About

Ben Lobel was the editor of SmallBusiness.co.uk from 2010 to 2018. He specialises in writing for start-up and scale-up companies in the areas of finance, marketing and HR.

News

Freelancers integral to UK economy, finds study

Freelancers' contribution to the UK economy soared to £109 billion in 2015, according to research.

Legal advice

Do not get caught out by changes to European trademark protection

Brand owners have been advised that recent changes to EU trademark legislation could leave some trademarks with a reduced scope of protection.

Business management

How five small businesses prepared for auto-enrolment

We speak to business owners about the lead-up to pension provision and the matters that affected them.

Business Ideas & Planning

What you should know before starting a business

Thinking of starting a business? Hayley Parsons gives a few pointers to consider before you leap into self-employment.

Business Technology

Is it time to ditch ISDN30?

ISDN30 will reach the end of its life in 2025 and has become dated, argues Mike Stephenson.

News

Small businesses trust their bank to be payment provider

Small companies retain strong trust in their banking provider, but there remain barriers to adoption of different types of payment services, research finds.

Marketing

How great businesses respond to reviews in three simple steps

Here, Katie Byrne discusses how three companies reacted to reviews left by customers online.

Business Loans

Billions in loans up for grabs for small businesses 

HSBC has launched a £10 billion lending fund to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK.

Legal advice

The top global destinations for protecting your IP

Justin Simpson discusses the world's most popular international filing destinations and how best UK small businesses can maximise IP protection in these countries from the outset.

Employing & managing staff

Should your business offer work experience placements?

Here are some pros and cons to mull over if you're thinking about offering a work experience placement.

News

Small company owners regret not getting their business foundations right

Business owners say that, if they could start their company again, they wouldn't rush in so quickly, research finds.

News

Companies using personal funds to meet business goals 

Only one fifth of small businesses have used financial support, including business loans, invoice finance, peer-to-peer lending and finance leasing, in the last 12 months, research finds.