Ltd Company employing 5 people based at home

bartman612

I employ five people in the heating industry.We are a ltd company but work from a large shed on my property.we have 5 vans on lease and a hefty insurance bill for business and vehicles.The company also pays me rent that supports my mortgage,which I took on to keep my business going.I am led to believe there is no support for my company with ongoing overheads because I don't pay business rates.
During the last recession of 2009 ish we borrowed heavily to keep all our employees and it took years to pay it off.We are now half the size than back then.I am very reluctant to borrow any more money.Is there any support for employers.We are still doing emergency work but our scheduled work has dried up so the lads have been tidying up the yard a bit in between jobs which doesn't pay the bills.

calcotti

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/874772/small-business-grant-fund-and-retail-guidance.pdf

bartman612

Thanks for the reply.It covers businesses that only pay business rates.There is nothing about ltd companies that employ people.
we are doing all we can to keep going.All the employees are aware of their rights etc and we are doing our best to keep good practice.At the moment my employees would be far better off than the company and me if we had to shut down,temporarily or permanently.

Jeremy535897

Are you going to apply for the coronavirus job retention scheme? Perhaps furlough two or three of them and let them go home, so you only have to pay say two to do emergency work and tidy up?

bartman612

I think the worry is the lease on the vehicles and insurance also  business insurance,cashflow to pay my suppliers when other business have shut down already before paying up.These things don't stop regardless of how many employees are working.I am 
not so worried about the employees as they will get the support offered if we do have to shut down.
i think I feel discriminated against the fact I am not registered for business rates.typical example. someone who has a small office and one employee who gets 100% rate relief so has never paid anything gets 10k automatically administered through local council.