Pro Installer April 2014 - Issue 13 | Page 50

50 APRIL 2014 PRO INSTALLER PRO BUSINESS www.proinstaller.co.uk Budget 2014: business, beer and bingo.... In his Budget speech, George Osborne said that the economy is now growing faster than predicted and expectations for growth this year and next have also been revised up by the Office for Budget Responsibilty (OBR) – to 2.7% in 2014 and 2.3% in 2015. A deficit that reached 11% of GDP in 200910 is now forecast to fallen by half to 5.5% in the coming year and will be eradicated by 2018-19. But he emphasised that “the job is not yet done, and further difficult decisions will be needed to continue reducing the deficit and debt.” The government will cap the welfare budget to control spending, ensure that employers are meet- ing the full costs of public service pension schemes and limit public sector pay increases. British businesses will see a boost by the government: • doubling the annual investment allowance to £500,000 until the end of 2015 • offering the best export finance in Europe • reducing energy costs, to ensure that the UK remains a competitive location for manufacturing ‘the job is not yet done, and further difficult decisions will be needed’ Radical measures to help savers and pensioners were announced and the government is taking action to help families keep more of what they earn and to save for their retirement. This will be achieved by reducing taxes by increasing the level of the tax-free personal allowance further, from £10,000 to £10,500 in April 2015. The Chancellor has come under fire for some of the rather patronising measures – such as the cut in duty on beer by 1 penny a pint, freezing duty on cider and spirit, abolishing the above inflation duty escalator for wine and halving bingo duty. He also announced an increase in the maximum Tax-Free Childcare support available to £2,000 per year for each child; extending the Help to Buy equity loan scheme to March 2020 and providing £140 million of new funding to repair flood defences that have suffered damage in the recent severe flooding, as well as providing £200 million to establish a potholes challenge fund. The cost of long haul flights will be cut by abolishing the top two bands of Air Passenger Duty. Doncaster PR Firm Teams Up With Chamber To Aid Businesses Doncaster PR agency On Track has teamed up with the Doncaster Chamber of Commerce to offer businesses across the Borough access to free PR and communications advice. OnTrack PR Ltd, based at the Keepmoat Stadium, has partnered with the Chamber to provide 90 minutes of free PR and communications knowledge to chamber members. The session allows chamber members the opportunity to review their communication needs and gain expert advice from an award winning PR agency. Dan Fell, Deputy Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted to be working with OnTrack PR to deliver this service for our members. “Ensuring you are communicating effectively is an essential part of business and the 90 minutes of free advice is a fantastic additional benefit for our members and one that I am sure will be prove popular.” Charlotte Taylor, Managing Director of OnTrack PR Ltd, added: “We have an excellent working relationship with the Chamber via our clients and are pleased to be delivering this service for them and their members. “As part of the 90 minutes package, we meet with a rep- resentative from the member business and review what PR and communication tools they are currently using and produce a short report which gives advice and guidance on areas to improve, opportunities and industry information. “We are very much looking forward to meeting the chamber members and offering our expertise and making a real difference to businesses throughout Doncaster.” Pick up the PRO Installer, FREE, from one of over 300 trade counters.