To quote Robbie Burns: "O wad some Power the giftie gie us, To see oursels as ithers see us!" (For non-Scots: "Oh would some Power give us the gift, To see ourselves as others see us.") - Here is such a power.
As we advise you to check out potential Buyers and Suppliers, we would suggest that you check on your own Company Profile with the following (as potential partners surely will):
- Companies House (it's free); and
- The Main Exhibition Hall; and
- Kompass (it's free); and
- First Report (Also for free. First Report is giving a Free Credit Analyst Report on your own company. Just call FreePhone 0800 970 8755 between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will send your report within a few minutes. Nothing to sign up to, no obligation, just an opportunity to see how good the reports are. ); and
- Carry out a full website assessment.
These give you the opportunity to rectify any mistakes or misunderstandings as well as to provide any missing information.
You should also consider how you are placed with regard to Industry Certifications and Company Policies that you can publish on your website and publish as flags with your Kompass profile (which then flows back to your Company Profile in the Exhibition Hall).
The Gazette - Official Public Record
Insert your company name or company registration number.
If you see anything that is incorrect or missing here, then you should contact Companies House directly to have this put right.
Most domestic SMEs are listed in the Exhibition Hall. You should check there to see if:
- Your company is listed.
- Whether the details are sufficiently comprehensive and correct.
If your company is missing and you would like it to be listed or if the details are insufficient and\or incorrect then please contact the Expo Helpdesk.
Insert your company name or company registration number. This will provide a company profile covering:
- Year established.
- Legal form.
- Activity (SIC07).
- Corporate capital.
- Registration no 07086058.
- Registered address.
- No employees.
- Kompass ID.
Plus:
- Web Address.
- Telephone Number.
Plus:
- Brief Description of Activities.
- Trading Address.
- Directors.
If you see anything that is incorrect or missing here, then you should contact Kompass directly to have this put right.
As a first step, for free, First Report is giving a Free Credit Analyst Report on your own company. Just call FreePhone 0800 970 8755 between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will send your report within a few minutes. Nothing to sign up to, no obligation, just an opportunity to see how good the reports are.
Reports are based on: the following 10 points
- How many years has your business been trading?
- If you file accounts at Companies House, were the last accounts filed on time?
- What are the annual sales?
- What profits are anticipated this financial year?
- How are this year's sales compared to the previous financial year?
- Sales are up
- How much does your credit control need to chase clients for payment?
- How easily can your business pay its invoices within terms?
- In the last 12 months has there been any problem paying wages on time?
- Has the business had any CCJs against it within the last 2 years?
N.B. This is not the score used in First Report's live credit reports. First Report's live score algorithms use data from multiple sources to reveal a fuller picture. Nonetheless, the insight from the free service can be useful.
It can be more useful to check your own credit report at First Report. (see above).
There are 3 levels of Credit Report that you can request:
- Basic Credit Report.
- Standard Credit Report.
- Credit Analysts Report.
Level of Credit Recommendation:
An assessment will determine the recommendation for the maximum level of credit and will be visible together with the total predicted sum that the company has to pay out to its creditors and suppliers over a 30-day period.
Risk Score
A risk score will be shown on the report which details all financial information necessary to make informed decisions on whether to do business with the company in credit terms or select to receive upfront payments for zero risk. UK Credit Risk Scores are determined using numerical ratings.
Cost
This report will cost you between 40 pence and £19.95 (plus VAT)* depending upon your subscription level for a Basic Credit Report; but well worth it for the insight it gives you.
You can save over 90% with an annual licence package. If you wish to change to a discount package after opening an account, the cost of any UK Report Credits purchased when opening an account can be refunded against the price of your package (meaning the Credits you purchase will essentially be free).
Correcting Errors & Omissions
If you see anything that is incorrect or missing here, then you should contact First Report directly to have this put right.
Your website is an important business asset promoting your company, servicing your customers and (hopefully) driving business to your sales department. Therefore, it is helpful to monitor the website - and if it's not doing what you want, then at least you know and you can try to do something to rectify the situation. There are many tools out there that you can use. Here are just a few:
- Advanced Web Ranking: - Rank tracking made easy. Fresh rankings daily, weekly and on demand. For desktop, mobile and local searches. Packed nicely into white-label reports. Accessible from any device.
- Google Analytics: - Lets you measure your advertising ROI as well as track your Flash, video, and social networking sites and applications.
- SEOptimer Web Site Audit: - Search Engines rely on many factors to rank a website. SEOptimer is a Website SEO Checker which reviews these and more to help identify problems that could be holding your site back from its potential. Additionally, we provide a clear, actionable, prioritised list of recommendations to help improve.