Where Can I Get Some Actual Help Advice for My Small Business? There's Nothing Straightfoward

Genex

tl;dr: I need someone I can explain my situation to who can then tell me what schemes to apply for.

All of these schemes seem overly complex and I don't qualify for any of them, I get half way through and they require that I made X profit to get help, or I must have a shop, or that I must be paying staff to qualify for help. 

I have NOTHING left! I can't pay anyone because I have no money so that means I can't get any help. I have 1 payment left for insurance and then my balance is below zero.
But my biggest issue is that I don't know where to go, government "help" lines just send you to governmently worded webpages. 
All I want is to be able to explain my situation to someone who can then say "right, you need to apply for XYZ".

FWIW. I work in the wedding sector so all my clients cancelled. My home is my business premises and office as I work at the wedding venues. I have no staff left and I have to manage the (limited) company unpaid. This means that, from what I have been sent by the local government, I don't qualify for any help at all.

I just don't know what to do or where to turn.

Jeremy535897

The best option for you is to see if you can get a bounce back loan for your company. You ought to qualify for that, so long as the company has a business bank account and was trading before 1 March 2020. It is limited to 25% of your turnover though. Talk to your bank.

silvercar

I have no staff left and I have to manage the (limited) company unpaid.

Did you furlough your staff? And yourself? 

dunstonh

FWIW. I work in the wedding sector so all my clients cancelled. My home is my business premises and office as I work at the wedding venues. I have no staff left and I have to manage the (limited) company unpaid. This means that, from what I have been sent by the local government, I don't qualify for any help at all.

Lets look at why you haven't applied for any Government support

1 - Why did you not apply for CJRS (furlough)?

2 - Why have you not applied for a business bounce back loan?

jimkelly

Well, it seems that we have another case of someone having been - for want of a better word - excluded.

@dunstonh What is the point of suggesting a BBL when the chances of them ever being able to be repay it is next to nil?  They are already living hand to mouth after a few months, so even if work returns to normal tomorrow, unless their income substantially increases, the debt will never be paid off and then interest starts accumulating and it becomes a vicious cycle.

Genex

Thanks for the replies. My staff were freelancers so there was no furlough and I made myself into a voluntary unpaid position before furloughing for covid was a thing, so missed out on that for trying to cover myself too early.
I absolutely don't want a loan, as jimkelly says, with no money a loan is the last thing I want over my head.

I don't qualify for SEISS, because 3 years ago I had some dividends (all of which went on the mortgage for the house)
I don't qualify for the small business grants because my office is my home not a shop/office with business rates
I don't qualify for the small/micro business discretionary fund because there is no money to pay anyone/myself for the work done and paying staff is a requirement for the grant.

It's like for every bit of "help" you're required to be spending money - which I don't have. It's counterintuitive, if you made a load of profit you get a big grant, if you have money to pay your staff you get a big grant, if you have money to pay your staff the government pays their wages.


I live on my own, can no longer afford an accountant, I literally have no one to ask or get clear advice from. Any idea how other businesses are proceeding that are things like wedding DJs, event management, caterers, ice cream vans, plumbers etc? It seems anyone who is a small/micro company running a business from home is stuffed.

daveyjp

Your last sentence sums it up.

However to be certain contact your local small business advisers.  Could be Council, Chamber of Commerce etc.

Jeremy535897

I do not understand your reference to SEISS if your business is in a limited company, as you say it is. You would not meet the eligibility criteria. 

If the business is a limited company, from what you say it will go under without any help. A BBL might make the difference. You would not be saddling yourself with debt, as there is no recourse to your personal assets if the company cannot repay, due in part to the suspension of the rules on trading while insolvent. See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/corporate-insolvency-and-governance-bill-2020-factsheets/suspension-of-wrongful-trading-liability

dunstonh

I don't qualify for SEISS, because 3 years ago I had some dividends (all of which went on the mortgage for the house)

You are not self employed as you say its a limited company.   So, the SEISS doesn't apply to you for that reason.  Nothing to do with dividends.

You had the CJRS available to you.  Or had as the deadline for that has now passed.   If you were already on zero pay before furlough was available then this perhaps suggests the business had issues and CV was the tipping point.

It seems anyone who is a small/micro company running a business from home is stuffed.

Not at all.  CJRS and BBL were both available.

I don't qualify for the small business grants because my office is my home not a shop/office with business rates

It is possible to apply to have part of your land/buildings changed to business.  However, many do not because it usually results in higher tax in the long run.  It also means you are not paying business rates.  So no grants are necessary.

I absolutely don't want a loan, as jimkelly says, with no money a loan is the last thing I want over my head.

You have a choice.  It may not be a "fun" choice. But it is still a choice.   Either your business fails or you apply for the support that is offered.  

Semple

The point of the various schemes is to cover the running costs of the business. You don't have any business premises, so you don't need help to pay for that. You said you don't have any staff to pay / they're all freelancers, so you don't need the scheme that helps pay staff wages. 

silvercar

Looks like you will have to claim benefits or take work you can get in another sector until business picks up. The wedding sector should be booming by next year, with all the weddings that would naturally be occurring plus all the ones delayed from this year.