and best-in-class corporate tax regime, together with the UAE’s extensive double tax treaty network, will cement the UAE’s position as a world-leading hub for business and investment.”

The primary purpose of UAE CT is to get rid of harmful tax practices and put unjust tax collection to an end, along with guaranteeing international tax transparency. The corporate tax system is designed to implement best practices and stay committed to legal tax standards worldwide.

It also aims to reduce the compliance burden on industries as you will not be wasting efforts on comprehensive preparation and maintenance of updated financial statements.

Important Features to Remember

Revenues earned from legal business activities carried out under a valid commercial license within the seven emirates are subjected to corporate tax and income tax.
Individuals buying properties(real estate) for personal use without a business permit will not be paying CT.
No due/unpaid tax will be collected, whether it is on the domestic level or international.
The updated federal CIT regime is 100% applicable to banking operations in the UAE; however, every branch of foreign banks has already been subjected to a CT on an Emirate level.
CT permits tax grouping and group relief programs– compensating tax losses among groups may be acceptable, but UAE Groups must be capable of filing consolidated tax returns.
The necessity of documentation along with transfer pricing instructions will be implemented considering the OECD transfer pricing guiding principle.
The CT system has mentioned some exemptions and adjustments for taxable/accounting profits.
Upon meeting specific requirements, companies are allowed to carry forward excessive tax losses and make them used against future payable income.
It will minimize the compliance obligations, leaving a single corporate tax return required to be filed without any constraint to pay an advance or interim payment of CT.
A unilateral foreign tax credit will be obtainable to set domestic corporate tax liability against foreign income.

Lowest Corporate Income Tax Rates | UAE Tax Rate

One of the most significant advantages of UAE CT is that it levies the minimum rate within the region, excluding Bahrain. A tier system comprising 3 rates is:

ZERO (0%)rate (zero corporate tax) for annual taxable profits under AED 375,000
NINE (9%)rate for annual taxable profits more than AED 375,000
Different CT rates for large-scale, multinational companies who successfully meet the demands/standards set under ‘Pillar Two’ of the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting initiative (BEPS) 2.0 framework.

CIT in Free Zones

Every start-up and well-established business registered in the UAE free zone is subjected to corporate tax. The company will be eligible for corporate tax incentives if it stays fully compliant with all the governing requirements and keeps itself from settling business in the mainland.

Exemptions

Certain types of income are exempted from the corporate tax system:
Revenues are generated from foreign business investors or shareholdings through dividends, capital gains, royalties, interest, or any other investment return.
Income earned from natural resource extraction.
Foreign entity or individual who is not currently involved in any kind of trade or business activities within UAE regularly.
Individuals with employment salaries, no commercial license (governmental or private sector), and no income-generating activity.
Upon fulfilling specific requirements, intragroup transactions and reorganizations are exempted.

British VAT Experts

Profits Plus has the best-skilled British accountants with over 20 years of experience who ensure that your company complies with FTA requirements. Failure to do so will result in hefty administrative fines. With the intelligent use of cloud-based accounting software Xero, we deliver the best accounting services in the UAE. We help train your admin or secretarial resource for data entering. We inform you of your profits, losses, incomes, and expenditures.

8 Different Types of Accounting Practices

How do you plan on expanding your business without knowing how many resources you are left with, how much revenue you can expect, and how much money has been spent on taxation? You simply can’t!

Every business needs a stable accounting department responsible for keeping the owners updated about the current financial position along with anticipated percentages of profit or loss.

8 Types of Accounting Practices

To keep your finances straight and up-to-date with the company’s cash flow, you must be familiar with all eight types of accounting.

Public Accounting

As the name suggests, public accounting is a practice where a businessman allows an independent accounting firm’s certified public accountants (CPAs) to keep their company’s accounts, financial records, bank statements, and related information in check and balance as a few of the financial documents are necessary to be publicized. UAE has plenty of well-known public accounting firms offering additional services, such as bookkeeping, financial consulting, and payroll services, apart from auditing and taxation.

The firm will be held accountable for strategizing business plans, suggesting profitable mergers, and making acquisitions while keeping the internal accounting system streamlined.

Private Accounting

It is an accounting practice where an accounting professional (expert) is recruited to bring the business’s accounting and other information in order. He is responsible for recording finances properly and keeping them updated. The accountant will be provided full authority to tackle all financial, tax-related, and managerial accounting issues within the organization.

Government Accounting

A practice where government agencies responsibly deploy state auditors (or equally eligible individuals) for recording, creating, and anticipating budget (income and expenditures) in accordance with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Agencies will set reporting standards and track:

How public money is being spent

Amount of the remaining available funds

It is a valuable step in ensuring that financial, accounting, and related information is accurate.

Financial Accounting

This accounting principle is a traditional practice and serves the purpose of keeping an updated record of each transaction, maintaining a balance sheet for trailing the financial situation, pinning down assets and liabilities, informing shareholders about the financial shifts, and providing the owners with the detailed summary of cash flow. A financial accountant expert (secretaries, stock intermediaries, chartered accountants, etc.) is obliged to follow internationally or locally recognized accounting standards to prepare financial statements and the statement of change in equity.

Two main types of financial accounting are cash accounting (mainly practiced by SMEs) and accrual accounting (suitable for larger businesses). It is necessary to define the company’s existing financial status.

Cost Accounting

It only collects and analyze information regarding the company’s expenditure on manufacturing products. Cost accounting helps you make sensible decisions about future inventory, production, manufacturing, and supply spending. It comprises fixed costs, variable costs or input costs, etc. and is aimed at finding the cost gap between the estimated and the actual cost of production.

Forensic Accounting

Forensic accounting is inevitable for any business as it serves the function of a financial detective, responsible for:

Scheduling timely evaluations to get a hold of financial fraud

Finding lawful proof of malpractices
Submitting evidence to the courts to prove the case of embezzlement
Writing an accounting report in easy terms for the court to explain if the company is carrying out illegal procedures
Analyzing data to determine the missing amount 
Suggesting practicable solutions to recover the lost amount

Highlighting misstatements and verifying controls

You can either keep it in-house or hire forensic accountants.

Management Accounting

Like financial accounting, management accounting involves using statistical tools and approaches for recording data and analyzing financial transactions. By using these statistics, accountants manage to infer current or upcoming trends as well as forecast financial liabilities. It not only considers the company’s expenses but also non-financial aspects of the business to make profitable decisions. 

The three most common categories of management accounting include strategic, performance, and risk management. Depending on your business needs, you can implement one or all three at once for obtaining information.

Tax Accounting

A type of accounting solely designed to check the company’s tax liabilities: registration, returns, deregistration, and payments. 

In UAE, tax accountants take care of VAT-related issues. They check if your company needs to pay tax, what amount, and when. With their proper help, you will be paying the respected amount of taxation without delays, saving you from administrative penalties. It ensures that you are following all-time changing tax laws. 

How Profit Plus Can Help in Accounting

Outsourcing your accounting needs is beneficial for highlighting high-level risks of future events and preparing you to embrace unforeseen circumstances. Profit Plus has qualified British accountants for delivering high-class accounting practices and maintaining financial transactions properly for SMEs and large companies to survive in the long run. We will not only let you save big on money but also give you a golden chance to benefit yourself from professionalized and personalized VAT services. 

Contact us to consult about different types of accounting practices in the UAE and audit-related queries, as we will help you select the most suitable approach for your business.

Tax accountants get your all tax responsibilities done!

Top 8 Administrative VAT Fines & Penalties in UAE Levied by FTA

Federal Tax Authority (FTA) is the only organisation of UAE that decides the amounts and percentages for fines and penalties every year and looks after all the tax procedures to resolve disputes. Companies are penalised upon finding a case of proven violation where they have either failed to fulfil the requirements or has breached the VAT (Value Added Tax) Law. 

Penalties come with brilliant discounts for offering an opportunity to companies to come forward and make their errors known. Or else, an audit will be performed, and if any error is found, they will be fined heavily.

8 Fines and Penalties Under VAT

Failure to meet Registration Requirements

The business should be mandatorily registered one month before reaching the turnover limits, only if the total amount of the taxable expenses crosses a registration threshold of AED 375,000. The unregistered business will be penalised with a late registration fee worth AED 20,000/- as per the VAT Law.

Late or no VAT Deregistration

In case of failure to deregister in the specified time of 20 days (counting the days from the deregistration is applicable), a fine worth AED 10,000/- will be asked from a taxable person.

Problems with VAT Return

A penalty of AED 1,000/- is applicable to the taxable person in case he fails to file or files for a VAT return after the 28th of the end of the tax period. If he forgets to file the return again, the fine is doubled to AED 2,000/- for the second time.
FTA will levy two administrative penalties if the taxpayer voluntarily reveals errors in their previous Tax Return assessment through a disclosure form 211 and shows the under- or unpaid tax of AED 10,000/- or more.

Fixed penalty worth 3,000 for the first mistake and 5,000 for making the same mistake the second time.

Percentage-based penalty decided on the basis of the unpaid amount. 5% and 30% for making a voluntary- disclosure before and after getting an official notice of the tax audit, respectively. 50% of registrants who never use disclosure form and their errors are caught during the tax auditing.

Display of Prices

An administrative penalty worth AED 15,000 applies to the taxable person who decides to display the price of the goods but disagrees with the Value Added Tax Law and puts the costs of the company’s supplies or services without tax inclusion.

Failure to Keep the Records or Submission of Information

A VAT-registered person is held accountable for maintaining accurate documents to prove the authenticity of the official transactions. He must provide the genuine documents to Federal Tax Authority when asked. In case of carelessness, he will be charged:

First time: AED 10,000/-
Second time: AED 50,000/-

If FTA asks for submission of financial records in Arabic and taxpayers fails to deliver, AED 20,000/- is levied.

Failure to Notify About Charge of Tax Based on The Margin

A failure to inform the FTA about the total amount of calculated tax on selling used goods, antique pieces, or collectors’ items invites an administrative penalty of AED 2,500. It is essential to be transparent in trade due to the differences in profit margin observed between purchasing and selling prices.

VAT in Designated Zones

VAT Laws are inapplicable in Designated Zones, but they have their own rules. The non-compliance to the rules will lead the taxpayer to an administrative penalty worth AED 50,000. In higher-level violation, the penalty increases to 50% of the chargeable tax.

Issues with Electronic Tax Invoices and Electronic Tax Credit Notes

A penalty worth AED 5,000 (for each invoice or Note) is applicable on the taxpayers who:

Was unable to issue Tax Invoice or Tax Credit Note electronically
Was unable to meet the requirements for issuing accurate electronic Tax Invoice or Tax Credit Note
Was unable to secure a valid copy of the original electronic Tax Invoice

VAT Accounting Experts to Deal with Tax & Accounting Matters

Are you looking for solutions to your tax accounting and VAT concerns? Profit Plus has skilled and highly experienced British accountants catering to your administrative VAT penalty issues.

Taxing treatment for Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

Just like cryptocurrencies, NFTs seem to be gaining traction as well and their popularity is at an all-time high at the moment. It would only be appropriate to discuss how they are to be taxed.

What are NFTs?

An NFT is a unit of data that is stored on a blockchain which is a guarantee that the NFT is unique. This means the token is not interchangeable. NFTs run using the Ethereum Blockchain. Many experts claim that because of NFTs using Ethereum, the BTC crash of late did not particularly affect the trading rates of Ethereum Coin (ETH). Every token is quantifiable evidence of ownership of that specific digital asset. Although being a digital asset, it has been pushed as an asset to take ownership of assets in real life also.

Types of NFTs

There are many types of NFTs available on the market, let’s take a look at some of them:

Digital art
Games
Collectables
Music

Film

Now that we have an idea about the types of NFTs and their nature, let’s see how they are taxed for individuals and corporations. We will also shed light on VAT rules regarding NFTs as well!

NFT Tax Treatment for Individuals

Although there has been little word on how NFTs ought to be taxed globally, there is a consensus to go the cryptocurrency route and how they are taxed. Now, under that assumption, income tax is subjective to whether the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) can classify NFTs as a trading activity.

For CGT (Capital Gains Tax), cryptocurrencies are classed as an intangible asset therefore it is safe to assume that it will be the same case when it comes to NFTs. If that is the case then, if one purchases an NFT with the intent of investment and then afterwards is sold; any gain on the asset after conversion of the sale price and purchase price into the AED rate will be taxed under Capital Gains Tax.

In contrast, a loss on sale of an NFT can be balanced out against gains from other sources of capital that will be taxed under Capital Gains Tax.

NFT Tax Treatment Concerning Companies

For corporations also, the NFTs will be taxed just like cryptocurrencies. Under that assumption, the profits from trade must be calculated using fair practices. Moreover, if a corporation buys an NFT for investment purposes, the value of that NFT must be presented on the Balance Sheet as an intangible asset. Any proceeds from the sale of the NFT asset will be taxed accordingly.

NFT Tax Treatment Rules per VAT

It is expected that VAT is duly paid normally on any services and goods sold in exchange for buying an NFT. When the transaction takes place, the value of the goods and services in question will be the AED price value of the NFTs.

When an international transaction involving the sale of NFTs takes place, it is crucial to track which sales are subject to VAT and vice versa.

Conclusively, we would like to state that this is just an overview of the most probable tax treatment for NFTs. We hope the GCC gives us more updates shortly.

For now, if you or your business own cryptocurrencies and need help with VAT accounting or a tax consultant for crypto, head over to ProfitsPlus for all your accounting and taxation needs!

Can Business Analysts also be good Management Consultants?

The topic in question these days may be considered as a controversial one, that is, whether or not business analysts turn out to be good management consultants also. The main reasoning behind the controversy has something to do with the fact that there is no definitive answer to the question. But let’s shed some light and try to get to the bottom of this conundrum.

How do business analysts and management consultants differ?

Although there isn’t a perfect definition per se that can distinguish them as clear as night and day, first we must understand that in the practical world, jobs aren’t fundamentally supposed to abide by said definitions. An oversimplification perhaps but people in both roles are hired to solve a business problem with the pre-set aim of achieving something for the client.

Some people may not think that there is a clear distinction between the two roles. As consultants may also be made to do requirement planning, gathering and documentation. Which are the core functions associated with a business analyst.

Do business analysts make good management consultants?

If one were to describe the role of a business analyst according to a definition, then simply put, a business analyst is associated with IT in more than one way. In contrast, consultants, can potentially also work or perform their job in a non-IT related field of consultation as well. Though the lines which separate these roles are paper-thin, they are differences, nonetheless.

Again, before we rush and jump to any conclusions, it must be noted that this is entirely situational and not always the case. According to the CBAP handbook, consulting experience revolving around IT and tech does not fall under the umbrella of the CBAP experience criteria.

The book outlines what someone in this role is supposed to do.

– “Creating Project Plans and Identifying project risks, Weekly project status reporting, leading design workshops, creating project charter or system architecture, testing execution” etc.

In a way, the handbook forces you to be one-dimensional which isn’t always helpful. One should always try to learn more beyond the role, which can lend a massive hand in shaping a successful career. But CBAP excludes such work experience for good reason though. A major reason could be to differentiate between the PMP and CBAP certifications or any other certification related to the business field.

Fortunately, industry and firms are constantly in search of people with a broad skill set that extends further beyond their role. It is common knowledge that the roles of business analysts and consultants are never one dimensional. A firm would rarely decline a business analyst’s offer, or his wish to take more management responsibility upon their shoulders.

So do business analysts make good management consultants then?

As evident through the job market, business analysts can turn out to be exceptional consultants. Although in certain aspects analysts might have to overstretch to cover the fields of business processes or project management or even change management. If you are seeking to be an exceptional consultant, starting your journey through the business analyst route might be the best option and secret to success.

From a purely contextual point of view, business analysts may differ but in reality, they are sharing responsibilities, in a multitude of ways and different areas as well. Management consultancy can range from the process, strategy, operations, business analysts may fall victim to tunnel vision and limit themselves by only following the guidelines of the handbook.

Conclusively, let us not forget, certifications like CBAP or CMC are credentials that enable you to get a job. The practical experience gained in the field might differ a lot and keeping an open mind towards your opportunities might just do you some good as well.

If you’re a client looking for an accounting firm in Dubai for your consultancy needs and were confused between whether to hire a business analyst or a management consultant. We hope that Profits Plus has helped make your choice much easier, and if you’re still not sure, get in touch with our team. We are proud to provide the best management consultancy services by chartered accountants!

The Safeguard from Fraud, Embezzlement and Corruption

Nobody likes or wants to be deceived, especially by those they place their trust in or have expectations from them to do the right thing. Fraud and corruption can be a massive PR blow for most corporations and enterprises. It can also prove to be detrimental to the self-image of the internal hierarchy and a lapse in confidence in being able to counteract against a fraudulent scheme. The PR blow may lead to a tarnished public image, job destination, organisational morale stooping and losses as well.

But what can businesses, corporations do to deter such schemes? The answer is simple, internal auditing! In recent times, internal audit has increasingly gained ground and companies find it very valuable in its capabilities. In-house internal audit departments or internal audit outsourcing can be used to ensure a check and balance of systems and procedures, risk management, while also providing recommendations to overcome weak areas

The nature of work entails having internal auditing, as well as the sensitive information required, most companies prefer an in-house team that deals with the audit process, rather than outsourcing.

Developing an audit and assurance department is an exercise that should be thoroughly carried out to guarantee the efficiency and acceptability of the department by other stakeholders involved with the company. Often, managers and sometimes the entire workforce of an enterprise may harbour hard feelings for the audit team and under such circumstances, an in-house team might not be best suited.

Although that might only be the case when the auditing team can’t keep its findings or workings under wraps, if the critical information is kept under lock and key while fully implementing recommendations, internal audit can be the tool a company needs to bring in change.

Steps to be taken

How the department is set up and the process in which the team carries its tasks is most important. The following are key steps that can be taken to ensure a successful set up of an internal audit department:

1. Obtain and discuss expectations from the department with senior-level management including the board and audit committee, involving required listing standards for listed companies. Non-listed corporations should consider voluntary compliance.

2. Get the audit committee to develop and approve a charter.

3. Formulate a proper budget and staffing model on how you want to hire. Also, do review what your competitors in the industry are doing while keeping in mind your own company’s policies.

4. Also generate reporting lines and regulations, while also establishing responsibilities of the internal audit department.

5. Find areas in your company that require auditing

6. Make sure to carry out the initial risk assessment with the management and audit committee.

7. Consider the need to comply with various statutory requirements within your environment for instance compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act for companies in the USA.

8. Make an internal audit plan which is suited to the risk assessment

9. Outline whether staff for the department will be hired internally, or outsourced

10. Plan and implement audit work required for the audit plan, including a system to examine and follow up on audit recommendations.

11. Keep on updating the risk assessment for varying conditions during the year

12. Always improve and modify the internal audit work-frame to meet changing needs of the company and management alike.

Once the department has been set up, the head of the department should ensure that the objectives of the department are reviewed and evaluated from time to time. Often, the department will be driven by the risk assessment results to develop certain intervention policies on its own. The head of the department can use a risk assessment questionnaire which is distributed to all heads of auditable departments to evaluate their risk exposures in a given time frame.

If you’re a newly established enterprise lacking an internal audit department and are actively searching for internal audit services in Dubai, check our service of Internal Audit.

Social Networking For Introverts

Does the notion of networking at local business gatherings make you anxious, gets your heart racing and overwhelm you with a nauseous feeling? Well, I guess we’ve figured out you’re not an extrovert. So, promoting your business in front of an audience is not your thing. But guess what? That’s okay! You don’t have to be a social animal to build a successful business referral network. Here are some tips that can help you adapt business networking to your less “in the spotlight” personality.

Don’t worry about large social business settings. You can build an excellent business network by quietly helping to solve problems and as a result, make lasting business contacts. Here are three great ways to get you on the road to building an excellent referral network that can help grow your business:

Expanding your Business

1. As you come across prospects for a business with whom you would like to network, make the referral and send that business (owner or salesperson) and email or note letting them know you gave them a referral and who you referred.

2. You probably cringe at the idea of business networking groups and their breakfast meetings, but do you take part in any social activities? You can still network in social situations and use those activities to build your business referral network! Maybe you’re in a local recreational activity (poker game with friends; quilting), local organization or cause, hobby (fishing; boating), or sport (tennis; cycling).

3. These are all opportunities to develop friendships with people who have a common passion or interest like yours, help each other on a social level and eventually develop some networking opportunities. It is positive to note that at least some of these people you meet will own a business or be in sales and could use referrals. This is an example of “doing what you love” and using that passion to build valuable networking relationships.

4. Some connections can eventually help you get more referrals and grow your business. An important thing to remember in these situations is to have fun first, make friends, and enjoy social activities. Use natural opportunities to seek referrals (both giving and getting). And don’t force any situation. Building your business this way is often slow but can also yield very good results over time.

5. Consider an online business referral network that allows you to connect with local business people whom you can meet and create referral relationships. These online networks don’t make you go to meetings or do presentations like the local groups that gather weekly. If you join an online site, most of your interactions will be through their website. However, we recommend that you periodically talk to each business member in the network you create on at least a quarterly basis, if for no other reason than just to say “hi” and see how their business is going.

6. It’s a great opportunity to ask them if you can help them with anything in particular, and also update them on your business. It’s important to realize that the internet doesn’t necessarily replace the phone and/or in-person interactions that you may need to make long-term business networking a real success. The internet simply enhances your ability to network and automates some of the tasks.

8. Business networking doesn’t have to be about weekly group business meetings, presentations or putting yourself in very uncomfortable public situations. Great business networking is simply about helping people solve problems. By referring someone to a good business you are helping them solve an issue. By providing a referral to a good business that you know, you are helping them solve the problem of getting new customers.

9. When you solve problems, people remember you and often try to help you in return. Business networking, especially when it involves the passing of a referral, is about trust. Trust is built over time. So, don’t worry about getting thrown into a random group of people at a local networking group.

10. Seek out specific businesses that you trust and network within social activities that you enjoy. Online business referral networks that are made up of local members are also a non-aggressive, “soft” way to find businesspeople who might like to be part of your referral network.

Using any of these methods can help you on the path to building solid relationships that can help grow your business by getting more referrals. And if you’re still having trouble with your business expansion, then get a quote from business setup consultants in Dubai asap!

Standard Operating Procedures – A Key to High Efficiency

In a business set up Standard Operating Procedures commonly referred as SOP’s are instruction manuals that can help lead your setup into an efficient working system that can strive forward.

4 Quick Tips on how to create an SOP

Standard operating procedures refer to the step by step instruction manual that helps your business organisation run its operations efficiently. The step by step instructions are designed differently and separately for every task that has to perform in a company. All SOPs must be clear, concise, and easily understandable so that the tasks can be performed in an efficient manner without time being wasted in confusion upon technical terms or unclear descriptions.

Now let’s talk about the tips.

Good and effective communication with department heads

Different tasks have different merits and different requirements. There is no one shoe fits all while working in an organization. Talking to the department heads gives you insight on all the activities and special events that are going around in the company. Every department head is well acknowledged with the nature of those working under them. Consulting them can give you the best ideas on how to construct the SOPs with the best practices and methods that can help handle challenges and situations. It’s a good practice to take disagreements as positive outcomes of meetings as they jus help u gain more knowledge on how to go about to avoid further problems.from the communication with the heads you can outline the most essential policies that will allow you to smoothly run your business and achieve the desired level of profits.

Organizing the outline you’ve made

Organizing the outline in a logical manner is very important. The most effective way in many cases is to number them out. This is of major help as it instantly references major and specific policies from different sections in the document. Having clear numbering with subsections is a great way to collect everything in one place in an organized manner. Having a glossary is useful so that all terms are understandable to all. Having an index can also help to look for specific sections in the document.

Assess the clarity of your SOP document.

Before making a final document and circulating it within the organization it is important that you make sure that all policies and instructions are clear and easily understandable to all. An easy way to make this assessment is to check whether a newly hired employee can understand the instructions that are quoted on the document. If new employees have problems deciphering it and continuously make errors you may need to revise your document so that it is less confusing and more effective.

Consult with your counseling firm.

Having a counseling service review your document can help a lot as they have experts that can review your document and guide you on what you need to do. They can more easily identify where you are making errors and can help guide you with how to create processes and procedures that are designed as manuals for payroll, HR sales, purchases, etc. They also provide guidance for initiating internal laws for staff training.

Part-Time Accounting Services: A Wonderful Alternative for Start-Ups in Dubai

In the last few decades, UAE has seen a remarkable investment boom. As a result, demand for accounting and bookkeeping services has skyrocketed in Dubai

That is unsurprising considering how the UAE government has been consistently following a policy of trade liberalization to draw in investors, entrepreneurs, and business owners to Dubai.

Aspiring business owners took to all the possibilities the ‘City of Gold’ had to offer and began the painstaking process of converting their blueprints into actual businesses

And thanks to the world-class accounting companies in Dubai, their books were the last thing they had to worry about. This success story highlights the indispensable role accounting functions play in company formation and business setup.

Part-Time Accounting Services for Startups

Clearly, accounting and bookkeeping services are essential. It would be impossible to establish a business – much less run one – if you do not have updated financial records

At the same time, most start-up founders already have too much on their plates – and acquainting themselves with complicated accounting rules and conventions from scratch may not be the best use of their time.

Most business owners rely on in-house accounting departments or hire outsourcing companies to offer financial insights and keep their books in order.

While both these options work wonders for established businesses, full-time accounting is a ridiculously expensive option for start-ups and newly hatched SMEs with limited budgets.

Part-time accounting is the perfect solution for new businesses because it allows them to harness the benefits of accounting flexibly and economically.

Here are core reasons why you should consider availing part-time accounting services for your start-up (if you aren’t already!):

Save Money

Part-time accounting services have gained popularity in Dubai because they are more cost-effective compared to full-time services. Affordability is a major metric for startups that are just testing the waters or still in the incorporation phase.

If you establish an in-house accounts office, you will have to pay for the overheads, wages, and supplies. Similarly, an accounting outsourcing company may charge a fortune for handling your accounting tasks.

Part-time accounting is an ideal solution for such situations. Not only would a professional accountant be there to comb through your financial records, update your statements and ensure that you comply with financial regulations, but they would do it at a lower rate, allowing you to save money and invest it elsewhere.

Save Time

Part-time accountants have fixed work schedules. They will spend a specific number of hours working on your book.

Since part-time accountants have to do all that’s necessary to update your financial records within this window of time, they are great at meeting deadlines. Therefore, hiring the services of a part-time accountant is the best way to save time and get work done efficiently,

Also, if you have a professional accountant to handle your transactions and audit your records, you save time that you would have otherwise spent pouring over your financial statements.

Employee Training

Hiring a part-time accountant will help create a healthy organisational culture centered around knowledge sharing, allowing you to optimally utilize onsite human resources.

A part-time accountant will only work for limited hours, but they can provide training to your employees and help them develop an in-depth understanding of the core accounting functions your organization makes use of.

At Profits Plus Accountants, our expert accountants accomplish this by using Xero, a leading accounting software in Dubai that enables businesses to go paper-free and bring down their accounting costs.

Our accounting specialists teach your staff to use Xero to handle relevant tasks and generate financial reports, so the work does not get disrupted in the absence of an accountant.

Immeasurable Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the biggest plus points of hiring a part-time accounting expert. That’s because accounting tasks and requirements vary, depending on several factors including the size and nature of business.

Flexibility is especially important for new businesses that have yet to gather financial data, analyze their performance, and create internal protocols.

To hire a full-time accountant in Dubai, you will have to pay them fixed wages and enter into a year-long contract with them.

Part-time accounting is more flexible in comparison. The contracts are more short-term, and you can easily request relevant changes in your plan.

Profits Plus: Part Time Accounting Services in Dubai

Profits Plus Accountants is one of the leading accounting companies in Dubai. All our accountants are ACCA-qualified professionals with decades’ worth of experience. Get in touch if you want to know more about our part-time accounting services.