We might all need to do it at one time or another – take minutes in a meeting, either for your own personal record, or to distribute to members of the team.

If you take notes or ‘minutes’ in meetings, and then struggle to work out what the hell you’ve written down, these tips might help you.

1. Write Clearly – ideally under agenda items, the clearer your minute taking notes, the easier it will be to write them up later.

2. Sit With the Action – Dont sit in the background, you need to be able to see the chairperson’s reactions when taking minutes

3. Find a style of note taking that is right for you, use a table plan (notes based on where people are sitting), pattern plan (like a spider diagram, which follows the ‘flow of the meeting’. You might also want to consider your method, do you have to write or could you type with a laptop/tablet?

4. Annotating and Numbering – Will help you to easily access to the meeting information. You can use a system that suits you, it might be related to the agenda items, or simply the order in which the items were discussed. Keep it as simple as possible!

5. Writing up minutes – Remember the ABC of Minute Taking:

The best writing styles are based in 3 principles ABC.

Accuracy

Say what you mean
Good punctuation – how to read it out aloud.
Good spelling.
Using the active rather than passive to avoid ambiguity.
Be consistent in terminology.

Brevity
Short simple words.
Short sentences.
Short paragraphs – whenever the topic changes.
Don’t assume a “commercialised” writing style.

Clarity
Only use jargon in the rightful place.
Check that the progression is logical.
Start by making the topic and purpose clear.
Finish by making it clear what happens next.
Check for ambiguity from the reader’s point of view.

Minute Taking – Help and Support

Need more help and advice? Ecom Learning Solutions is a leading provider of Minute Taking Courses in Cardiff, South Wales, our next course is taking place on 19^th July 2013. Call us for more information and booking.

We are also able to provide Minute Taking courses and a wide range of other courses at company premises across the UK. Visit training.ecomlearning.co.uk for more information, or contact us on  02920 440010.

THE HMRC recently ran a Q&A session on twitter, answering questions on PAYE and RTI. Here is a summary of some of the questions that were asked, and the answers given by the HMRC.

1. Technical problems with Basic PAYE tools – error message

For help understanding BPT error messages go to http://ow.ly/kz4lF .If you’re getting “Initialising submission” message. HMRC are working on it. Updates here http://ow.ly/kz4vd

2. PAYE and RTI – Full Payment Submission

fleetalexc : For an LLP that accounts for themselves via tax returns please can you confirm that they do not submit an FPS for each payrun?

HMRCgovuk: RTI isn’t changing how PAYE operates, only the way it’s reported. Would you have deducted tax/NICs under PAYE before?

3. Full Payment Submission on weekends or bank holidays

DebsEllul: Are we able to submit a FPS on a weekend or bank holiday?

HMRCgovuk: Yes you can make RTI submissions 24 hours a day 7 days a week

4. PAYE and RTI – employees under 16

martinyardley: How does RTI work where employees under 16 with no NINO. Can’t find any info on your website?

HMRCgovuk: Find more information about under 16’s with no NINO here: http://ow.ly/kz7pQ

5. Limited Broadband Connection and RTI

AW_Brian: Are there any plans to help those with little or no broadband connection – what should they do now?

HMRCgovuk: Most payroll software packages work using dialup, as does Basic PAYE Tools

6. Penalties and the RTI scheme

AccountingWEBuk: Can you clarify the penalty situation for the RTI pilot scheme, our members are still concerned

HMRCgovuk: . You can find information about how penalties apply to 12-13 here: http://ow.ly/kzazA

7. RTI and easements/relaxation

IntuitUK: some of our customers have been asking about the easements for small firms. Can you clarify who these apply to?

HMRCgovuk: The relaxation applies to employers with less than 50 employees who currently run their payroll monthly, but pay their employees more frequently: http://ow.ly/kzaRQ

8. PAYE schemes and HMRC

haideewatson: Why are @HMRCgovuk closing PAYE schemes when they are still required. Just because no paye is being paid doesn’t mean they are not required

HMRCgovuk: We want the register to be as accurate as possible, but if you need to reopen the scheme call the help line

9. Lower Earnings Limit and PAYE

PMEvie: Small firm, me and wife, a few hundred each a month pay. Any exemption from rti likely in future?

HMRCgovuk: The rules about when to register for PAYE haven’t changed. No need to register if all employees are below LEL (Lower Earnings Limit)

10. When Payroll is misaligned/dates in wrong tax period

AW_Brian: quite a few payrolls have pay dates in the wrong tax period – how will this affect RTI -any guidelines how to fix it yet?

HMRCgovuk: For guidance for if your payroll is misaligned, see here: http://ow.ly/kzgga

Ecom Learning Solutions will be holding a series of RTI/PAYE question and answer sessions in Cardiff. Our next event is 14th May 2013. For more information and booking, please visit our website http://training.ecomlearning.co.uk/events

Looking at Sage in 2013

When it comes to Sage support and training, 2013 is going to be a busy year for the team at Ecom Learning Solutions. With the Payroll year end in March / April and the introduction of the Real Time Information (RTI) by HMRC from the 6th April 2013, some say the biggest change to the PAYE system in 60 years. Ecom Learning Solutions are refining our Sage support solutions and continuing to run our popular  training courses in Cardiff, to ensure our customers have the most up-to-date information.

Click here for more information on Real Time Information (RTI)

Sage Installation Service

The team at Ecom Learning Solutions offer a friendly and professional service whereby we offer consultancy on which system is best for the client as well as installing and setting up the software customised to suit the companys’ requirements.  We also design systems that integrate with Sage payroll and Sage accounts software for organisations with specific requirements.

Sage Training Courses

We offer extensive training on the Sage Payroll and Sage Accounts software, delivered with the view to the candidate completing an official Sage Accreditation Exam if they wish for them to become a Sage accredited user.

We offer tutor-led training at our centre in Cardiff, but we are also able to provide Sage training on customer premises and have the facility to provide training at a location to suit you.

Click here to see the range of Sage courses we have available

Sage Help and Support

After years of experience Ecom Learning Solutions know how important help and support is when implementing payroll and accounting systems, that is why we also offer maintenance support agreements which we fully support on telephone, using online software to connect remotely. We are also regularly on customer sites, assisting with customer queries on using their system.

If you are implementing new Sage software or thinking upgrading your accounts or payroll systems in your organisation, why not give us a call. As well as the services above, we have hardware and networking expertise to help assist you in whatever project you have in mind.

Visit our business website to find out more about our business support services.

Staff at Ecom Learning Solutions would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thank you to everyone we have worked with in 2012 and we look forward to a prosperous New Year with you all.

The Ecom Learning Solutions Training Centre will re-open after the Christmas break on 2nd January 2013.