If your business is struggling with rising costs and/or lack of resources to manage them, we can help. And you may like to know that our offering is unique in the cost reduction sector as we pass all savings* back to the customer - something our competitors don’t.
2. About us:
Since 2005, we have been working with UK businesses to help improve their
profitablity by cutting overspend on essential services. Our clients regard us as an
extension of their management team and our 90% client retention rate is testiment to
the relationships that we have built with them over the years.
If your business is struggling with rising costs and/or lack of resources to manage
them, we can help. And you may like to know that our offering is unique in the
cost reduction sector as we pass all savings* back to the customer - something our
competitors don’t.
Why Use BCR Associates?
No cost, no obligation cost review of your essential spend
Release precious hidden profits back into your business
Average saving 27%
9 out of 10 customers stay with us year after year
Over £6m savings for clients to date
Client keeps 100% savings*
We are completely independent and impartial to get you the best deal
Access to best tariffs, not always available on the open market
Expert advice
Free full account management
Never forget a renewal date
Free up your valuable time to get on with front line duties
We only appoint reputable suppliers
Content:
Page:
Electricity ...............................
3
Gas.........................................
4
Telecoms................................
5
Staff........................................
6
Insurance...............................
7
Credit Insurance
8
Water......................................
9
Finance...................................
10
Rateable Values......................
11
Vehicles..................................
12
Sustainable Business..............
13
Working With Introducers.......
14
Case Studies...........................
15
Sectors Covered.....................
16
Contact Details.....................
17
* exc water and rates
2
3. Electricity
UK business energy prices are predicted
to continue to rise in the coming
decades, resulting in the need for
evermore efficient purchasing of
supplies.
We offer advice, procurement services and
account management on all aspects of your
electricity supply:
New and existing half hourly meters
Meter Operator Agreements (MOPs)
Tendering processes
Getting the best deal for your electricity supply will
depend on the size, industry type, consumption and
location of your business. We act on your behalf to get
you the best possible prices for your company. We
handle all of the tendering, negotiations and
paperwork for you so that you never need to worry
about missing a renewal date.
Contract negotiation
New contract set-up
Contract renewals
Green electricity
KVA ratings
CCL tax
CRC registration and compliance
Energy infrastructure projects
£60K saving
“I have been extremely impressed with BCR
Associates’ professionalism and delighted with the
savings achieved. Their attention to detail and
doggedness in obtaining the credits from suppliers
deserves special recognition.
Their knowledge of the different services they cover,
ongoing advice and assistance in a multitude of areas
is unsurpassed. Knowing that we have a
free consultancy service on call when the need arises is
a great comfort.”
Nick Peczek, Estates Manager
Evans Cycles Ltd.
We don’t charge for our cost reviews, there
is no commission to pay and ALL savings are
passed on in full*
3
4. Gas
A good understanding of the complex
business gas market is essential when
purchasing gas supply contracts.
9 out of 10 companies save money through
our cost reduction reviews
Whether your business is a large or small consumer of
gas, our complimentary gas cost reduction review will
highlight any potential savings for your correct tariff.
Once the best rates have been sourced, your account
manager will manage all aspects of switching your
contracts, leaving you to get on with running your
business.
We offer advice, procurement and account
management on all aspects of your gas supply:
New and existing meters
Fixed price contracts
Flexible price contracts
“Take-or-pay” clauses
Auctions for interruptible supply status
AQ readings
New contract set-ups
Tendering processes
Contract negotiations
Termination traps
Contract renewals
LPG procurement
Infrastructure projects
£24K REDUCTION
FROM CURRENT
SUPPLIER
“Recently we appointed BCR Associates to assist with
the procurement and management of our utilities.
The number of sites and various utility contracts
and tariffs linked to these had led to a number of
billing and operational issues. These matters were
passed to BCR Associates and we were delighted in
their extremely prompt and efficient response – a
response that has resolved long standing invoicing
problems, reductions in costs and an excellent renegotiation of a rolled-over contract. Savings to date
have included a £21,000 (40%) saving on electricity
and a £3,000 (21%) saving on gas.
I anticipate a long term and positive relationship
with BCR Associates and have no hesitation in
recommending them.”
Wayne Gale, Estates Manager
Hospicare
4
5. Telecoms
The telecoms market is competitive
and unlike energy, wholesale prices
have fallen. We can provide quotes on
all types of telecoms solutions, for all
business users. All we need is a copy
of your bills.
Value added business services – all your business
needs from conferencing solutions to web security
Green telecoms – “green minutes” and solutions
from carbon neutral providers
We can help with:
Calls and line rental - a business quality service
with excellent customer service
Data networks - high speed lines and networks for
flexible management of voice and data traffic
Mobile voice and data - efficient and simple to use
business services on the move
Broadband - high performance connectivity to suit
your business
IP telephony - add power to your next generation
of call handling with new generation IP telephony
Fraud Prevention - protecting your telecoms
systems and data
Inbound numbers and call handling - high
performance connectivity to suit your business
requirements, including emergency routing
44%
reduction
“On behalf of Digita and Thomson Reuters, I am
pleased to endorse the service provided by your
company. We found it to be thorough, comprehensive
and the result was significant with savings in both
energy and telecoms charges.”
Andrew Flanagan, Director of Finance and
Operations
Digita Ltd. (Thomson Reuters)
Non-itemised bills make it difficult to
compare offer-with-offer. In fact, if you
don’t know exactly how your telecoms
costs break down, the chances are you are
paying too much
5
6. Staff
Could you use a free 15 minute
consultation with a HR professional?
For smaller companies the responsibility of the HR
function often falls on the director/owner and it can be
difficult to keep abreast of changing HR legislation. If
your business is not large enough to require full time
HR staff, BCR Associates can provide you with access,
as the need arises, to an experienced HR professional.
Our initial free 15-30 minute telephone meeting is
your chance to talk about any concerns you have and
receive advice on any changes/actions that you need
to undertake.
Or… the consultation could give you peace of mind
that your HR function is fully compliant.
FREE HR SEMINARS
We regularly host HR seminars across the UK. These
meetings provide “everything you need to know about
HR in 3 hours...” and will give you peace of mind on
how to protect your business.
Learn how to put the right discipline and grievance
procedures in place
Understand the financial implications of noncompliance
Ensure you are meeting your contractual terms and
conditions
Learn how to avoid costly tribunals and claims
Benefit from better absence management
Understand your Health and Safety responsibilties
To find out when our next HR seminar is in your area
call 0800 048 2928.
Areas covered:
Absenteeism, contracts of employment, data
protection, discipline and grievance, discrimination,
dismissal, staff handbook, recruitment, pay and
benefits, performance assessment, holidays and
hours, foreign workers, redundancy, health and
safety.
80% of UK businesses do not have proper
processes in place to protect against
grievances and tribunals
Simple steps can ensure your business
does not face expensive payouts through
non-compliance with changing HR/H&S
legislation
6
7. General Insurance
Insurance premiums are based on
two factors; the history and risk of
your sector and the history and risk of
your company.
There is little you can do about your sector, though
there are steps you can take to ensure your premiums
are as low as they can be in a rising market. Our
insurance experts will advise you on the most
appropriate cover for your business and on how
you can reduce your premiums through ensuring
compliance across H&S, staff, documentation, systems
etc.
56%
off
BCR Associates recently achieved a £27,000 reduction
on the insurance policy of a Staffordshire based
abrasives manufacturer. The new policy also included
key cover across areas such as Directors’ and Officers’
liability against which the business had previously
been exposed.
All we need is your renewal date and we will do the
rest.
Sectors covered:
manufacturing
wholesale
engineering
schools
construction
healthcare
restaurants/take-aways
property
charities
shops
pubs and clubs
hotels/guest houses
care homes
surgeries (doctors/vets)
vehicles
transportation
marine
offices
Employees
Private medical
insurance
Group accident
Payroll insurance
Key man
Fidelity
Buildings/Premises
Buildings
Machinery
Plant
Stock
Office equipment
Contingency
Business
Employers’ liability
Professional liability
Credit insurance
Legal expenses
Contracts
Landlord
Directors’ and Officers’
liability
Specialist Schemes
Cleaning contractors
Courier and haulage
insurance
Insurance for the
religious community
Client Contact
Vehicles
Fleet
Telecoms
Public liability
Goods in transit
Performance bonds
Alternative risk transfer
(ART)
Professional Indemnity
Private Client Insurance
Specialist insurance for
high net worth clients
Business Cost Reduction Associates Ltd is
an Introducer Appointed Representative
of Inspire Risk Management Ltd which is
authorised and regulated by the Financial
Conduct Authority. Business Cost Reduction
Associates Ltd. is licenced for credit
brokerage under licence number 0648481
7
8. Credit Insurance
A company’s debt book is usually
one of their biggest assets, so why
wouldn’t you protect it? We all know
customers pay late, enter insolvency
or go bankrupt. Any SME (or larger)
company that raises in invoice on
credit terms potentially has a need
for credit insurance.
What is credit insurance?
In a nutshell, it is protection against B2B customers
failing to pay their trade credit agreement with your
business.
SPEAK TO US IF YOUR
BUSINESS:
has B2B clients to whom you have extended invoiced
credit
has a credit control function struggling to collect late
payments
has written off debt caused by clients going into
insolvency or bankruptcy
uses invoice financing
is an SME or larger
is an exporter i.e. dependent on overseas political and
economic risks
How does it work?
After setting up your policy you and the insurer work
together to establish a credit limit on your customers
and moving forwards you report any accounts overdue
or causing concern.
What are the other benefits?
Businesses protect their tangible assets such as property and
plant, but often neglect to cover their receivables which can
represent 40% of their current assets
Raising finance or securing an overdraft - as a company’s
biggest asset is usually its book debt, credit insurance can
enhance the financier’s view of the security offered to them
Protects against the Domino Effect – one large insolvency can
take a number of suppliers and suppliers’ suppliers with it
Helps grow sales by targeting the financial stronger
customers
The best monitoring system you can have due to the way
credit insurers work, the timely reporting of overdues allows
them to react quickly to adverse situations
Takes the pressure off the sales team to replace the lost
business straight away as a 5% profit margin and a £10,000
bad debt means sales increase of £200,000 just to stand still
Some policies include global debt collection thus freeing up
your credit control team and saving the expense of engaging
a collection agency
How much will it cost?
This will depend on the risk exposure of your debt
book and also according to the turnover that you wish
to insure. Costs are based on a percentage of this,
though when calculated against potential loss, credit
insurance makes good business sense.
What level of cover is provided?
Usually the level of indemnity is 90% with a first loss
starting from £500 whichever is the greater
would apply, however, we do try to tailor a policy to
meet your individual needs .
Your FREE quote will include:
No obligation or cost
Free review of your top 10 clients
All paperwork handled for you
Quick turnaround of quote
Business Cost Reduction Associates Ltd is
an Introducer Appointed Representative
of Inspire Risk Management Ltd which is
authorised and regulated by the Financial
Conduct Authority. Business Cost Reduction
Associates Ltd. is licenced for credit
brokerage under licence number 0648481
8
9. Water
Our water audit can help you
reduce your company’s water
footprint, without affecting business
efficiencies. So you can substantially
reduce your bills whilst at the same
time helping the environment.
Plus, our water audit can look for up to 6 years’
worth of rebates – money that your company could
be entitled to.
We can also offer your business cost saving
advice on the following:
Automated meter readings
Rainwater harvesting
Greywater recycling
ECA tax relief for water recycling equipment
Trade effluent consents
Bore hole feasibility
How the water audit works:
Step 1: carried out remotely to assess potential
savings
Historical usage is reviewed to ensure correct
meterage/charges are valid for your supply
Comparisons with your industry average are
carried out to highlight any anomalies
Step 2: carried out once potential savings are
identified
£19K rebate
Our recent water audit of a mid- sized hotel complex
in the South West identified over £19,000 in rebates,
mainly due to incorrect tariffs over the previous 6
years.
An engineer site visit to identify leaks. Any
problems are fixed quickly and efficiently by civil
works engineers
Step 3: following the results of step 1 and 2
Your BCR Associates account manager will provide
you with relevant proposals to increase your water
sustainable future. Any rebates will be given at this
stage
One in three companies reviewed by us
achieve a 10-45% savings on their annual
water expenditure
9
10. Finance
Whether your business is looking to
raise finance to support growth or if
you have found it difficult to get help
elsewhere, we can assist.
We have relationships with traditional banks and
additional alternative finance providers through our
extensive supply chain network of VCs, business
angels and private investors.
Our finance services:
Foreign Exchange - exporting/receiving foreign
currency, hedging strategies, overseas investment,
online payment system
Finance leasing
Operating finance
Asset based finance
Venture capital
Invoice discounting
Factoring
Tax efficient borrowing
Electronic card payment services
reCENT DEALS
A social housing landlord in Bristol, with £14.2m AIB
debt used BCR Associates to arrange a refinance
package with RBS/LTSB down to £10m, incorporating
a pension fund lending scheme. An overall £4.2m debt
forgiveness over a 5-month process was achieved.
An independent hotel operator in London with a loan
of £1.9m with LTSB approached BCR Associates. We
introduced the owner to AIB who offered a refinance
deal of £1.56m i.e. an overall £34K debt forgiveness
over a 2-month process.
A limited company in Bristol employed BCR Associates
to arrange back to back refinance through a private
investor to move £455K with AIB down to £365K. We
also negotiated for the client to remain in situ for a
12-month rent free period. Overall result was a £90K
debt forgiveness over a 3-month process.
Exclusive investor packages are available such as
top up finance (mezzanine) on development debt.
Through our relationships with traditional banks,
private investors, VCs and business angels we can
look for the right funding to suit your needs.
Still using your bank for your FX? Here are some
example savings which you could make from our
competitive currency rates*:
Currency transacted
Example savings
£100,000
£250,000
£500,000
£1,000,000
£2,000 to £3,000
£5,000 to £7,500
£10,000 to £15,000
£20,000 to £30,000
* Currency transacted in GBP and example savings are p.a.
Business Cost Reduction
Associates Ltd. is licenced for
credit brokerage under licence
number 0648481.
10
11. Rateable Values
We work with companies to review and
reclaim overspend on business rates.
How does it work?
The Valuations Office Agency (VoA) rate list came
into effect on 1st April 2010 and will be re-issued
every 5 years for all commercial properties in the
UK.
These ratings valuations determine how much your
business will pay for the next 5 years, however
calculations are often incorrect as they can be
based on “drive-by” and out-of-date information,
rather than on actual surveys taken of your
premises. This can mean that you are placed on the
wrong scale.
Pursuing an appeal can yield significant savings and
rebates, whether you are a small privately owned
business or a multi-national and there are many
different grounds for appeal.
We can help with the following:
Business rate appeal
Business rate management
Empty property rates
Business rate relief
Business rate audit
Business rate mitigation
For companies on the wrong scale, this can mean
overpaying by thousands of pounds - money which
would be better used elsewhere in the business.
We can assess if you are eligible for a ratings
reassessment or a rebate at appeal.
We provide advice on all types of property
including: retail, factory outlets, offices,
hotels, warehousing and the motor trade
11
12. Vehicles
Still weighing up leasing versus
buying?
In most cases, it makes sense for a company
to lease vehicles rather than invest in outright
purchases - mainly to protect against capital
depreciation. Leasing also offers other benefits such
as claiming back a portion of VAT, direct delivery of
vehicles to your door and inclusion of road tax and
maintenance.
Our consultants have extensive experience in
securing complete vehicle solutions to meet your
needs and can also source finance if required.
Our services cover:
Vehicle supply
Leasing finance
Flexible leasing terms
Contract hire
Contract purchase
Personal leasing
50% VAT reclaims on monthly rentals
Road fund licences
Mileage contracts
Insurance policies
MOTs
Warranties and maintenance
Roadside assistance
Delivery and collection
Low emission vehicles
Why use us?
Free, no-obligation easy comparison
Fully managed service without any fees
Expert advice
Dedicated named account manager
All tendering, negotiation and paperwork dealt
with by us
No requirement too complex or large
Dependable, nationwide leasing services
for all types of vehicles. Call us to find out
more
12
13. Sustainable Business
“I can’t afford to go green”
It’s a common misunderstanding that
it costs more to make your business
sustainable. And if your business is
in, or deals with, the public sector you
can’t afford not to have a demonstrable
sustainability policy which outlines your
corporate social responsibilty.
Simple steps such as switching to carbon
neutral service providers can ensure
there is no net contribution to your
supply chain footprint.
Our green advice and services cover:
Energy
Green energy – sustainable renewables
Reducing carbon emissions – tips for reducing
your emissions/consumption with no or low cost
actions
Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) – 100% tax
relief on investment in energy efficient equipment
Water
Reducing your water footprint
Water saving technologies
Water recycling technologies
Saving money through water efficiencies
Printing
Mobile technology – access data wherever,
reducing the need to print
Solid ink technology - reducing printing costs by
62% compared with laser printers
Reduced consumable wastage
White glove technology – no messy cartridges
Banking/Insurance
Proven sustainability credentials of panel banks
All types of cover from green insurance providers
Vehicles
Leasing hybrid, electric and low emission vehicles
Telecoms
Carbon neutral telecoms providers
Low green call rates and line rentals
“Green minutes” with net-zero carbon footprints
“In a survey of over 500 small business
decision makers, three quarters of
respondents say they are taking at least
one measure to make their office greener”
UK YouGov survey, 2010
13
14. Working With Introducers
Embedded Added Value For Your
Clients.
Why work with BCR Associates?
Enhance the value of your client services
BCR Associates have developed strong relationships
with accountants, IFAs, banks, solicitors and other
professional advisors across the UK to enhance the
value of their client services and to offset client
fees.
Increase your competitive edge at no extra cost
Help clients to boost their profitability through
cutting overspend
Enable your clients to focus on their core skills of
running their business
In short our key objective is to help save businesses
time and money and remove the time and hassle
of having to deal with masses of paperwork,
remembering multiple renewal dates and
negotiating with various suppliers. By working with
us, you can extend this service to your clients and
set yourself apart from your competitors.
All cash realised by your customers is extra profits
and provides choice and options, whether for their
business itself or for director/partner remuneration
and/or investment.
We can work in three main ways with introducers
and are happy to discuss the options available.
To find out more get in touch with us.
“I refer clients to BCR Associates for a couple of
reasons. Firstly, they give a very good service and
have managed to find some good cost savings.
Secondly, it helps with my customer care. I
believe people do business with people and any
opportunity to put two people together where they
may benefit is very important. I’ve only received
good feedback from clients who have used the
services of BCR Associates and I believe that
reflects well on my firm.”
Nigel Hardy, Partner
Baker Tilly
14
15. Case Studies
Housing Association
This client had 50 gas meters across their portfolio and was
struggling with the cost and admin burden of their utilities.
They had just missed terminating on their electricity supplies,
however we were able to reduce their gas expenditure by
£27,679 (27.74%). Additionally we arranged for consolidated
billing with one end date, contact point and direct debit
payment and have diarised their electricity contracts review at
the next renewal.
National Car Rental Company
Electricity/
Gas
Telecoms
Our client had been managing their telecoms bills directly with
BT over a period of years and had never taken the time to review
their contracts. Their telecoms usage included fixed landlines
rentals and calls, VOIP, mobiles and NGN intelligent number
routing which BCR Associates were able to put out to tender and
achieve savings of £83,000 over a 24-month period. The new
contracts also featured increased service levels from one of the
UK’s leading B2B telecoms providers.
Farming/Distribution
An arable farm/food distribution company contaced us to review
their spiralling energy costs and to work towards a low carbon
future. BCR Associates cost review reduced energy costs by
£10,415 p.a. and we advised the client on anaerobic digestion.
We also identified considerable telecoms overspend and
unsuitable tariffs and were able to reduce this cost by £34,230
(62%) p.a. Their new telecoms supplier is now carbon neutral,
supporting their efforts to go “green”.
Boutique Ladies Fashion Shop
Our client had been with the same insurer since opening her
shop 10 years previously and didn’t see the need to look for
alternative quotes. As she had never reviewed her policy she
had no idea to what extent she was covered when we contacted
her. Our insurance expert identified she was not covered for
“business interruption” which was about to become important
due to the planned road development outside her shop front
over the coming months. By switching insurers this cover was
put in place giving her peace of mind and overall savings of
37%.
Business Rates
A large manufacturing client had recently bought out another
firm and as a result was left with empty property which they
wanted to sell off. In order to mitigate their rates liablity during
this period, we implemented the practice of “intermittent
occupation”, whereby the premises were occupied for a term of
at least 43 days and then vacated again, triggering a 6-month
100% rates relief period. This cycle was repeated until a buyer
was found for the unwanted premises, saving the client over
£23,000 over 13 months. This can also be used for offices,
where a 3-month relief period is achieved.
HR / Health & Safety
Energy/
Telecoms/
Sustainability
Insurance
Business Rates
HR/H&S
A client approached us after attending one of our regular HR
seminars as they were concerned about their lack of social media
policy. They had noticed growing online and smart phone usage
by their staff during working hours, which was having negative
effect on productivity. Our HR experts not only worked with them
to introduce a “social media at work policy” but also identified
other areas in the business which needed to be addressed such
as keeping staff files up to date and publishing their full set of
policies for employees to refer to.
15
16. Sectors Covered
Leisure/Hospitality
Restaurants, cafes, hotels, sports clubs/grounds/halls, leisure clubs,
tourist attractions, pubs, caterers, associations.
Manufacturing
Industrial engineering, food, beverages/brewing, consumer
products, high tech, automotive, chemical, textiles, printing,
cosmetics, pharmaceutical.
Professional Services
Accountants, IFAs, banks, law firms, investment companies,
architects, estate/land agents, insurance brokers, business
consultants.
Education
Nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, academies, colleges,
universities, private schools.
Media/Technology
Publishers, graphic/web designers, radio and TV broadcasters, IT
support service providers.
Retail/Wholesale
Shops, shopping centres, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).
Charities/Not-For-Profit
Shops, community centres, residential.
Transportation
Public and private sector.
Care Homes/Residential Care
Public and private sector.
Agricultural/Forestry/Fisheries
Farms, co-operatives, associations.
Churches/Religious Organisations/Community Groups
Healthcare
Dentists/doctors/hospitals (public and private sector).
Construction/Property
Small independants to large nationals.
Distribution
Fleet, warehousing, storage, freight.
16