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Guides & Tips

Setting up an eBay business

The phenomenal success of auction site eBay has created a new breed of business, able to reach customers in specialised areas all over the world, at very little cost.

Starting to trade online

When looking to actually sell your wares on the internet, you first have to make a choice: build your own website or set up an eBay or Yahoo store.

Setting up card payments for retail and online selling

Nowadays, we all take card payments for granted, both in the high street and online. For most businesses, being able to accept card payments is a necessity. The following checklist provided by SmallBusiness.co.uk covers the main things to consider when setting up card payments.

Don't Miss

Effective websites

While a good website can have a tremendous impact on sales, it’s extremely easy to do the job badly.

Flexible working: Is it for you?

Chaining employees to their desks and ruling their working lives with an iron fist is a practice that's dead and buried. This podcast and webchat tells you why.

Competition to win a new Brother printer

Brother is giving one company the chance to adopt a smarter way of printing by winning a brand new printer. For your chance to win please click here

Technology in Business News

Carbon Trust: SMEs could save 30% on lighting

Making changes to lighting systems could save retail outlets some 30 per cent on their electricity bills, the Carbon Trust reports.

Carbon Trust: SMEs could save 30% on lighting

Making changes to lighting systems could save retail outlets some 30 per cent on their electricity bills, the Carbon Trust reports.

Unique content improves search engine rankings, expert says

Having unique and frequently-updated content on a company website will improve a firm's ranking on Google and therefore make it more accessible to consumers, an internet expert says.

BERR to support business innovation

The government will work with businesses to encourage innovation in the service industries under new plans.

Lords recommend business waste tax reforms

The House of Lords has recommended changing tax laws in order to help discourage offices and workplaces from wasting raw materials.

Smaller businesses have greener staff

Smaller companies are more than twice as likely to have environmentally aware staff than their larger counterparts, according to research by gas and electricity provider E.ON.

Fraud not our fault, say SMEs

Nearly all of the UK’s small online businesses believe that fraud is not their responsibility, a survey of 350 businesses reveals.

Wasteful printing is costing SMEs

More than half of office workers admit to wastefully printing documents, according to a survey of 2,000 office workers released by government-funded programme Envirowise.

BCC calls for fairer small business energy deal

Small firms are vulnerable to unscrupulous energy suppliers because they are not entitled to the same level of transparency as domestic consumers, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) claims.

Small business security questioned

The safety of data held by small firms has been cast into doubt by a new Europe-wide survey, with Britons being found to be most at risk.

Government to reform business services

The government is set to reform the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) in an attempt to increase the number of government contracts which are granted to smaller firms, the Cambridge Network reports.

Events Calendar

Business Startup

28th November, Olympia, London

Protecting Your Business

6th September, Best Western Country Hotel, Caerphilly

Investor AllStars Venture Capital Awards 2008

24th September, Hilton, Park Lane, London

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.

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

No monthly fee online card processing the UK Paypal Alternative

Make the switch to Nochex that offers small business a way to accept credit and debit card payments online fast with no monthly fees, same day set up, your own merchant account manager. Nochex has years of experience in helping small business develop in to tomorrow's big business. Set up your account today.

Looking after your domain?

No matter who you are, your .co.uk domain is a valuable asset in the world of e-commerce. The good news is there’s an easy way to take care of it. Simply make sure you renew it in time. Visit www.keepyour.co.uk to find out how old your domain is and how to renew it.

Try a free Microsoft course today

An official provider of Microsoft Online Learning, C.B.Learning offers cost-effective, managed training which your team can complete without leaving the office. Their Learning Management System (LMS) is a secure online service that offers you a direct way to monitor progress and helps you extend your training budget. Try a free Microsoft course today.

Selling online Resource Centre

Find a payment processing provider

Partnering with Netbanx is an easy way to accept payments online. Services range from expert advice on how to get started to ongoing technical and customer support.

Free e-commerce information

This site offers free e-commerce information including tips for gettng started online, tips for selling to customers and selling abroad.

Find an online credit and debit card payment service

Nochex is an independent providers of secure online credit and debit card payment services to small and medium-sized businesses in the UK.

Get the right website for your business

This tool is designed to help you establish whether a website is necessary for your business, what type of website is suitable and how to reach more customers.

Free guide to e-commerce

A guide to e-commerce from Business Link.

Set up an online payment account

PayPal is an online payment service that allows customers to pay online with credit or debit cards without sharing financial information.

Get your business online

BT Tradespace is an marketing and advertising service for businesses that combines a business directory with a way to buy and sell online.

Accepting card payments

Barclays provides you with information and price quotes on getting your business ready for card payments - whether it be in person, on the phone, or internationally.

More Selling online Resources

Other Technology in Business Resources

Polls

Video

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...

What type of business should you start?

At what point do you decide you're in business...

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 »

Burning the candle at both ends

Penny Proffit 30/06/2008

The romantics among you may think that running your own business might be relaxing. 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. Have your say »

Q&A

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

Business technology issues

Chris Lindsay, BT

67 posts

Latest questions answered

Q: Should I buy a new PC? Q: Firewalls for your business Q: Accounts software Q: Remote IT support Q: Preventing spam Q: Freeware and adware Q: Freephone numbers for business

Prize Draw

Enter our prize draw!!

You've probably noticed smallbusiness.co.uk has a brand new look. You can personalise the homepage to suit your needs and there's lots of new content including video, blogs and the small business resource centre.

We're interested to know what you think about the new small business site, so we'd like you to take this opportunity to have your say. All entrants will be entered into our free prize draw to win a bottle of champagne provided by our partners at Laithwaites! Enter here

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