Ten Piece LTD

Don’t miss your refund

Construction firms are under pressure again. If you build, supply or sub-contract, this matters to your cash and contracts.

Industry data shows almost 4,000 construction companies entered insolvency in 2025, the largest sector share of failures across the economy. That weak market for new starts is being felt now in tighter pipelines and delayed client payments.

At the same time, banks and payment partners are more cautious with construction clients. That “debanking” squeeze makes it harder to get working capital, open new accounts or process large progress payments, exactly when cash buffers are thinning. Analysts and accounting firms are flagging rising distress in the sector for early 2026.

Why it matters to you
• Longer payment terms and slow new orders mean even profitable projects can create shortfalls.
• One missed progress payment or one cancelled start can force emergency borrowing at high cost.
• Debanking or frozen accounts can prevent you from paying subcontractors and suppliers, escalating a small problem into insolvency.

Ten Piece works with construction businesses to protect cash and minimise disruption:
• We build 90-day rolling forecasts and scenario tests so you see cash gaps before they bite.
• We tighten invoicing, chase routines and dispute workflows to shorten days-sales-outstanding.
• We advise on alternative finance and staged funding to replace fragile bank lines.
• We review CIS, VAT and contract terms to ensure you are claiming every cash and tax relief available.

If you suspect a client or supply chain partner is at risk, act early. We produce a one-page Construction Cash Plan in 48 hours that shows immediate actions and funding options.

Message us for a fast Construction Cash Plan and a 48-hour action pack to protect your projects and payroll.

Invoice fraud and authorised push payment scams are a real and rising threat to UK SMEs.

Criminals hijack email threads, spoof supplier details or use fake invoices to trick businesses into paying the wrong account. In 2025, the number of APP fraud cases and reported losses surged, with hundreds of thousands of incidents and hundreds of millions of pounds lost.

When a payment goes to a fraudster, your cash is gone for weeks or months, even if reimbursement procedures exist. Reconciliation, dispute handling and operational disruption consume time and cost more than the stolen amount. Small firms are disproportionately affected because one diverted payment can break short-term cash plans.

Beyond the immediate cash loss, you face supplier relationships strained by missed payments, extra borrowing to cover gaps, possible credit hits and the reputational cost of a visible fraud incident. Regulators and tax authorities are also tightening oversight, and businesses are expected to show reasonable controls to avoid being held negligent. HMRC and agents have warned of scams targeting filing agents and businesses.

Ten Piece prevents and limits fraud with a four-step approach you can deploy this week:
1. Verify-before-you-pay rules. Never change payment details by email alone. Confirm by phone using a number you already hold.
2. Invoice automation and e-invoicing. Route invoices through a secure system that flags account changes and mismatches automatically. Governments and tax bodies are promoting e-invoicing to reduce fraud.
3. Tight reconciliation and escalation workflows. Daily bank reconciliations plus an approvals ladder catch suspicious payments before they leave.
4. Staff training and incident playbook. Teach your team to spot BEC and vishing attempts and run a rapid response process to freeze or reclaim payments.

Message Ten Piece for a 30-minute Fraud Defence Check. We’ll map your current payment controls, plug the biggest gaps and provide a one-page Verify-Before-Pay policy you can start using today.

Nearly two in five employers plan pay increases in the 3 to 3.49% range this year.

A survey reported by Reuters (Feb 2, 2026) found 39% of UK employers expect to give pay rises of 3 to 3.49% in 2026, with further firms planning slightly higher raises. That wage momentum helps staff retention, but it also increases your employer liabilities.

Wages are only part of the cost. Employers now pay secondary Class 1 NIC at 15% above a lowered threshold, and pension and National Insurance add to the headline pay rise. At median pay levels, this combination materially increases the true cost of every hire. GOV.UK rules on employer NICs and the Employment Allowance affect how much of that cost you can offset.

Practical actions Ten Piece recommends
1. Run a payroll impact model this week so you know the full cost per employee after NICs and pensions.
2. Check Employment Allowance eligibility and claim if you qualify to offset some employer NICs.
3. Update your 90-day cash forecast to show when pay rises hit payroll and how hiring affects liquidity.
4. Revisit pricing or margin plans if labour cost increases make current rates unsustainable.

We model true employee cost, confirm Employment Allowance eligibility, implement payroll adjustments and update cash forecasts so hiring decisions don’t surprise your bank balance.

Message us for a quick payroll cost check and a one-page hiring affordability plan.

A third of UK businesses reported falling turnover late last year, and that signals real pressure ahead.

According to the Office for National Statistics’ Jan 22 2026 Business Insights release, around 32% of trading firms saw turnover fall in December 2025 compared with the prior month. Only about 13% reported increases. That’s a sharp net negative signal for growth momentum going into 2026 and indicates ongoing demand weakness, cost pressure and cautious customer spending.

When turnover shrinks, margins shrink faster. Falling revenue makes cash flow management harder, increases the risk of missed payments and weakens resilience to spikes in costs like payroll or taxes. It also influences borrowing ability and investor confidence, lenders and partners look at recent turnover trends when they assess risk.

What this means for business owners
• Tighten cash controls and forecasts so you spot shortfalls early.
• Accelerate accounts receivable and chase unpaid invoices.
• Review tax planning and reliefs to protect after-tax cash.
• Consider scenario planning in case slow patches persist.

Ten Piece builds practical 90-day forecasts, strengthens invoicing and payment workflows, and reviews tax reliefs and compliance so you keep more of what you earn. We help translate slipping turnover into tactical, cash-protective moves.

Message us for a turnover-stress check and a one-page action plan tailored for your business.

Thinking “I’ll register for VAT later” is expensive thinking.

If your taxable turnover exceeds the VAT registration threshold you must register with HMRC. The 12-month threshold is currently £90,000. Missing that point obliges you to register from the date you exceeded the threshold, not from when you notice.

Late registration creates three direct costs: HMRC charges VAT you owe from the effective registration date, interest on unpaid VAT, and a penalty calculated on how late you registered. HMRC tightened penalties and interest in recent years, increasing the cost of delay. In serious cases HMRC may open compliance checks that uncover other errors.

The result is often a surprise VAT bill plus penalties and interest that can blow a small supplier’s cash flow. Being unregistered also stops you reclaiming input VAT you legitimately paid, and it damages credibility with suppliers and platforms that expect compliant sellers. Reputational damage makes it harder to win contracts and get trade credit.

Ten Piece prevents late-registration pain and fixes it if it’s already happened. We will:
• confirm whether you’ve exceeded the threshold and the exact registration date;
• register you correctly and prepare backdated returns where needed;
• reconcile input VAT so you reclaim every legitimate cost;
• negotiate with HMRC on penalty reduction where there is a reasonable explanation;
• set up MTD-VAT compliant software and routine checks so you never miss the trigger again.

Our VAT Readiness and Remediation service gives you a clean start and protects cash flow.

Message us now for a fast VAT check and an action plan to avoid or reduce late registration costs.

Companies House fees increased on 1 February 2026. This matters to every founder and director.

From 1 February 2026 the digital incorporation fee is now £100, the digital confirmation statement fee is £50, and other filing fees have changed. Companies House says the increase funds improved services, stronger identity checks and more enforcement work to tackle fraud. The changes are already live and affect new incorporations, routine filings and some closure processes.

Higher filing fees change the cost of starting, running and closing a company. For micro businesses and early-stage startups the difference is material. If you incorporate this month, you will pay more up front. Regular filings that were trivial now need small budget planning. Identity verification and enhanced checks also mean onboarding takes a little longer, so allow time for agent checks and documents.

Ten Piece supports directors with:
• timed incorporations to avoid last-minute cost surprises,
• full-service company set up and confirmation statement filing so errors don’t trigger repeat fees,
• identity verification and document checks to speed approvals,
• planning for fees in your cash-flow model and advice on filing cadence to reduce admin cost.

If you plan to register a new company, wind one down or need help with confirmation statements, we handle the filings and keep the process smooth.

Message us for a Company Filing Check and we’ll show the exact fees that apply and the simplest, lowest friction route to get compliant.