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.

Legal advice

Dealing with constructive dismissal claims

Liz Iles, senior employment consultant at Croner, discusses the legal ruling when an employee feels there has been a breach of contract.

News

Smallest companies fly the flag for UK enterprise

UK businesses are increasingly 'micro' in size while the proportion of high-growth companies has fallen considerably in recent years, research finds.

Accounting

How to avoid the SME bankruptcy ravine

Whether through cutting costs or better credit control, here's how to take steps towards avoiding bankruptcy as a business.

News

Public source data and Scottish independence

The uncertainty surrounding Scottish independence leaves a question mark hanging over the future of public data access, a debate critical for businesses either side of the border, says Chris Oatts, operations director at Graydon UK.

News

More small businesses setting KPI targets for their staff 

The number of companies setting targets for their employees has risen by 17 per cent on last year, research finds.

Business management

Words of wisdom from the advocate of contract work

Tony Harris started specialist financial advice service Contractor Financials in 2002 and has since built it to almost £3 million in turnover. Here, he talks about starting up and the benefits of short-term employment contracts.

News

Would-be entrepreneurs hampered by fear of failure

More than half of British workers confess that a fear of failure stops them from turning a potentially game-changing idea into a real business, research finds.

Export & Import

Tips for small businesses bent on breaking America

Richard Parris, founder of cyber security company Intercede, discusses how to make inroads into the US market.

News

Early-stage companies struggling financially 

Two fifths of small business owners who set their company up in the past three years are already finding themselves in financial trouble, research finds.

News

Less small businesses turning to traditional finance

Fewer SMEs are using the more traditional 'core' forms of finance compared to two years ago, research finds.

Marketing

Playing to win: Building a famous brand

Here, Linzi Boyd, author of Brand Famous: How to get everyone talking about your business, looks at how to get your brand on the fast track to exposure.

Business management

Starting and growing a private tuition business

Steve Spriggs, founder of William Clarence Education, which offers private academic tuition, talks about his company's marketing challenges, controlling costs and his growth plans.