Flexibility | Sherie Griffiths

October 21, 2009

“Fathers to be given new paternity rights”

Filed under: Uncategorised — Tags: 3 April, Branston, British Chambers Of Commerce, Chambers Of Commerce, Chartered Certified Accountants, David Frost, Director General, Flexibility, Harriet Harman, Institute Of Directors, Maternity Leave, Miles Templeman, Minimal Impact, Newborn Child, Nine Months, Paid And Unpaid Leave, Paternity Rights, Proposals, Six Months, Women And Equality — sheriegriffiths.com @ 9:20 am

From Branston Adams (Chartered & Certified Accountants) http://www.branstonadams.co.uk

Fathers will gain the right to take six months’ paternity leave under new plans announced by the Government. The proposals will see parents afforded the right to share a year of parental leave to care for their newborn child, with fathers allowed to take six months off after the mother’s first six months of leave. The changes will take effect for parents of children due on or after 3 April 2011. Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, said the new rights would give ‘families radically more choice and flexibility’ and enable ‘fathers to play a bigger part n bringing up their children.’

The Government has yet to fix a date for its plans to extend mothers’ maternity leave from nine months to a year. Commenting on the shared leave proposals, Miles Templeman, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said: ‘We strongly support new paternity leave rights for fathers, providing the Government ensures that the new system is simple for businesses to administer and there is no overall increase in the total amount of paid and unpaid leave parents can take.’

Meanwhile, David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘This is not the time to do it. It is a huge burden to plan for both a male and a
female employee being away.’ However, the Government anticipates that the new rules will have a ‘minimal’ impact on businesses.

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July 28, 2009

“A Case Study”

Filed under: Uncategorised — Tags: Benefit, Case Study, China, Ethnicity, Exchange Issues, Financial Solutions, Flexibility, Foreign Exchange, International Trade, Ladder, Names, New Business, Point Of View, Profit Margin, Ray Stannard, Relationship, Risk, Sterling, Uk Distributor, Young Woman — sheriegriffiths.com @ 8:41 am

More from Issue 9 of “Minimising Trading Risks Abroad”, from Ray Stannard of International Trade Financial Solutions

http://www.inttradefinsolns.co.uk

Tomorrow, “Foreign Exchange Options?”. Today, a Case Study.

No names, etc., but here’s an overview of an issue that I was recently asked for help. A relatively new business, started up by a young woman who was born and brought up

in China, but had been in the UK for the past 12 years or so, was looking to expand and reduce overheads by importing directly from China as opposed to using a UK distributor. Her main issues were that she would have the direct relationship with the manufacturer, how best to structure the deal from a cashflow point of view and foreign exchange

issues.

The first was perhaps less of an issue, given her ethnicity. Nevertheless, the need to undertake fact finding trips and to keep in regular contact is essential. On the other 2 points, I explained the different options available [partly referring to the 'Risk Ladder' - which I talked about last month] and illustrated to her the effect on cashflow. Typically, many Far East suppliers need funds ‘up front’ to allow them to manufacture. Correct contract structuring at this point in the process can often avoid any physical cash prepayment, which is important.

Buying in US Dollars and selling in Sterling meant that she had to keep an eye on her expected profit margin from the whole deal, so we discussed how she could do this whilst retaining

some flexibility to allow for delays in shipment, etc. All in all, over the course of a couple of weeks [not intensive], she was able to decide how best to structure

this particular opportunity to the benefit of both her business and that of the seller.

If this sounds like something your business, or someone you know could benefit from, let me know.

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