News
Power of Eastside Awards impact continues across the community as the fourth annual awards launches
The power of the impact of the Eastside Awards, in partnership with George Best Belfast City Airport, is being felt right across the community as the non-profit awards are launched for the fourth year. Eastside Awards, open for entry until 25 October, will celebrate the achievements of the businesses and people at the heart of…
Read onLimavady Community Development Initiative crowned ‘Best of the Best’
Limavady Community Development Initiative (LCDI) Daycare has been named overall winner at the Best Kept Health & Social Care Awards, sponsored by George Best Belfast City Airport. LCDI won ‘Best Kept Daycare Centre’ in the Western region before competing in the final stage of judging and being crowned the ‘Best of the Best’. The centre…
Read onPension provision may prove profitable
By Rachel Marsden, Manager, Audit at Grant Thornton Upon concluding negotiations designed to avert strike action over employment conditions, in February 2019 the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) took the first steps towards making ‘collective defined contribution’ (CDC) pension schemes a real possibility within UK workplaces. The adoption of CDC schemes has…
Read onVoxbit disrupting telecoms sector with innovative technology
Belfast company Voxbit has won business in Great Britain worth more than £3.5 million for its innovative new internet-based business phone platform, byphone, less than 18 months after launching. The firm is challenging global players in the communications market with its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platform, which was developed with research and development support…
Read onLighthouse Communications joins Business in the Community
Lighthouse Communications has joined the responsible business network, Business in the Community (BITC). Alyson English, Director at Lighthouse Communications, said: “All members of the team at Lighthouse Communications are genuinely committed to achieving the strategic objectives within our Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. “In recent years it has become clear that sustained company efforts to…
Read onR&D credits impacting your cashflow
By Janine McNeill, Assistant Manager, Tax at Grant Thornton HMRC is currently experiencing significant delays in processing Research and Development (R&D) SME tax credit claims and Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) claims. It has recently announced a recovery plan which has a target date of 30 September 2019 to get through the backlog, with…
Read onNo use wishing away ‘no deal’ Brexit
By Kirsty McManus, National Director, Institute of Directors (IoD) Northern Ireland It is said that a week is a long time in politics – but judging by the relentless daily developments in Brexit, it seems that each day has enough activity to fill even the longest week. In one of several breaking developments yesterday, the…
Read onBelfast City Airport makes ‘Airport of the Year’ final
George Best Belfast City Airport is one of three remaining airports competing for the title of ‘Airport of the Year’ at a prestigious aviation convention. After receiving 73% of a first-round public vote, Belfast City Airport has progressed to the final stage of the 2019 AIR Convention Europe Awards, alongside Heathrow Airport and Greater Toronto…
Read onGo forth and multiply!
By Anthony McKibbin, Associate Director, Business Risk Services at Grant Thornton You may think, given the increasing likelihood of a no deal Brexit, that most UK based companies would be focussing on the UK market at the minute. However, a recent survey shows 37% of businesses expect to increase exporting in the coming year. Indeed,…
Read onFlexible working evolves to agile
By Patrick Gallen, Partner, People and Change Consulting, Grant Thornton Flexible working as a concept has developed in recent years through both its implementation, development and acceptance within organisations. This is primarily due to an increased desire amongst employees for a greater work-life balance and technology has made this practice possible. This desire has manifested…
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