i.e. terminal services

Objectives

1. Minimise hardware costs, support costs, required internal skills, and simple hardware that does not have to be Sage configured.
2. Customer and supplier email automation.
3. Access from anywhere with any devices i.e. BYOD.
4. Thin clients or even “no clients” i.e. BYOD.

In the UK, the inheritance tax (IHT) allowance regarding the matrimonial home is primarily covered under two main allowances:

⸻

1. Nil-Rate Band (NRB) – Standard Allowance
   • Every individual has a £325,000 inheritance tax-free threshold.
   • This is called the nil-rate band.
   • Assets up to this amount can be passed on tax-free upon death.
   

⸻

1. Residence Nil-Rate Band (RNRB) – Additional Allowance for the Home
   

If you leave your main residence to a direct descendant (e.g., children, stepchildren, grandchildren), an additional allowance applies:

•	Up to £175,000 per person (on top of the standard £325,000).
•	Applies only to one home and only if it was a residence at some point.
•	Must go to a direct descendant to qualify.
•	If the estate exceeds £2 million, the RNRB tapers off by £1 for every £2 over the threshold.

⸻

1. Combined Threshold for Married Couples or Civil Partners
   • Spouses and civil partners can inherit from each other tax-free (no IHT between them).
   • Unused NRB and RNRB from the first partner’s estate can be transferred to the surviving spouse.
   • This means the combined total allowance could be:
   • £325,000 + £175,000 = £500,000 per person
   • Up to £1 million per couple if both allowances are fully available and used
   

⸻

Example

A couple leaves their family home (valued at £800,000) to their children:

•	First death: no IHT due (assets pass to spouse).
•	Second death: if full allowances are available, £1 million threshold applies, and the entire value may pass tax-free.

⸻

Let me know if you want details about trusts, taper relief, or downsising protections under the RNRB.

1. Typora

A seamless and elegant Markdown editor that provides a live preview feature, allowing you to focus on content creation without distraction.
Read more on Said Hasim

—

2. iA Writer

Known for its clean interface and innovative focus mode, iA Writer offers a distraction-free writing environment, though it comes with a higher price tag.
Read more on Wired

—

3. Obsidian

A versatile note-taking app that supports Markdown and allows for extensive customization through plugins, making it suitable for creating a personal knowledge base.
Read more on The Verge

—

4. Zettlr

An open-source Markdown editor designed for writing and organizing large projects, offering features like citation integration and a graph view for note connections.
Read more on Wikipedia

—

5. Bear

A beautiful and minimalistic writing app that supports Markdown, offering a range of themes and a focus mode to enhance creativity and focus.
Read more on The Verge

WordPress.com Business Plan (£240/year):

•	Hosting and Storage: Provides managed WordPress hosting with 50 GB of storage. 
•	Customisation: Allows installation of custom themes and plugins, granting flexibility in site design and functionality.
•	Support and Analytics: Includes 24/7 expert support (which is VERY GOOD AND ACTIVELY ENGAGES TO DO THINGS) and integration with Google Analytics for detailed site performance tracking. 
•	Additional Features: Offers a free domain for one year (WE DON'T NEED THIS) , removal of WordPress.com ads , and access to (SOME BUT NOT ALL) premium themes. 

Elementor Business Hosting Plan (£239.88/year):

•	Hosting and Storage: Offers managed WordPress hosting (THIS IS GOOD AS IT MEANS WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS WHICH IS MAIN REASON FOR USING WORDPRESS DIRECTLY) on Google Cloud infrastructure with 20 GB of storage (SO THIS IS 30GB LESS - MAY NOT BE AN ISSUE FOR OUR USE CASE) , 50 GB monthly bandwidth, and support for up to 50,000 monthly visits. 
•	Page Builder Integration: Comes with Elementor Pro, a powerful drag-and-drop page builder, facilitating intuitive site design without coding. (SEEMS LIKE A GOOD PLUS POINT)
•	Performance and Security: Features include a built-in Content Delivery Network (CDN) via Cloudflare, SSL certificates, daily backups, and robust security measures (ANOTHER GOOD PLUS POINT ESP CLOUDFLARE). 
•	Support: Provides 24/7 premium support. (WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? IS IT HUMANS? IS THERE ANY LIMIT? WILL THE ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH OUR SITE?)

Considerations:

•	Flexibility: A straightforward setup with the ability to install various plugins and themes, WordPress.com’s Business plan offers that flexibility. 
•	Design Control: If having advanced design capabilities with a visual builder (WHICH REALLY MEANS POINT AND CLICK) is a priority, Elementor’s plan provides seamless integration with its Pro page builder. 
•	Performance Needs: Consider our site’s expected traffic and resource requirements. Elementor’s plan specifies limits on storage, bandwidth, and monthly visits, which may be pertinent depending on our site’s scale (i suspect not a problem)

Conclusion:

Both plans offer robust features suitable for different scenarios.

WordPress.com’s Business plan is ideal for users seeking a traditional WordPress experience with extensive plugin support.

Elementor’s Business hosting plan caters to those who prioritise design flexibility (this MAY suite you) and an all-in-one solution with integrated page building tools.

Our specific needs (ocd to details?), technical comfort (none, it would seem?), and growth expectations (this last means how much space and how many visits. Unless you later included customer engagement the space looks adequate (not brilliant) and the visits are more than adequate)

One final question is about once our site is built, are we locked in to £300 a year of can we downgrade – which we can and do do in the WordPress version. Maybe this does not matter if the business takes off.

Also not included is the price of paying someone to maintain the site, regardless of the host.

I have not yet checked but I expect Elementor will be available to use, for a fee, on the WordPress hosting version. More work required for this aspect.

In this regard, using the Elementor plug in on WordPress the pricing would be one of Essential or Solo

https://elementor.com/pricing-plugin/

So $60 or $85 per annum extra, so I seem to think the Elementor hosting that includes this is about £300 a year form year 2 and WordPress at £240 a year PLUS this plugin is about the same at around £300 a year (very roughly).

SIDE NOTE

1. You might want to consider integrating this technology I am using to write this review. The website is hosted by WordPress directly.
2. I wrote the original rather clumsy layout myself and them left it.
3. Later for my hobby I created another WordPress hosted WordPress site for £3 pcm (i.e. £36 per YEAR) which is very limited in space only 6GB if I recall correctly, but perfectly ok for text like you see here.
4. For images, of which my hobby site has hundreds, I never upload image files (That’s how they will catch many), I link to them from another site of mine (for photographers). This is not relevant to you except as an illustration of how the use case matters a great deal; they make all the difference.
5. So, this text you see here is written in a tech called “markdown” or what we call “md” for short; A.i. knows all about it and will render work in md if asked.
6. There is a tech “war” going on between the “format apps” like Word and Presentation apps where vast amounts of time and code are invested in how it all looks, when in fact what matters is how it all reads; the content.
7. Here’s the killer point: this md updates automatically to my WordPress site and any changes/edits I make update practically instantly, without me having to do anything in WordPress – ok except click “save”, but no need to open it, close it or any other time waste.
8. And I can do all this from my phone app.
9. So here I go, I click “publish update ok” job done.
10. Zero Web site expertise needed. In fact I just realised where above I say “click “save” ” even that is not required.
    

NOTE

It’s important to note that while Cloudflare offers additional security enhancements, WordPress.com implements its own security protocols, including firewalls, to safeguard websites hosted on its platform. Therefore, integrating Cloudflare is optional and depends on your specific security and performance requirements. And: Cloudflare is free (and easy if techy to implement)at our level.

Note: “FUP” stands for Fair Usage Policy.
Latency values are approximate and can vary based on network conditions.

When selecting a satellite internet provider, consider factors such as speed requirements, data usage, equipment and installation costs, and contract flexibility.
It’s advisable to contact providers directly for the most current information and to assess which service best fits your needs.

1. Workshop Management Add-On:
   

Workshop Management is not part of the standard core functionality of SAP Business One Cloud. If you need tools for managing job orders, tracking repairs, scheduling, and managing workshop-related inventory, you will typically need to add a specialised workshop management module.

•	Workshop Management Module (often called Service Management in SAP Business One):
•	Pricing: This add-on generally costs £1,500 to £3,000 per year depending on the number of users and level of customization needed. This may include features like:
•	Job order tracking: Create, assign, and track service jobs and work orders.
•	Service order management: Integrates with sales and inventory to ensure parts and labor are accurately tracked for service-based businesses.
•	Service planning and scheduling: Helps assign technicians and resources to specific tasks, improving efficiency.
•	Technician mobile access: Mobile app support for technicians in the field to update service jobs and track time.
•	Integration with inventory: Automatically deducts parts used in jobs from your inventory, helping to maintain accurate stock levels.

Note: This module is highly customisable, so the pricing can vary based on the complexity of the business (for instance, if you need advanced scheduling or mobile access for your technicians – probably not.

1. POS Integration Add-On:
   

If you operate a retail shop and need a POS system integrated with SAP Business One Cloud, also not included, you will also need to add a Point of Sale (POS) integration module. This is critical for businesses that need to track sales in real-time and sync POS transactions with accounting, inventory, and sales data in SAP Business One.

•	POS Integration with SAP Business One:
•	Pricing: The cost of POS integration typically ranges from £1,000 to £3,000 per year depending on the POS system you choose and the level of integration required.
•	Features included:
•	Sales data synchronisation: POS systems (e.g., Lightspeed, Vend, Square POS) integrate seamlessly with SAP Business One, allowing sales transactions to sync automatically with accounting and inventory systems.
•	Inventory updates: Real-time updates to inventory levels based on sales made at the point of sale, reducing manual data entry and improving inventory accuracy.
•	Customer management: POS systems may sync with SAP Business One’s CRM, allowing for customer data to flow between your sales floor and backend.
•	Receipt and invoice generation: Automates receipt printing and integrates with accounting for invoicing and tax calculations.

Example POS systems that can integrate with SAP Business One:

•	Lightspeed POS
•	Vend POS
•	Square POS
•	Clover POS

The actual price of integration depends on the complexity of the POS system and the number of registers or terminals you plan to use.

1. Summary of Extra Costs:
   

4

Thus, the total annual cost for 5 users with both the workshop management and POS integration modules could range from £5,100 to £9,600/year.

Conclusion:

•	SAP Business One Cloud offers powerful capabilities for businesses needing workshop management and POS integration, but both are add-ons that require extra investment.
•	Depending on your needs, you could be looking at an additional £1,500 to £3,000 per year for each module.
•	A SAP partner is expected for more accurate pricing based on business requirements and the number of users, as there could be volume discounts or special pricing based on your customization needs - but even so!

SAP Business One (Cloud Version)

SAP Business One Cloud is a fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system designed specifically for small to medium-sized businesses. This cloud-based solution provides an all-in-one platform to manage various business processes, including financials, inventory, CRM, sales, manufacturing, and workshop management. It also offers seamless POS integration for businesses with retail or customer-facing operations.

1. Pricing:
   

The cloud version of SAP Business One is typically offered on a subscription basis. Here’s a detailed breakdown of its pricing:

Base Cost for SAP Business One Cloud:

•	Pricing: Starts at £60 per user/month for basic functionality (sounds ok - but see part 2), which includes core features like finance, sales, CRM, and inventory management.
•	Annual Cost:
•	For 5 users, this would cost £3,600/year (5 users x £60/user/month x 12 months).

Additional Costs:

•	Add-Ons: Additional modules (e.g., manufacturing, workshop management, POS integration) may add to the cost. Modules typically range from £500 to £2,000 per module annually.
•	Ongoing Subscription: You are billed annually, with possible adjustments for new users or additional modules.

Example for 5 users (cloud version):

•	Annual Cost for 5 users: £3,600/year (basic plan).
•	Additional modules (e.g., workshop management, POS integration) may increase the total cost.

1. Features of SAP Business One Cloud:
   

Financial Management:

•	General Ledger: Manage all financial transactions, automate reporting, and track your financial performance in real time.
•	Accounts Payable & Receivable: Automatically manage invoices, payments, and receipts.
•	Bank Integration: Directly reconcile bank transactions, simplifying cash flow management.

Inventory & Supply Chain Management:

•	Real-Time Stock Tracking: Track inventory across multiple warehouses, making it easier to manage stock levels in real time.
•	Procurement Management: Handle supplier orders, purchases, and stock replenishment.
•	Workshop Inventory Management: Integrate inventory management into workshop processes, ensuring tools and parts are always available for repairs and services.

Sales & Customer Management:

•	Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Manage customer interactions, track sales leads, and optimise customer service workflows.
•	Sales Orders & Invoicing: Create and track sales orders directly, automatically generating invoices for completed transactions.
•	POS Integration: Seamlessly integrate Point of Sale (POS) systems (such as Lightspeed, Vend, or Square POS) with SAP Business One Cloud. This ensures synchronisation of sales data with inventory and accounting, reducing the need for manual data entry and improving accuracy in financial reporting.

Workshop Management:

•	Job and Work Order Management: Manage workshop tasks, track service requests, and work orders from initial customer inquiry through to job completion.
•	Workshop Inventory Integration: Manage spare parts, tools, and consumables used in repairs or services, directly linked to work orders.
•	Scheduling & Dispatching: Optimise scheduling of repairs, maintenance, or installations, making sure technicians are assigned tasks efficiently.
•	Mobile Access: Technicians can access job details, update work statuses, and track time from mobile devices, improving field service efficiency.

Manufacturing Management:

•	Bill of Materials (BOM): Organise production requirements, track raw materials, and optimise production schedules.
•	Production Planning: Automate production scheduling based on sales demand, inventory levels, and order prioritisation.
•	Work Orders: Create and manage work orders, ensuring production runs smoothly and on time.

Business Analytics:

•	Real-Time Dashboards: Access key performance indicators (KPIs) and business data in real time through customisable dashboards.
•	Business Intelligence (BI): Use SAP Business One Cloud’s built-in BI tools to generate detailed reports and insights on sales, inventory, financial performance, and more.

Mobile Access:

•	The SAP Business One Cloud mobile app allows employees and technicians to access business data on-the-go, making it easier to update job status, track orders, and view customer records.

1. Implementation Process for SAP Business One Cloud:
   

Cloud Deployment:

•	No Infrastructure Management: SAP Business One Cloud is hosted on SAP’s secure cloud servers, eliminating the need for local IT infrastructure or servers. You simply subscribe to the service, and SAP handles everything related to hosting, updates, and security.
•	Flexible Subscription-Based Pricing: Pay annually for the cloud subscription, which includes updates, support, and cloud infrastructure management.

Data Migration:

•	Data Import: SAP Business One Cloud provides tools to help businesses migrate data from legacy systems (such as QuickBooks, Sage, or other accounting tools) into the cloud. This includes financial data, customer records, inventory data, and more.

Customisation & Configuration:

•	Customisation: SAP Business One Cloud offers several modules that can be activated depending on your business needs. Common modules include sales, manufacturing, workshop management, CRM, and inventory management.
•	POS Integration: POS systems can be integrated to synchronise sales data, reducing manual data entry.

Training:

•	SAP offers comprehensive training resources, including online courses, webinars, and on-site training for employees to get up to speed with the system. Training will be essential for staff members in areas like inventory management, workshop scheduling, and financial reporting.

Go Live:

•	Once training is complete and data migration is done, your business can go live with SAP Business One Cloud. Users will be able to access the system from anywhere via web browsers or mobile devices.

Support & Maintenance:

•	Automatic Updates: SAP Business One Cloud includes automatic updates, ensuring that the system remains secure, up-to-date, and equipped with the latest features.
•	Ongoing Support: Support is provided through SAP’s network of certified partners. You can contact support for technical issues or system configuration assistance.

1. Pros and Cons of SAP Business One Cloud:
   

Pros:

•	Comprehensive Solution: Integrates finance, inventory, workshop management, POS, and CRM into one system, making it easier to manage various business processes.
•	Scalability: Easily scalable as your business grows. You can add more users or modules as needed.
•	No Infrastructure Costs: Since it’s cloud-based, there’s no need for local servers or IT infrastructure, saving on hardware and maintenance costs.
•	Advanced Reporting & Analytics: Built-in business intelligence and reporting tools that allow you to analyse data in real-time and make informed decisions.
•	POS and Workshop Management: Integration with POS systems and specific features for workshop management make it a great option for businesses in retail and service industries.

Cons:

•	Upfront Cost: The subscription model can still be expensive for smaller businesses, especially with add-ons or additional users.
•	Complexity: While user-friendly, SAP Business One Cloud can still require significant training and familiarisation, particularly for teams transitioning from simpler systems.
•	Customisation: There may be limitations to customisation compared to the on-premise version of SAP, although it is still highly flexible.

1. Conclusion:
   

SAP Business One Cloud is a robust, all-in-one ERP solution ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that need an integrated platform to manage financials, inventory, workshop operations, and sales. The cloud deployment eliminates infrastructure management and provides businesses with real-time insights and remote access. It’s a great choice for companies in retail or service industries that require workshop management and POS integration.

If you have specific business needs around workshop management or POS, SAP Business One Cloud offers powerful solutions, but keep in mind that it can be an investment, and implementation will take time.

is a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution designed specifically for small to mid-sized businesses. Unlike larger ERP systems that cater to multinational corporations, SAP Business One is tailored to meet the needs of smaller, growing companies, offering a broad range of functionalities to help businesses manage various operational processes.

Key Features of SAP Business One:

1.	Financial Management:
•	General Ledger: Manage financial transactions, create reports.
•	Accounts Payable and Receivable: Streamline cash flow management with the ability to manage invoices, payments, and supplier/customer accounts.
•	Banking: Integrate with your bank accounts, automatically reconcile transactions, and track cash balances.
2.	Inventory and Supply Chain Management:
•	Inventory Tracking: Track goods as they move throughout your supply chain and service workshop, allowing for real-time stock visibility and accurate inventory levels.
•	Warehouse/shop stock management: Manage multiple warehouses (not req, but locations of shop and workshop and anywhere else), track stock movement, and streamline the entire supply chain process from suppliers to customers.
•	**Procurement: SAP Business One includes tools for managing supplier orders, purchases, and deliveries.**
3.	Sales and Customer Management:
•	Sales Orders: Track and manage sales orders from creation to fulfillment, with a built-in order management system.
•	Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Manage customer interactions, track leads, and monitor sales performance.
•	Quoting: Create and send professional sales quotes to customers, converting them to orders once accepted.
4.	Manufacturing Management:
•	Bill of Materials (BOM): Organize and manage components needed for manufacturing products.
•	Production Planning: Automate production planning based on demand, stock levels, and other factors.
•	Work Orders: Create and manage work orders for manufacturing, from scheduling to delivery.
5.	Reporting and Analytics:
•	Real-Time Reporting: Access business-critical information at any time, using dashboards, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and customisable reports.
•	Business Intelligence (BI): Use advanced BI tools to analyze and visualise data, helping you make informed decisions based on accurate insights.
6.	Human Resources (HR):
•	Employee Management: Keep track of employee records, time off, payroll, and other HR functions - as you grow.
•	Payroll Integration: Integrates with payroll systems, simplifying payroll calculations and processing - so payroll is extra.
7.	Integration and Customisation:
•	Third-Party Integrations: SAP Business One integrates with a wide range of third-party applications, including CRM systems, shipping platforms, e-commerce sites, and more.
•	Customizable: Customise workflows and reports to fit your specific business needs. SAP Business One is highly flexible and can be tailored to your company’s operations.
8.	Mobile Access:
•	SAP Business One offers a mobile app that allows users to access business data on the go, view dashboards, and update information from anywhere.

Key Benefits:

•	Comprehensive Solution: SAP Business One covers everything from finance and procurement to CRM and HR, making it an all-in-one solution for small and medium-sized businesses.
•	Scalability: Although designed for smaller businesses, SAP Business One is scalable, meaning it can grow with your business. You can add new functionalities as your needs evolve.
•	Automation: By automating key business processes (like invoicing, payroll, and inventory management), SAP Business One helps reduce manual effort and errors, improving operational efficiency.
•	Cloud and On-Premise Options: SAP Business One is available both as a cloud-based solution and on-premise, offering flexibility depending on your company’s needs and resources.

Pricing:

•	SAP Business One pricing varies significantly depending on the number of users, implementation requirements, and whether you’re using a cloud-based or on-premise deployment.
•	Base cost: Starts around £3,000/year for 5 users, which can rise depending on additional modules and customizations.
•	Implementation: The implementation cost is typically a significant portion of the total price, with consultancy services and training adding to the total cost.
•	Ongoing costs: There may be annual maintenance or subscription fees for updates and support.

Target Market:

•	SAP Business One is aimed at small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across a variety of industries, including manufacturing, retail, wholesale distribution, services, and e-commerce.
•	It is particularly suitable for businesses that need an integrated solution to manage multiple functions and processes, like inventory management, sales order processing, and financials.

Drawbacks:

•	Complexity: While it’s designed for SMBs, SAP Business One can still be complex to set up and requires proper implementation and possibly external support. Businesses may need to hire consultants to set up the system properly.
•	Cost: The cost of SAP Business One may be prohibitive for very small businesses or startups, especially considering implementation and ongoing maintenance costs.

Conclusion:

SAP Business One is a powerful ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that need an integrated solution for managing operations like finance, inventory, sales, and manufacturing/workshops. Its flexibility and scalability make it a strong option for companies looking to grow, but its cost and complexity may be a consideration for smaller operations without dedicated IT support. For businesses with complex operational needs or plans for significant growth, SAP Business One offers a robust and comprehensive solution.