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

Grievance and disciplinary procedures note taking

At an employee complaint hearing, handwritten notes were made by us and then transcribed. The original notes were shredded by our HR manager and the employee has now indicated that we have broken the data protection act and is going to make a complaint. Is he right?

Government Grants

Government grants

How and where can I get information on government grants?

Work life balance

Balance home and work life

Most of us have suffered from some form of stress at some point trying to balance home and work life. Learning to identify the symptoms is a good starting point and these tips from SmallBusiness.co.uk and BUPA offer some practical advice.

Legal advice

Employee holidays

I applied for and was granted 10 days holiday from 2nd July until 13th July. I was taken ill on 28th June and my GP requested that I do not return to work until 23rd July. Can I re-take my 10 days holiday at a later date?

Accounting

Starting a bookkeeping business

I am an accountancy student (AAT qualified) and I wish to start my own bookkeeping business for sole traders and partnerships. What should my first steps be and are there any rules/laws that may restrict the work I take on? Also, how do I calculate how much to charge?

Buying and selling a company

Selling a small company

There's lots of advice out there about setting up a small business. Does anyone know of a good site/advice source on selling a company?

Employing & managing staff

The benefits of a virtual workforce

If things start to get on top of you while running a successful small business, it may become necessary to enlist further help. Yet employing additional, permanent staff brings with it extra headaches. SmallBusiness.co.uk spoke to Xenios Thrasyvoulou, founder and chief executive of online skills marketplace Peopleperhour.com about the benefits of using a virtual workforce.

News

Angels Den to ‘close equity funding gap’

'Business angels are simply not happy unless they’re investing money because it means they’re not making money, but one of the major problems is access to funding,' says Bill Morrow, co-founder of investment network Angel's Den, which has now gone live in the UK.

Accounting

Accounts packages

I buy and sell cars and I am using the SAGE accounts system, however I am struggling with putting on credit notes and working out the VAT I will have to pay back.

Buying and selling a company

What to ask when buying a business

I haven’t run a business for a number of years and am thinking of buying into a café that is already well established. What questions should I be asking and who should I ask?

Marketing

Developing your brand

Putting in place a brand strategy is key to ensuring the success of your company and a genuine, solid identity has a direct impact on your bottom line. Small business owners tend to relate a strong brand and marketing strategy to high cost, but this need not be the case. Read on for our top tips.

Accounting

Claiming VAT on postage

Can I claim VAT on postage as it has been pointed out to me the receipts have a VAT no. on them?