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Ready for Brexit is independent and objective. It aims to help businesses and organisations manage the challenges and opportunities that Brexit brings.
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UK heads for a WTO Brexit on 1 January

What Boris Johnson is suggesting is that the UK will be trading on WTO terms, and without Australia’s better weather.

Time runs out for an EU-UK trade deal by year-end

The UK has chosen gentlemen amateurs to run the EU trade talks

The UK has returned to the days of the gentleman amateur in the EU trade negotiations. Neither Cummings or Frost have any experience in trade negotiations, and their tactics are fatally flawed

Only a quarter of UK businesses are ready for Brexit – with just 5 months to go

Only a quarter of UK businesses are ready for Brexit

Only a quarter of UK businesses are ready for Brexit

No Deal risks rise as trade talks develop into standoff

Barnier and Frost at EU27-UK talks

Ready for Brexit is independent and objective. It aims to help businesses and organisations manage the challenges and opportunities that Brexit brings. See member benefits  〉 Most companies are rightly focused on the managing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the risks of a No Deal Brexit at the end of the year are [...]

UK plans to press ahead with Brexit at the end of the year

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK is still aiming to leave the EU at the end of the year.

Your A to Z Guide to the Brexit trade negotiations

Brexit future relationship

  A.  Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty set out the rules for leaving the European Union. As with most negotiations, it assumed the leaving country would present its proposals for the post-withdrawal period – which would then be finalised with the other members. The UK government, however, has still not yet set out its post-Brexit trade objectives, […]

The general election result and Brexit: What next?

general election result

The general election result has provided a landslide victory for the Conservative party. Boris Johnson will now be putting everything into ‘getting Brexit’ done. But, what does that mean for your business?

Don’t be beaten by Brexit fatigue

Brexit fatigue

The outcome of next week’s general election is difficult to call. One thing that is certain is that the uncertainty surrounding Brexit won’t immediately lift.

Why the election result will not likely clean up the Brexit mess

Brexit mess

If Boris Johnson wins the election, the UK will officially leave the EU by the end of January.

Yet leaving the EU will simply be “the end of the beginning,” in Churchill’s famous phrase. The really hard part of Brexit will be about to begin. And there will be just eleven months left before the end of the Transition Agreement on 31 December 2020.

Get your Brexit questions answered

Brexit questions answered

Brexit is up in the air. But it hasn’t gone away. Pretty soon, if Boris Johnson wins the election, the UK will have left the EU, and suddenly things will start moving very quickly indeed.

Is your business ready to ride out a downturn?

recession

The good news is that the latest UK GDP figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the UK economy is not in recession.

Our Brexit Checklists are your Brexit lifeline whatever form Brexit takes

Brexit checklist

Brexit is up in the air, but forget it and you put your business in peril. Never has the phrase “fail to prepare and you prepare to fail” been so fitting.

Better safe than sorry – don’t shelve your Brexit plans

Brexit extension

Ready for Brexit is independent and objective. It aims to help businesses and organisations manage the challenges and opportunities that Brexit brings. See member benefits  〉 (Shutterstock) We have a Brexit extension. We also have an extension of our Brexit uncertainty. We still do not know how Brexit will look. There are at least three [...]

How Brexit could play out now we’re into the second round of extra time

Brexit deal

Yet again, Brexit has been delayed and No Deal is off the table, for now. The UK and the EU have agreed upon a Withdrawal Agreement, but parliament has only provisionally agreed to this Brexit deal. Provisional is the keyword here.

The time for watching and waiting has gone. Make your move now to survive Brexit

Brexit checklist

Too many companies are sitting on the sidelines watching to see if the Prime Minister will be able to reach a deal with the EU and the party who is propping him up, the DUP.

How will Brexit impact your company’s VAT obligations?

general election result

This is not a bad dream. In the event of a No Deal Brexit if you import or export to the EU it is highly likely that your tax bills will go up.

Is every link in your supply chain getting ready for Brexit?

Supply chain

No business operates in a vacuum. We are all reliant on external suppliers for our products and services. If one link in your supply chain is not ready for Brexit this could seriously upset your own Brexit prep.

Do you know what the Rules of Origin are? Time to familiarise yourself with them

Rules of Origin

Global traders know all about the Rules of Origin, they’ve been playing by them for years. EU traders don’t. They haven’t needed to for a generation. But that could be about to change. Here’s what you need to know about Rules of Origin.

Is your business ready for No Deal by default?

No Deal by default

Are you ready for No Deal by default? The wheels of UK politics and the judiciary could stop the UK from crashing out of Europe, but with 43 days left until the official leave day, No Deal and consequently no transition period is the default. Is your business ready for it?

Have you prorogued your business Brexit planning?

general election result

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to have parliament prorogued. Have you, like many SMEs and large businesses, put your Brexit work on hold in the hope that a satisfactory deal will get done in the next few weeks or that Brexit will be delayed again?

Are you ready for a possible no deal Brexit in less than 60 days?

No Deal Brexit

There are now just 58 days to prepare for a possible no deal Brexit on 31 October. And between now and then, there may well be the disruption of a General Election.

WTO rules impact tariffs, market access, border checks and documentation

WTO rules

The UK Government is cancelling holidays and putting minsters and civil servants on high alert to prepare for a No Deal Brexit on 31 October. As the Financial Times noted today: “The country is now run by people utterly focused on delivering Brexit and resolute in their readiness for that departure to take place without a deal.”

Planning for a No Deal Brexit is now a priority for business

No Deal Brexit

New UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said last week that the UK must leave the EU by 31 October, “do or die, come what may.” UK, EU27 and EEA companies now have less than 100 days to prepare for a No Deal Brexit. That’s less than 70 working days; less if you plan to take a summer holiday.

Why a No-Deal Brexit is looking increasingly likely

No Deal Brexit

This is a dangerous time for businesses in the UK. We are entering the school holiday period, and the focus on Brexit is being diminished by a lack of resources and the distraction of sporting successes.

Why the Brexit solution to the Northern Ireland border is so crucial to business

Many people are understandably confused by the phrase “a No-Deal Brexit” and imagine it means ‘no change’ to current arrangements.  Unfortunately, the opposite is likely to be the case.

Why No Deal will mean major changes for haulage to and from the EU and EEA

haulage

Life for the haulage industry operating between the UK and the EU/EEA is likely to get more complicated in the event that the UK exits the EU on the 31st October 2019 without a deal.

Prepare now for VAT changes if the UK leaves the EU with No Deal on 31 October

No Deal

Around a quarter of a million UK businesses, and many more in the EU27, will face major changes in their VAT arrangements if or when the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 31 October.

400 million Customs Declarations may be needed for UK-EU trade after Brexit

customs declaration

It’s now over 25 years since we stopped having to file Customs Declarations for trade between the UK and other EU members. Premier Margaret Thatcher’s vision of a Single Market and Customs Union covering the entire EU became real in 1993. Overnight, companies disbanded the teams of people who had previously dealt with all the paperwork that had been required.

Do I need to register for EORI? Yes – why it’s worth doing now

do I need to register for EORI

Whatever happens over the next few weeks or months, if you trade with the EU and/or are considering trying new trade routes outside of the EU, it’s worth applying for an EORI number now. It’s free and it takes ten minutes.

Why you need to become familiar with Rules of Origin now

Rules of Origin

If you only trade within the UK and Europe, Rules of Origin will not have concerned you. Brexit could make these Rules become a serious concern to you.

We’re into extra time, use the bonus weeks wisely to get your business really geared up for Brexit

Brexit deal

The cliff edge was averted. The EU granted us a reprieve. The Article 50 extension runs up until 31 October, but we could exit the EU in a matter of weeks if a deal is agreed upon before then.

No Deal is still on the cards. Are you ready for whatever we’re dealt?

no deal

A No-Deal Brexit could very easily be handed to the UK at 11 pm on Friday night. The parliamentary votes and cross-party talks continue and there have been attempts to block it, but No-Deal still remains the default position while an alternative solution is yet to be found.

10 days until we leave the EU with no deal. Are you prepared for the fall-out?

Brexit checklist

The Government and Parliament are still to decide on the country’s Brexit fate. It’s frustrating, infuriating and ridiculous, but with ten days to go until 12 April, that’s what is still dominating the news headlines. Unless they sort something out rapidly, we will be leaving the EU without a deal and without a two-year transition period next week.

The EU has declared a No-Deal Brexit likely and says it’s ready for it. Are you?

No Deal Brexit

The EU has just stated that it feels that it is likely that the UK will leave the EU without reaching a Withdrawal Agreement. The UK Government also continues to state that while it is still seeking to reach an agreement with the EU, it is ready for a no-deal Brexit.

A No-Deal Brexit is still the default position. Are you ready for it?

Brexit extension

The blocking of the third Meaningful Vote on the Prime Minister’s Withdrawal Deal doesn’t also halt what is currently an inevitable crash into a no-deal Brexit next week. Although it could still be avoided, a no-deal Brexit on March 29th remains the default position. Is your business ready for it?

Don’t just watch, make your move, starting with the Brexit checklist

Brexit checklist

Watching the people in charge of our exit from the EU is like looking on as children play chess for the first time. Whatever happens this week, small businesses can’t afford to just watch and wait and see.

Ready for Brexit will steer your business through Brexit in whatever form it takes

Brexit checklist

Ready for Brexit is designed to steer your business around the extra obstacles that Brexit is putting in its way and towards the opportunities that it has created. We are a one-stop-shop.

Have you included consumers in your Brexit contingency and prep plans?

Consumer guide to Brexit

Brexit is already hitting business hard. And if no deal is agreed, consumers are going to wake up on March 30 to face a shocking reality. This is why Ready for Brexit has just launched the one-stop shop consumer guide to Brexit.

Are you prepared for the Brexit butterfly effect?

Brexit butterfly effect

There are thousands of companies and sole traders working across the UK who are under the impression that their livelihoods will not be affected by Brexit. Chances are they are not reading this. They don’t see the need.

Put WTO rules in the spotlight and it’s a game no one will want to play by

WTO rules

Depending who you listen to, WTO rules make global trading as simple as a game of Monopoly. Here at Ready for Brexit, we keep out of the politics, we just stick to the facts. And the fact is WTO rules are no simple fall back.

No time to lose if you use CE markings to export to the EU27

CE mark

Do you use the CE marking on any goods or products that you sell into the EU27 countries?  If you do, you may need to move quickly to protect your position, given that the chances of the UK crashing out of the EU on 29 March in a No Deal Brexit are rising by the day.

The politicians are still going round in circles. We’re still spinning into no deal

no deal

Not only are the politicians going around in circles, they are going around in their own circles; coming up with plans that either Parliament, the EU or both even at this late point still seem unlikely to agree to. While they spin their lines, business has to start thinking straight.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, the clock is ticking down to Brexit on 29 March

Brexit questions answered

It’s time to think for yourself. Look at Brexit from the point of view of your business. Don’t leave it to the Government to protect your livelihood, at this point in time the economy doesn’t look to be their priority.

It was obvious from the start that Brexit was going to be messy

Brexit mess

Ready for Brexit was set up soon after the referendum in recognition of the fact that reaching a deal that the Cabinet and the EU could agree on, and that parliament would go on to ratify, was going to be one of the most complicated negotiations ever.

No deal – are you ready to play the real life game of snakes and ladders?

No Deal

Ready for Brexit is independent and objective. It aims to help businesses and organisations manage the challenges and opportunities that Brexit brings. See member benefits  〉 (Shutterstock) We are under no illusions. A no-deal Brexit is now highly likely. We could leave the EU without a deal in less than eighty days. Every player in [...]

100 days until Brexit. There is still time to prepare if you begin today

Brexit checklist

Britain exits the EU on March 29th, 2019. As you can see from our ticker, that is just 100 days away and counting. We still don’t know what form it will take. Right now, the UK exiting with no deal is the default position.

Is your No-Deal Brexit Survival Kit at the ready?

No deal Brexit survival kit

The vote on the Withdrawal Agreement has been postponed. The Brexit uncertainty continues. We’re close to 100 days until Brexit day and a no-deal Brexit has never looked more likely.

If you’re not familiar with the A to Z of Brexit, now is the time to become enlightened

A to Z of Brexit

Brexit is complicated. And, it is only going to get more so. If you’ve let the ins and the outs of the negotiations pass you by until now, hoping that some clarity would emerge that’s unlikely to happen any time soon.

No Deal is still a very real possibility

No Deal Brexit

The Withdrawal Agreement is not a done deal until it has been ratified by Parliament and this is not a certainty.

Reality is starting to bite, business needs a deal, but it might not materialise

reality bites

Reality is biting. There is a Withdrawal Agreement on the table. It’s not ideal, but the Institute of Directors, the CBI, and the National Farmers Union are among the pillars of industry who have put their weight behind it.

Should you be looking further afield than the EU?

Brexit Checklist

China is being heavily talked up by various trade delegations as a fantastic alternative or supplementary market to the EU. The author of Selling to China: A Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, Stanley Chau, writes in our latest Analysis piece that trading with China is relatively easy. 

How do you prepare for Brexit when you don’t know what the outcome is going to be?

Brexit checklist

How do you prepare for Brexit when you don’t know what the outcome is going to be? That’s the question that Deborah Price, managing director of British Boxers asked in our latest interview. And it’s one that we can all identify with.

Stockpiling for Brexit is the latest business trend

Stockpiling for Brexit

Companies big and small are now stockpiling for Brexit. No deal is something that none of us want, but it’s an ominous storm cloud that looks increasingly likely to break over our isles.

Time to audit your business’s readiness for Brexit with our Brexsure Brexit audit tool

Brexsure Brexit audit tool

The Ready for Brexit Brexsure audit tool launched this week. Months in gestation, the Brexsure Brexit audit tool has been carefully designed to give a pretty accurate picture of how smoothly your business will sail through Brexit.

The Brexit checklist will ease your Brexit frustration

Brexit fatigue

SMEs are getting increasingly frustrated with the continuing uncertainty over the process by which the UK will exit the EU. The large PLCs are throwing millions of pounds at their designated Brexit teams whose goal is to have a contingency plan for every possible Brexit scenario.

Editor’s Note: No sitting on the sofa for DFS suppliers with Brexit

Brexit prep

A footnote within furniture group DFS’s preliminary financial report this week drove home how the Brexit effect will impact on almost every business in the UK in some way. DFS wrote that it hopes that its partner suppliers will increase the near-shore supply of the timber and fabric that they supply them with.

The Government is no nearer to solving the Brexit puzzle. SMEs must prepare for no deal

Brexit puzzle

We knew that unpicking the UK from the EU was always going to be one heck of a puzzle. Sadly the Government seems no closer to solving it. It’s time to take their preparation notes for a no deal Brexit seriously.

The Government’s latest batch of no-deal planning notices is not an easy read. I’ve read them cover to cover…

Ready for Brexit’s mission is to get you through Brexit at minimal cost to your business

Brexit help for SMEs

Once upon a time, soon after the referendum, a bunch of experienced business people began to realise that Brexit probably wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

It’s time to devise a methodical and organised plan for preparing your company for Brexit

Brexit checklist

Whichever side you stand on in the Brexit debate, the UK’s withdrawal from the EU is a mess. Unpicking decades of regulations that bind the UK to the EU was always going to be tricky. Ready for Brexit was set up in recognition of this.

We are an impartial business advice service …

The big fish are getting ready for Brexit, now the little fish need to rapidly follow their lead

SMEs preparing for Brexit

The latest news on Brexit makes depressing reading. The post-Brexit forecasts predict talent drains, shortages, and hold-ups at the borders. The big fish are publicly stating how they are getting ready for Brexit, SMEs must prepare for Brexit too and there is no time to lose.

This week, we’ve learned about large corporations such as…

Today is the day to put your Brexit plan into action. Don’t put it off any longer

Planning for Brexit

Understandably, many SMEs have put off planning for Brexit until the day arose when they actually knew what they were planning for. Now that the Government has published its first batch of Technical Notices advising what businesses need to do in the event of a no deal Brexit, it is vital that you start planning for Brexit now.

No Deal is a huge deal, particularly for SMEs, Ready for Brexit will help steer you through it

No Deal Brexit

The Government may call it “unlikely”, but that doesn’t mean that SMEs can simply ignore its raft of documents detailing how a No Deal Brexit will impact most businesses, either directly and/or indirectly…

Don’t Act Like A Pawn In The Brexit Waiting Game, Create A Strategy Now

Brexit's impact on SMEs

It’s been over two years since the referendum on Brexit and, as our countdown ticker shows, we’re just months away from our official exit from the EU. Many SMEs have understandably tried to get on with the work at hand while waiting to see what the terms of Brexit would be and how it will affect them.

After all, it’s difficult to prepare for something when you don’t know exactly what you’re preparing for…

This isn’t the place to read about the latest political infighting

Ready for Brexit Editors Note

Ready for Brexit has been set up to help businesses deal with the challenges and opportunities created by Brexit. In particular, we are here to assist SMEs who, unlike the large PLCs, don’t have the resources to create a full-time Brexit planning team.