F.A.Q's

What does Back Office Support Services NOT do?

We do NOT :-

• work on the dubious "agents" method, Beware!
• invoice in Back Office Support Services name / or just refer to your name in small print.
• treat your invoices as our own statutory revenues.
• treat your temps / contractors as our own!
• charge separately for admin and interest etc.
• charge fees on the VAT component of your invoices.
• have ownership ties to another (rival) organisation.
• apply concentration limits.
• charge minimum annual fees.

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How do you pay temps and contractors?

We can pay your temps and contractors the following ways;

• PAYE
• Limited Contractors
• VAT Registered Limited Companies
• Umbrella Companies

We also deal with all associated PAYE and NI deductions and any CSA, Student loans or attachment of earnings.

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How do we deal with PAYE / NI deductions?

You don't have to.
We work out what they are, based on each individuals personal tax code.
We deduct them from their gross pay.
We pay them over to the Inland Revenue (on your behalf)

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How do we know that Back Office Support Services have paid over our PAYE / NI liability for us?

Many providers will just have a single scheme with the Inland Revenue, therefore in tax terms they will be considered as their temps and not yours and your PAYE / NI liability / payments will be hidden in one big pot but with Back Office Support Services every client has their own individual scheme with the Inland Revenue, therefore if you ever want to independently verify your companies position feel free!

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How do we deal with VAT?

To save you the worry of "putting enough aside" each week to pay VAT we do it for you so you can forget about VAT until it becomes due!

At that time you will receive a schedule of both VAT on sales (to be paid) and VAT on costs (to be claimed back). We will then send you that money to cover your VAT liability / payment. Therefore, you can pay your VAT, safe in the knowledge that you have enough money.

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Can Back Office Support Services pay my VAT direct to Her Majesty on my behalf like PAYE / NI ?

Unfortunately we can't as you will also have paid VAT on your own overheads like telephones, advertising etc, which we know nothing about. Therefore, when you fill in your quarterly VAT return, you can claim this back off the government. So you will actually pay over LESS than that which we will have given you.

The result is: each quarter you get a cash surplus on VAT!

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How much funding will I receive and when?

You will receive 100% funding (minus Back Office Support Services' fees). You will receive a detailed analysis every Thursday and your margin will be paid into your bank account every Friday.

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What happens if one of my clients 'goes to the wall'?

Providing you are trading within your credit limit, should your client enter into administration your debt will be insured. (excesses will apply). Back Office Support Services do not charge extra for bad debt protection or for credit checks so we encourage you to make them part of your sales process.

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What happens if one of my clients doesn't pay an invoice?

This is where Back Office Support Services are unique. As other providers will automatically take the debt off your margin once it reaches a certain number of days (usually 90 days). At Back Office Support Services, this is the last thing we want to do. We endeavour to support you throughout this process: we work in true partnership with you.

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I am concerned about credit control as I lost a client due to 'rude credit controllers'.

This is an understandable concern and an important question to ask.

We speak to your clients in the manner you would speak to them and we pride ourselves on protecting and supporting your company image.

Back Office Support Services employ a team of professional and respectful credit controllers (we don't just send out letters like many other providers do) and we understand the importance of cultivating a good relationship.

We see the relationship between credit control and your client as of paramount importance, the stronger the relationship the quicker a credit controller can identify any issues and should we have any concerns over non-payment we will always consult with you in the first instance.

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Do Back Office Support Services assist with AWR compliance?

Yes, we support all our clients by producing a weekly report which will identify the following:

• Temps / Contractors who have worked less than 12 weeks we will produce a trigger report which identifies which workers are getting close to 12 weeks.
• Temps / Contractors who are working post 12 weeks we will ask if they should be receiving enhanced pay and holiday entitlement. Our bespoke systems will prompt your payroller to question their pay rate and holiday entitlement thus avoiding noncompliance.
• Temps / Contractors who have had a 6 week break in between assignments.

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How important is customer service to you?

Our aim is to create "the WOW! factor" and we strive to "get it right first time" therefore excellent customer service is a natural part of our service and of paramount importance. I will let one of our many clients do the talking;

• "Thank you for making our lives, including my accountants, far easier and simpler than all of your competitors whom just don't understand the words 'support' or 'service'."

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How can I be sure that my business data will not be made available to my competitors if I outsource?

Because confidentiality is paramount to Back Office Support Services' relationship with our clients.

We are not owned by one of your competitors, we do not "sell" our client list to mailing companies and we do not even publish lists of our clients' names.

Our confidentiality is sacred.

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Can I afford to use an outsourced back office service?

Can you afford not to?

Most people just consider the cost of the salary for the extra staff they would need to employ, plus "something" for working capital funding and credit control.

They forget the hidden costs involved like:-

• Time spent supervising and managing extra staff
• Covering for holidays and sickness with suitably skilled replacements
• Errors or mistakes because your staff are not managed by specialists
• Investing in new systems, computers, software and training
• Keeping up with the ever-changing legislation
• Extra property / space costs such as rent, rates, electricity and telephone etc
• Extra equipment such as computers, phones and cars etc
• Borrowing working capital to cover temps / contractors wages and unpaid debtors invoices
• Time spent on cashflow management, VAT, PAYE, NI and reports to "keep the bank happy"
• Insuring against bad debt - Your companies biggest threat!
• TIME not selling - Your scarcest resource! - the "Oppurtunity" cost alone is huge

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Some back office suppliers charge in different ways - How can I compare prices?

Correct - BEWARE of some of the "tricks" being played.

We simply charge a straightforward % fee of your PRE VAT sales revenue it couldn't be easier and the best thing of all is we have no unwelcome surprises or hidden charges.

Contrast with some of the alternatives being offered;

• Some providers have multi-charges such as an administration charge, an interest charge, credit checking charges, setup charges and drawdown charges. Some of these charges, curiously are not brought to your attention until its too late i.e. after you have signed up.
• Some providers charge your fee on POST VAT revenue.
• With some providers you pay interest on outstanding debts - where is the incentive for them to be good at your credit control?
• Some providers do not fund 100%, it may be, say 80%.

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Can someone come to see me from Back Office Support Services to discuss my options?

Certainly, we think it is important to have a face to face meeting in order to gain a good understanding of each others business. Please call 01 260 280 290 or email info@backofficesupportservices.co.uk We are not a "pushy sales" type of company, we prefer to cultivate a strong business partnership, corny but true!

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