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.

Employing & managing staff

What SMEs should know about auto-enrolment pensions

NOW: Pensions reveals the changes that businesses face in the wake of the government's new pension laws.

Business management

Launching a male grooming brand

Hair and makeup artist Lisa Hilton started men's grooming brand Rehab London in 2009 and now turns over £200,000.

News

Shoppers frustrated by stock shortages in runup to Christmas

Stock shortages on the high street are driving customers to look elsewhere and shop online, research finds.

Blog

Retail on the rise?

Things looks promising for the retail sector with a strong rise in sales volumes reported by the Confederation of British Industry.

Accounting

Get to grips with Real Time Information payroll before it’s too late

Mark Paraskeva, CEO of the SME division at IRIS Software Group, discusses the upcoming Real Time Information payroll changes and how businesses can prepare.

News

Bank of England data shows a slowdown in lending to UK businesses

The annual rate of growth in the stock of lending to UK businesses was negative in the three months to August, research finds.

Business Ideas & Planning

Business plan creation advice and tips

Michael Lister, managing partner at MLP Solicitors, is often approached for advice by the owners of new and growing businesses seeking funding from their bank. Here are his top tips for creating the perfect business plan.

Blog

Get up to speed on HR procedure

It's pretty surprising to learn that 12 per cent of small companies fail to issue contracts of employment to their staff.

Small Business Banking

How the Business Bank will help small companies

Rory Earley, CEO of Capital for Enterprise, breaks down the concept of the Business Bank and what small businesses can expect from such an institution.

Legal advice

Balancing equality in the workplace during redundancy

Victoria Clark, associate in employment law at Clarion Solicitors, explains why it is sometimes difficult to follow a fair procedure when assessing candidates for redundancy.

Legal advice

Protecting your intellectual property

Ever wondered if it's worth protecting your product against copycats? Dr Stephen Blance, senior attorney at Avidity IP, discusses why it should be done.

Alternative finance

Struggling to raise £20,000

I am struggling to raise £20,000 for my start-up plumbing business. What options are there for me in regard to alternative finance?

Ben Lobel

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