Category

Starting a Business

Advice on how to start your own business, with guides to help you plan, develop and finance a start-up company, plus recommendations on registering the business, its legal structure and finding financial backing for growth. Whether you are just beginning or have already taken the first steps and want to keep everything on track, our expert articles will give you the knowledge to help lead you to success, whilst maintaining a good work-life balance.

Starting a business can initially seem daunting, but with good support and a strong idea you can quickly pass through the key stages of the setting-up process and be able to launch your company with a solid foundation.

Topics covered include: regulations and requirements for company owners, finding and selecting the professional services you may need (such as banking, insurance, accountancy etc.), legal structure options (self-employed person, sole trader, a partnership or a limited company), business planning, UK start up funding sources and finding your first customers.

Opening a restaurant: The key ingredients to start-up success

In this piece, we discuss the most important steps to making your food business dream a reality.

Business Ideas & Planning

Advice

Make sure your online start-up complies with consumer law with Business Companion

Get clued up on your trading obligations as an online business with this free resource from the Government-backed Business Companion

Starting a Business

One fifth of all new companies are founded by women

All-women teams established over 150,000 new businesses last year, with young women aged 16-to-25-years-old the most active entrepreneurs

Advice

How to start your own coffee shop

Fancy opening your own coffee shop? We explain what you need to know about cash flow, hiring staff and of course, finding the right coffee.

Partner content

What are the funding options for hospitality businesses?

Hospitality businesses have faced a number of challenges in the last couple of years. Find out what funding and support is available.

Financing

6 types of business funding for UK tech companies

Here we explore six types of business funding that can help your UK tech company expand and reach its goals.

Investing in a franchise

A guide to franchise agreements

If you have decided to go down the franchise route, you need to be sure that the contract you are signing suits your plans and doesn't tie you in to anything unexpected.

Business Ideas & Planning

How to start a dog walking business

For those who love pooches and want to set up a dog walking business, check out this guide to learn more about how to do it

Investing in a franchise

A guide to franchise agreements

If you have decided to go down the franchise route, you need to be sure that the contract you are signing suits your plans and doesn't tie you in to anything unexpected.

Business Ideas & Planning

How to start a dog walking business

For those who love pooches and want to set up a dog walking business, check out this guide to learn more about how to do it

Business Ideas & Planning

What to know before starting your own cleaning business

We give some pointers on starting your own business in the cleaning sector, including costs, insurance and building your customer base

Setting up a company

How to start a dropshipping business

What is dropshipping, what are the advantages and how do you start a dropshipping business?

Business Ideas & Planning

Starting a subsidiary company

What are the advantages and disadvantages of setting up a new company compared to establishing a subsidiary of your existing company?

Business Ideas & Planning

6 best small business ideas for 2023

With the pandemic behind us, climate goals to reach ahead of us and a recession staring us in the face, here are six small business ideas to consider in 2023

Partner content

Attracting and keeping top talent through Total Reward

Employment benefits specialist, Drewberry, explain why you should base your benefits around a Total Reward Strategy

Partner content

5 things every small business owner needs to know before starting

HSBC - Advertising feature

Partner content

What is professional indemnity insurance?

Professional indemnity insurance provides cover if somebody sues your business and they allege that your advice caused financial loss or damaged their brand. It’s not just for accountants and lawyers but for anyone offering a personal service, even web designers

Partner content

Benefits of switching to the right business bank account

We've teamed up with the Current Account Switch Service to explain the benefits of switching your business bank account.