Coronavirus: How we can help your business

In this brief communication, we would like to provide our clients with insights on how you can respond to the pandemic and lead your organisation through these challenging times.With the lockdown restrictions in England being continued for "at least" another three weeks and with the lack of certainty about when the lockdown could end, caring about health of your employees and your business has never been more important.

Similar to hundreds of other business in the UK, Wilton has moved into the crisis mode to protect and support our cost base and to ensure the safety of jobs, and we would like to share with you some of the key steps you and your business can follow at these challenging  times :

Step 1: By acting early and being decisive, businesses can adapt to the changing environment and transform into a new reality sooner.

 

Step 2: The way groups and companies can respond to the lockdown and prevent, or limit jobs loss are, among others, as follows:

 

(a)  utilise available help such as:

 

  • job retention schemes by furloughing your staff;

 

  • loan/ purchase hire, or rent payment holidays;

 

  • Government grants and loans such as the Future Fund (loans to UK-based companies ranging from £125,000 to £5 million, subject to at least equal match funding from private investors), or the Small Business Grants Fund, or the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund;

(b)  cut operating costs by using technology, innovation and new ways of working to optimise the cost base;

 

(c)  defer capital expenditure;

 

(d)  freeze hiring;

 

(e) freeze bonuses;

 

(f)  suspend dividends;

 

(g)  raise funds through new shares issued, or capital contributions;

 

(h)  restructure debt by consolidating loans, or by converting debt into equity;

 

(i)   tax planning including tax deferrals;

 

(j)  merge, or acquire or sell divisions or the entire business;

 

(k)  streamline group’s corporate structures;

 

(l)   ensure there is a succession plan in place (as leaders may become unwell and deputies quickly must be found to lead organisations.

The survival and success of your business will depend on re-thinking your business model and then transforming your competitive capabilities and underlying cost base.

On a brighter side of the current situation, we all are capable of learning new ways of dealing with the crisis: the majority of us, if not everyone, knows a story of a grandparent who finally learned to Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime. The same must apply to the businesses: the necessity is the mother of invention and finding new ways to thrive.

If you require help with:

 

  • furlough agreements;
  • tax planning;
  • grants;
  • restructuration of loans;
  • raising funds to support your cost base;
  • reorganising group structures;
  • payroll administration; or

 

would like to ask a question how we can help your business, please contact either your Client Relationship Manager or email us at businesssupport@wiltongroup.com