xcentaplus easy-access advice & solutions from experts

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1 xcentaplus Professional business support for managing risks easy-access advice & solutions from experts

2 xcentaplus - a one-stop support resource With increasing regulatory compliance, economic instability, the financial demands of the commercial world, not to mention the impact they all have on the people involved, it s vital that a business or organisation has a strong arm of support. A pool of experts is essential, who you can call upon for practical advice, options to resolve situations and ways forward when you feel you ve nowhere to turn. xcentaplus can give you that support line. It s a one-stop resource for expert advice, guidance and practical solutions from a wide range of professional services. With your commercial interests at its heart, xcentaplus includes telephone access to specialists; standard letters; guidance notes; online ask a question and more. You may need to send a solicitor s letter to chase a debt; want to know what your options are for dealing with an underperforming employee; find out if a new customer will be able to pay before you take their order or get advice on ways to manage your tax bill. Whatever you require xcentaplus can help. Convenient & cost effective xcentaplus, accessed online, is a convenient and cost effective way to solve problems, manage risks, reduce costs, meet compliance and maximise interests. With xcentaplus you get the right support when you need it, saving precious time, money and effort. xcentaplus is flexible to your needs and provides essential business support in a range of areas, including - Credit Check Employment Law Debt Recovery Commercial Law and & Data Data Protection Health & Safety Tax Advice Second Opinion Investment Advice Business Continuity Planning/Disaster recovery Stress Management Helpline A stack of support For a quick view of what each service offers please look out for these icons Telephone advice advice ask a question Guidance documents Template documents & letters Reports Discounts available for additional services

3 Credit Check Delivered by the internationally-recognised company, Creditsafe, our Credit Check facility allows you to find out the credit rating of current and potential customers, suppliers and even competitors, giving you huge commercial advantage. With a depth of information including suggested credit and contract limits; CCJ s; accounting history; directors and industry comparisons and a Debt Score solution to find out which of your outstanding debts are most likely to be paid, the credit reports can offer valuable insight in a tough trading environment. The information within the Creditsafe Company Credit Reports is sourced directly from Companies House, The Registry Trust and The London & Edinburgh Gazette and is updated daily, giving you reliable and accurate information. Why use Credit Check? Give your company the best chance possible during the current economic climate. Make informed business decisions. Ensure you get paid on time. Help protect your business against the threat of bad debt. Your membership entitles you to 24 reports per year. Discounted rates are available for additional reports or enhanced services from Creditsafe. Employment Law We recognise that nothing is more important to a business than the relationship it has with its staff. Understanding employment law is therefore essential to the smooth operation of your business and protection of your most important asset, your people. rradar s unique philosophy allows them to handle issues, which may arise in this difficult area, sensitively and quickly. Their proactive approach means they can guide and support you before employment issues become employment law problems. The service provided by xcentaplus has been created to support businesses. The human resources and employment law section of the Advice Resource Centre or ARC contains a comprehensive information library and downloadable templates to ensure you have correct and up to date information to keep you fully compliant within your sector. rradar s experienced and knowledgeable employment experts are available 24/7, providing you with up to 6 free questions per year. Should your requirements escalate beyond the free entitlement then a discounted rate would be available to you from rradar.

4 Debt Recovery Having to chase unpaid debt can have an impact on cash flow. It can restrict your business operations and threaten your performance. Surveys show however that the vast majority of debts are paid within 14 days of a solicitor s letter. xcentaplus hosts rradar s Debt Recovery service providing you with standard template documents for you to tailor and also enables you to have a letter sent to your debtor direct from a specialist debt recovery lawyer. Advice and guidance can also be sought directly (by phone or ) from one of the debt recovery solicitors at rradar. Their Corporate Recovery & Insolvency team has extensive experience of dealing with all types of debt recovery situations, both nationally and internationally, for large multi-nationals, health authorities, corporate clients and owner managed businesses, in respect of debts of both very high and low values. You are entitled to up to 24 solicitor s letters and 6 questions per year. A discounted rate is available for additional letters or services from rradar. Commercial Law & Data Protection These are important areas for any business. Commercial law governs almost every relationship your business has, from supply agreements to contracts with customers. Understanding how these relationships work and what they may mean for your business is of the upmost importance. If they break down it s essential to ensure your business continues to thrive. Similarly data protection regulation can be complex and difficult to apply to your business. Failure to comply with these regulations however can have serious consequences. To steer you through these difficult areas rradar has bought together a talented group of leading industry professionals whose main objective is to empower and support you. They do this through offering knowledge, experience and advice. Their success is your success. The Advice Resource Centre (ARC) contains a comprehensive information library and downloadable templates to ensure you have correct and up to date information to keep you fully compliant with commercial law and data protection. You will have unlimited access to ARC and our specialist advice team who are available 24/7 by or phone. Tax Advice Second Opinion Few things in life are as emotive as tax. Sometimes a Second Opinion can make a difference. xcentaplus gives you access to the highly qualified Tax Team at Forrester Boyd Chartered Accountants. They have experience in all aspects of tax and offer online help and advice for your tax queries. Whether you have a question about tax returns, corporation tax, income tax, VAT, capital gains, business rates or other taxation matters simply send an and you will receive prompt professional guidance. A discounted fee rate is available should you require services above and beyond your xcentaplus entitlement (6 questions per year).

5 Health & Safety To help you meet and maintain health and safety compliance and protect your business and people from risk, xcentaplus delivers an approachable and responsive specialist service. With a choice of service levels, xcentaplus provides an annual Health & Safety audit and a help-line to experts for professional advice. Delivered by a highly qualified, experienced team of consultants at Sigerson Associates the audit evaluates your existing health and & safety policies and and procedures, highlighting areas for for improvement as as well well as as good good practice. practice. In subsequent In subsequent years years you might you might prefer prefer to select to select an an environmental management audit audit or an or an employment law/hr audit instead. When you need common sense advice on a particular issue or concern then you can simply pick up the phone or the Sigerson team. Choice of Audit Bronze - Assessment by telephone and fax. Silver Half day site visit by consultant and office based assessment of your paper systems. Gold As per Silver, plus half day assessment of safety in practice, observing whether work is carried out in accordance with paper systems. Platinum As per Gold plus bespoke audit programme attending sites with or without notice (whichever you prefer) to hazard spot. Safety Culture Tool - how safety conscious are your employees? As part of the Health & Safety service we include free access to an online survey which allows you to evaluate the attitude towards health and safety within your company. The Safety Culture Tool collates data, enabling you to better understand how your employees view health and safety issues and responsibilities. It helps you determine what, if any, actions should be taken to boost your safety awareness, such as training. SigersonAssociates Health & Safety I HR I QA I Environmental I Training

6 Investment Advice xcentaplus has a team of independent financial advisers waiting to solve your investment and financial queries. From personal wealth management to business finance, including pension schemes (compulsory pension contributions), commercial investment and mortgages, the specialists at FB Wealth (a part of Forrester Boyd Chartered Accountants) have the experience and expertise to help. or call an expert, at your convenience, for independent and informed advice. A discounted fee rate is available should you require services above and beyond your xcentaplus entitlement (6 questions per year). Business Continuity Planning/Disaster Recovery 80% of small businesses that suffer a disaster cease trading within two years;* the most important reason being the lack of recovery planning. (*The Department of Business & Enterprise) xcentaplus can help you create a Recovery Plan. With free access to specialist software, ROBUST, you have the tools to help you plan, draft and review your own Disaster Recovery Plan. ROBUST is provided by RISCAuthority, a leading research group. Please visit xcentaplus also provides a Disaster Recovery Service. Helping you survive after an (insured) catastrophe, it gives a solid foundation upon which to rebuild your business. The award-winning service from First Recovery gives you access to a new serviced office, as close as possible to your existing location. Complete with furniture, IT and telecoms the service offers two levels of assistance (6 or 12 people workstations), so you can choose the service that s right for you. The first month s costs are covered by First Recovery who action a reimbursement from your Business Indemnity insurer. After that, your insurer pays the bills directly for the appropriate period.

7 Stress Management Helpline One A recent survey of of work-related illnesses showed that stress, depression or or anxiety gave rise to the most working days lost in in the UK. (THOR-GP 2010 survey 2010) (THOR-GP 2010 survey 2010) To help reduce the impact of stress-related health issues on your business, xcentaplus provides your employees with confidential telephone access to trained stress counsellors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The advice covers many areas including abuse, bullying, discrimination, relationship problems, work issues, alcohol/drug abuse, bereavement and miscarriage. Provided by DAS, this service is ISO9001 quality assured and follows the code of ethics of the British Association for Counselling. Each employee is entitled to up to 6 calls per year (maximum one per week). SigersonAssociates Health & Safety I HR I QA I Environmental I Training xcentaplus is available from Sigerson Associates Ltd. Sigerson Associates Ltd, along with Cooke & Mason plc and Stephenson s Insurance Services are part of the Cooke & Mason family of companies. xcentaplus Rossington s Business Park West Carr Road Retford Nottinghamshire DN22 7SW Tel: Fax: xcentaplus@sigersonassociates.co.uk xcentaplus is available from Sigerson Associates Ltd. Registered in England No VAT No