How to be the business in Europe
THE UK HAS A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EU, BRINGING CHANGES TO HOW WE DO BUSINESS WITH EUROPE
THE UK has agreed a deal with the EU, meaning there are new rules for doing business with Europe. UK businesses which have not already done so must adapt to these changes now to avoid disruption and to keep moving forward.
Businesses need to be ready for the new rules, which include customs declarations when exporting goods to the EU, and the new points-based immigration system when hiring from outside the UK.
Sanjay Aggarwal, founder and Chief Spice Officer at Spice Kitchen, says he took great care getting ready for the changes – and so far, things have been working well.
“We’ve taken all the advice on board,” says Sanjay, whose firm is based in Widnes, Cheshire. “Well before the end of the transition period, we looked into the changes we should be making, like getting our EORI number, and registering for the Trader Support Service, which will assist us in our all-important sales to Northern Ireland.
the new rules and what you need to do to keep operating
PREPARED
“We’ve also sought out specialist consultants to help with the customs’ side of things, so I’m feeling pretty confident we’ll make it work.
“We’re happy with the admin side of things because we prepared; everything has been straightforward. I know some businesses that haven’t made those changes are having to catch up quite quickly, but once it’s done, the situation seems very manageable and we’re confident everything will carry on smoothly.
“Growing the business in the EU and globally is key to Spice Kitchen’s success, so getting the boxes ticked and preparing for 2021 has been a huge priority for us.”
Thea Paraskevaides and her husband Tim Walker run musical instrument accessories firm Beaumont Music.
STEPS IN PLACE
With around 60% of the company’s export sales going to the EU, putting steps in place for the new rules from January 1 was crucial.
“We’ve been thinking about all of this for months and months,” says Thea, from Brighton. “Our accessories are made in Asia and, so far, have come to us here in the UK to be shipped across the world – mainly to the EU. For this to work now that we’ve left the EU, we applied for our EORI number.
START NOW
“We’re relieved we took the steps we did. Any businesses that haven’t started making changes should start now.”
The new rules are here. If your business hasn’t yet prepared for the changes, it’s time to act. Whether you’re a freelancer who travels to the EU for work, or you run a company that exports to the EU, your business could be at risk if you’re not ready.
Visit gov.uk/transition and use the Brexit Checker Tool to get a personalised list of actions you need to take to keep your business moving.