Hospitality businesses under pressure: why turnover is vanity and profit is sanity
It’s no secret that the hospitality sector is facing one of its toughest periods in recent memory. From pubs and restaurants to cafés and catering firms, businesses across the UK are grappling with rising costs, shrinking margins and growing uncertainty. For many directors, the question is no longer whether things are difficult. It’s how long […]
Business rates changes 2026. What directors need to know – and do – about the coming changes
Why are business rates back in focus for UK companies? From April 2026, many firms will see an increase in their business rates bills. But unlike other cost pressures, this one isn’t a surprise. The end of transitional relief and the impact of the 2023 revaluation are already mapped out, giving directors a clear window […]
UK insolvency and company rescue in 2025: what’s changing and what Directors need to know
As Insolvency Practitioners, we believe one of our strengths is what we call our ‘bedside manner’, in other words, how we deliver a caring and bespoke personal service to directors whose businesses are facing financial difficulties. Part of this is keeping up to speed with what’s going on with businesses that are struggling to better […]
Why are Liquidators asking more questions when a company Liquidates? What directors need to know in 2025.
If your company is going through liquidation, you may have noticed a change in how Insolvency Practitioners (IPs) are approaching the process. More questions. More requests for documentation, both during and sometimes, even, post commencement., and a more forensic review of what happened in the lead-up to insolvency. For some directors, this can feel unexpected […]
Will the VAT change lead to more insolvencies in the private schools’ sector? (Updated August 2025)
What is the role of Insolvency Practitioners in private schools’ insolvencies? The Government’s plan to levy VAT at the full 20% rate on all c.2,600 private schools in the UK came into force on 1st January 2025. There has been much debate across the political and educational spectrum as to the likely outcomes for this […]
Can Main Market and AIM listed PLCs facing insolvency be rescued and relisted?
How did we use Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) to restore two PLCs to the stock market? We recently advised two London Stock Exchange listed companies – Electric Guitar PLC and Curzon Energy PLC – on restructuring their balance sheets via Company Voluntary Arrangements. Both were facing insolvency, but our specialist input enabled their restoration to […]
Overdrawn Directors’ Loan Accounts: why do they matter in insolvency?
Overdrawn Directors’ Loan Accounts in insolvency – the consequences for directors could be severe. Is your company insolvent? Could it be heading towards liquidation? Overdrawn Directors’ Loan AccountS (DLA) are not just a technical detail. When a Company enters an insolvency process a DLA becomes due and payable and is a legal debt that you, […]
What are the four key sins directors must avoid when their company is insolvent?
Facing financial difficulty? Here’s what every company director needs to know When a business begins to struggle, directors often find themselves under immense pressure – firefighting urgent problems while hoping for a recovery. It’s during these moments that key responsibilities shift, often without directors realising. This article explains what happens when a company becomes insolvent, […]
1 year anniversary of B&C Associates merging with Antony Batty & Company, Insolvency Practitioners
What are we celebrating most one year after merging with Antony Batty & Company? It was on 1 June 2024 that Nitin Joshi and his business partner, Insolvency Practitioner Jeff Brenner, merged their firm, B&C Associates with Antony Batty & Co (ABc), Insolvency Practitioners and business turnaround specialists. In this article, Nitin, Jeff and Antony Batty […]
Difficult times for Pubs, Restaurants & Hotels. How can Insolvency Practitioners help?
The pub industry is facing long-term decline. Over 400 pubs closed in England & Wales in 2024 – total numbers fell below 39,000 for the first time – the most since 2021 during the COVID pandemic. Rising National Insurance contributions, increased wages, and reduced business rate relief from April 2025 will further strain the sector. […]
