How the delaying of taxes is working in practice

For those of you who are considering using the Government's Business Payment Support Service I thought you might find the following article useful, as it outlines the experience that Goodman Jones and their clients have had with it.

http://www.goodmanjones.net/Goodman%20Jones%20Chartered%20Accountants/13924

Please also add comments if you have had any experiences with the service yourself (good or bad).

Finance Directors and Social Networking

I have recently been spending some time on social networking sites (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Ecademy) for both business and personal objectives.

The business case for me spending time on these sites, if I'm honest, ultimately comes down to their effect on the bottom line through sales generated through a greater network.

I am curious as to how those in a less sales-oriented role find these sites of use from a business point of view, if indeed they do.

Do you use these sites, and if so, why? What business benefits do you anticipate, or have you proven? All comments welcome.

Chocolate madness in the VAT office

I found the following blog article entertaining from my good friend Emily Coltman on her Videos and Accounting blog:

Chocolate madness in the VAT office

Could the economy run without interest?

I caught part of an item on the Today Programme this morning with representatives of the Christian and Muslim faiths discussing an economy where usury was banned.

It got me thinking about the pros and cons and wondered what everyone else thought.

Most consumers I speak to, particularly recently, do not feel that their lives have been enriched by being able to borrow at interest rates.

You could argue that businesses need access to borrowing, and also that savers need to earn a return on their savings. However, if savers could not earn interest there may well be a great deal more equity funding available for businesses.

Just a few thoughts, but I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks. Please comment.