As a young company ourselves, we have a particular affinity for start up companies, irrespective of commercial sector.

Increased employment flexibility, access to knowledge and vastly improved communication channels compared to only a generation ago means that there are fewer barriers than ever to starting up your own business. But equally, there is a greater level of competition, a bewilderingly complex market place (both real and virtual) and consequently more threats to start up companies than ever before.

Consequently, effective strategic and financial planning is vital, and we at Cecil and Co aim to help with this so that your company can progress at the right speed, and in the right direction.

In particular, we can help with:

• Formulating core business strategy and identifying key business areas.

• Deciding on the most appropriate business format for you - whether sole trader, partnership or limited company. This will have tax, personal liability and financing implications, so is a vital part of the Start Up planning process.

• Liasing with the appropriate government agency to formalise establishment of the business. For sole traders and partnerships, this will be HMRC (in order to register for Self Assessment Tax); in the case of limited companies this will be Companies House.

• If a limited company, we can deal with all aspects of company formation, including appointment of Directors, Company Secretary and establishment of a Registered Office.

• Setting up a company bank account, or accounts.

• Advising on which formal accounting records need to be kept, and how best to do this. We can also advise on the range of accounting software available to you, and assist with choosing one most suited to your business.

• Liasing with our legal advisors to assist with any contract law, or to advise on any other legal matters.

• Advising on the most appropriate method of financing your company, and assisting with the preparation of formal application documentation and business plans.

• Budgeting and forecasting, in order to give your business a clear strategic direction and establish meaningful, achievable short, medium and long term "goals" to work towards.

• Establishing whether or not you will need to register for VAT, and completing this process on your behalf if required.

• If required, we can set up and operate a payroll system for you, and any employees you may have.

• Managing cash flow - arguably the most important service of all. Research by data analysts Ormsby Street in 2016 found that whilst 91% of UK businesses survived their first year of trading, just four out of ten businesses survived five years - with poor cash flow being the primary cause of business failure.

We appreciate that - although you may be a small company - there are big decisions to take right from the outset. Using our expertise and experience, we aim to guide you through the Start Up process step by step, so that your business gets off to the best possible start.