smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Cancel Christmas?

Some of you are probably wondering whether you should cancel...
Have your say »

RSS

Guides & Tips

Chip and PIN – what you need to know

If your business accepts face-to- face credit or debit card transactions, you need to ensure that the system you have in place is secure and that the risk of fraud is minimised.

Getting paid by credit and debit card

Being able to receive payments by credit and debit card enables you to do business using internet, electronic or paper-based systems, making it much more versatile than cash or cheques - and setting up a system is quick and easy.

Setting up Switch payments on your website

How you set up website payments for customers depends on how many transactions you’re processing and whether you have an existing card processing relationship with a bank.

Don't Miss

Are banks backing your business?

SMEs tell us how the banking situation is affecting them

Your first business loan

If your business plan and financial forecasts are sound, you may be feeling brave enough to approach a bank for funding.

Paying your employees

If you have an employee who does not have a bank account, and insists on being paid in cash, what are your options? As a first step, speak to the employee and ascertain why he cannot open a bank account.

Business Banking News

Tackle late payments, say businesses

Customers settling bills within 20 days would aid small business, with a poll of company owners thinking it would be more beneficial than increased lending from banks.

Small firms 'must be in pre-Budget report'

The pre-Budget report must give companies 'innovative and short-term' solutions for finance such as a £1 billion small business survival fund, an organisation has warned.

Government to loan money direct to businesses

The government will give loans to businesses via regional development agencies (RDAs), as banks are still not lending to companies, a report in the Times says.

'Ditch tax increase' for small firms

Chancellor Alistair Darling has been urged to halt a planned tax increase for small businesses, which is due to come in on April 1st next year.

Tackle late payments, say businesses

Customers settling bills within 20 days would aid small business, with a poll of company owners thinking it would be more beneficial than increased lending from banks.

New panel launched to monitor lending

A new panel has been formed which will monitor the cost and availability of lending from five major banks to small businesses.

Banks failing SMEs, says poll

More than two-thirds of SMEs believe that banks are failing them, according to a poll conducted by SmallBusiness.co.uk.

Small businesses 'favour accountants'

Small business owners are shunning their bank manager in favour of help from an accountant for advice on financial issues, new research shows.

Brown to cut taxes for businesses?

Gordon Brown may introduce a £15 billion package of tax cuts for businesses as part of the upcoming pre-Budget report.

Banks 'must pass on rate cut'

Lenders must pass on the 1.5 percentage point drop in interest rates made by the Bank of England (BoE) yesterday, if companies are to benefit.

Interest rates cut by historic levels

In a bold move by The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), interest rates have been slashed by the lowest cut for more than 40 years.

Events Calendar

Business Startup

28th November, Olympia, London

Protecting Your Business

6th September, Best Western Country Hotel, Caerphilly

Store

FT Guide to Personal Tax

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Tax Guide, the FT Guide to Personal Tax is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and Jonquil Lowe, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as 100 tax-saving tips.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide, the FT Guide to Business Start Up is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc, this unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.

What Investment

What Investment is the leading and longest-established investment magazine in the UK.

Regular Small Business newsletters
Access to all our experts in the Q & A forum
Post comments on articles

HSBC Business Direct

HSBC Business Direct has the essential business bank account service for smaller business needs. Find out more here

Natwest business banking

With NatWest you get 2 years free banking, a £500 overdraft, helpful tools to get you started and advice from a dedicated business manager. Click here for more information.

Free and unlimited business banking

When it comes to business banking, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank provides the UK's best business banking deal. Switch to the only bank to offer FREE and UNLIMITED free business banking and a market leading interest rate of 3.65% AER* (variable) credit interest. We’ve a proven track record – Business Moneyfacts has recently voted us ‘Best Business Current Account Provider’ for an unprecedented sixth year running. Fast track your Free Business Current Account application today!

Resource Centre

How to set up a direct debit

Bacs' site features detailed information about direct debit, explaining its advantages how it works in practice.

Buy a cash register

Cash Register Group is an online shop that specialises in cash registers and EPOS systems.

Find a merchant business account

Optimal Payments provides merchant accounts for businesses to enable them to accept credit card and debit card payments via any sales channel.

Information on accepting credit and debit cards

Accepting credit and debit cards is essential for telephone and online sales and it's a are a convenient and flexible way for customers to pay. Here's a guide from Business Link.

Accept credit and debit cards with PayPal

PayPal allows customers to shop on your website and pay securely by credit or debit card.

Use Bacs to make and receive payments

Bacs is a simple, secure way to make and receive all your business payments and it can reduce administrative time and costs.

Online merchant accounts

Nochex specialise in providing smaller online businesses with simple, accessible, easy to use, online payment services.

Protect your online sales from fraud

Escrow.com reduces the potential risk of fraud by acting as a trusted third party that collects, holds and disburses funds according to Buyer and Seller instructions.

More Resources

Other Business Banking Resources

Polls

Video

Flexible working: the leaders' view

At the 2008 Work Wise UK Summit, BT Business asked a number of leaders for their views on flexible working.

The challenge of growth for small business

The challenges of growth for small business

New business must be won by creating a good first impression with customers and procurement managers...

Creating a successful business plan

Setting out a plan for your business can seem like a daunting task, especially before you've even got it off the ground.

Top tips for startups

Every successful business has a few things they wish they'd known before they started...

Blogs

How to be a start-up success

Marc Barber 07/08/2008

There are three common elements to a start-up successfully negotiating those tricky first few years: an honest appraisal of ability, market research, and finance. Have your say »

Inflation is King

Penny Proffit 19/06/2008

A look at inflation and why Mervyn King has had to put pen to paper... Have your say »

Basic building block of any Internet marketing campaign

Guest Blogger 07/07/2008

For almost all sectors of commerce today, the Internet, or more specifically the World Wide Web, is now a key tool for business. In the field of marketing in particular it has become crucial.

(1 comments) Have your say »

Q&A

Register or login to ask a question to our panel of experts...

Tax and VAT expert

Clive Lewis, ICAEW

7 posts

Latest questions answered

Q: Why use business banking? Q: Bad banking practice Q: Acquiring a small business loan Q: Securing a business loan whilst managing debt Q: Opening a business bank account with bad credit Q: Credit history issues: A way around? Q: Pros and cons of different funding options

Prize Draw

Enter our short survey!

Smallbusiness.co.uk together with our partners at Ricoh would like to invite you to take part in a short survey. The questionnaire will take only a few minutes to complete (no more than 5 minutes) and all entrants who complete the survey will be entered in to our free prize draw to win a Ricoh Aficio™ GX2500 mono and colour liquid Gel technology printer. Enter here