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.

One in five Brits say they want to start a business in 2021

Only 6% of those surveyed say that have been pushed into working for themselves after losing their job

Starting a Business

Advice

6 helpful tips for fleshing out a high performing team

Founders can round out the gaps in their experience by ensuring they make the right hires, says Worth Capital co-founder Matthew Cushen

Starting a Business

Government flags employment law change to cheerlead ‘wave of startups’

Business department consults on the reform of non-compete clauses so ex-employees can go out and start rival businesses

News

City mayors warn of mental health pandemic among self-employed

Sadiq Khan, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram come together to urge chancellor to help 3m self-employed excluded from government Covid business support.

Sole trader

Checklist for going self-employed – a Small Business guide

Deciding to go self-employed is a big step for anyone. Follow this guide to going self-employed and be confident. We’ve got your back

Business Ideas & Planning

What winning The Start-Up Series meant for us – Randa Bennett and Patricia Salume, VeeLoop

VeeLoop was created to help teenagers shop online independently, but the firm has developed a new service to cope with these difficult times

Setting up a company

2020 set to be record year for new companies created

Extra 85,000 new businesses expected to be created this year, as Covid redundancies trigger people into setting up on their own

Setting up a company

Buying a company name before starting up

If I want to buy my company name so no one else can take it, but I’m not ready to start trading, how do I do that? What are my ongoing responsibilities with annual returns?

Setting up a company

2020 set to be record year for new companies created

Extra 85,000 new businesses expected to be created this year, as Covid redundancies trigger people into setting up on their own

Setting up a company

Buying a company name before starting up

If I want to buy my company name so no one else can take it, but I’m not ready to start trading, how do I do that? What are my ongoing responsibilities with annual returns?

Advice

How to start a new business if Covid makes you redundant

COVID-19 is expected to decimate the UK jobs market, with unemployment doubling to 7.5% by the end of 2020. How to set up on your own if you’ve been made redundant.

Advice

5 reasons why setting up a business in a recession is a good idea

Thinking of starting your own business during a recession? 5 reasons why now could be a good time and 4 legal steps you should take

Startup Funding and Grants

Looking for investment? Start obsessing about market need

Matthew Cushen, co-founder at Worth Capital, explains how start-ups must obsess over market need to gain investment.

Business Ideas & Planning

What winning The Start-Up Series meant for me – Daniel Verblis, The Moving Home Warehouse

Daniel Verblis launched The Moving Home Warehouse when he saw that traditional removals firms weren't meeting the needs of customers.

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.