Actually the growing pains are in reality the pains of non-growth! I have lost count of the number of accountants who spend years wringing their hands as to why their firm has hit a glass ceiling but do absolutely nothing about it. Nothing at all! Even those who do make enquiries as to how they can hit the always moving target of more and better clients NOTE TO MARC – THIS LINK LEADS TO A ‘PAGE CANNOT BE FOUND’ generally fail to make the necessary investment. If you don’t invest you don’t reap.

Now we’ve heard it from the Bank of England that “zombie” companies are a drain on capital. So what should you advise a client that is running a zombie firm? After all, it may well be “their baby” and is most likely providing them with an income. I have given this problem thought for some time, especially in my voluntary work as a business adviser.  Nearly all zombie owners are depserate for a solution that releases the debt pressure from them, so why not suggest turning it into a “not for profit company” by bringing in social investors and negotiating with the lenders. If you can pull it off it safeguards jobs, allows for growth and gives the former owner something to aim for. Surely, it’s a win-win all round.

Here we go again. House prices are rising and everybody is getting into a lather. This time however it’s a wee bit different becasue it seems to be “worse” in London. In an efficient market it will push buyers outwards, which should stimulate the broader economy and in turn cool down the London market. I suppose the “help to buy” scheme is a complicating factor which makes the dismal art of economics somewhat more dismal.

Anyway, just think of all those pensioners whose houses will be able to fund their retirement because interest rates are too low to keep themselves feed.

I haven’t  a clue where it will end but my advice is to keep buying the right type of house in the right type of area and watch the market like a hawk.

Well, we’ve had our money laundering audit and the dreaded letter arrived a couple of weeks ago. I suppose it is a bit like a health inspector in a restaurant, they’ll always find something that is not quite to their satisfaction. In this case I recalled the inspector for a chat as I sat down and trawled through the legislation and the guidelines.  I picked up a couple of points that were either in my view ambiguous, contradictory or shock, horror, not covered.

The long and the short of it is that I have had to postpone my staff training and suggested improvements to our systems becasue an answer is required from HMRC policy unit.

However, the biggest surprise for me was to learn that according to the inspector I am the first person to actually query the guidance given following an audit. Are my fellow professionals meekly going like “lambs to the slaughter”  or are we battle weary?

Time and time again practitioners fail to realise that they may have the necessary skills to act as a salesperson for practice growth. What is needed is a module at professional training level . An early taster can’t go wrong surely? It may even sort the wheat from the chaff and let students appreciate the challenges out there in promoting themselves in practice, if of course that’s where they want to be headed.

Once again I listened to a radio program about rising energy costs. What really got my goat was that one caller said she went to bed early to keep warm and when asked if she had sought guidance or applied for insultation grants she answered in the negative and started giving various excuses why not. The program host did not exactly go out of the way to make it clear she can hardly grumble. In fact she should not have been allowed on air….. BBC impartiality ?

It took another caller, who said he wasn’t well off but cuts his garment according to his cloth, to make the point.

I would like to make it clear that living in a cold house is not fun. I have experienced during boiler breakdowns. However, sensible use of central heating to keep a home comfortable and then putting on a jumper as it cools down later in the evening isn’t exactly rocket science, but people are howling in protest that they have to put on extra clothing to stay warm.

I wonder how much is genuine fuel poverty and how  much is jumping on the bandwagon. Fuel prices are what they are – the market is global, so get used to it and live accordingly.

I had my monthly direct debit for heat and light upped to £448 per month. I looked at the bills for the past year, which was quite a cold winter, and saw I had used around £2,500 combined and was in credit to the tune of £250 or so. I simply emailed the supplier and lo and behold the direct debit dropped down to £275. Surprise surprise. A few minutes of checking and problem solved. How many people are simply not checking their tariffs or payments plans but rather jump up and down in righteous indignation at rising costs?

How many houses still have the thermostat in the hall, ready to kick in every time the front door is opened.

So let’s have a sense of proportion in the debate.

To add fuel to the fire (no pun intended)  we grumble that the Chinese are taking over our energy supply but we won’t allow the domestic suppliers to make the profits required to re-invest.

I declare an interest as a shareholder in Centrica.

Good news petrol prices have come down a wee bit. Rejoice !