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.

Small Business Insurance

The key insurance measures I put in place for my company

Here, Marcus Cannon discusses the insurance measures he put in place for his company InterFocus.

Business management

Breaking the family circle – taking a fresh look at succession planning

In this piece, Simon Walton, partner and head of consumer practice at Berwick Partners, discusses why early action and contingency planning is essential in preparation for new business leadership.

Employing & managing staff

How strict should your workplace be?

In this piece, Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, explores how strict workplaces should be in an era of widespread distractions for employees.

Marketing

Lessons learned from Card Factory’s reputational crisis

Card Factory came under fire last month for perceived insensitivity towards diversity of sexuality. Here, Jennifer Janson, chairman of Six Degrees, discusses what businesses can learn from the episode.

Accounting

Hiring an accountant: When and why you need one

In this piece, Karen Barrett, founder and CEO of Unbiased, discusses the finer points of taking on an accountant.

Government Grants

Getting a grant from the China-Britain Business Council

Robert Boyce, director and co-founder of IceRobotics, discusses how he got hold of a grant from the China-Britain Business Council.

News

AA targets small businesses with move to card payment market

The AA has entered the card payments market in an attempt to deliver a better deal to small businesses.

Government Grants

How my business got a grant from a regional support hub

Rob Nicholls, managing director of Plastic Card Services, discusses his experience of getting a grant from the Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub.

Accounting

How my business benefited from R&D tax relief and EIS

Here, Richard Stewart, founder of Untangl.co.uk, discusses how his company benefitted from R&D tax relief and EIS, and how yours can too.

Employing & managing staff

Building a positive workplace culture

Here, Mark Scanlon, chief executive of Personal Group, discusses how to create a great working environment for every single employee in your business.

Marketing

Ten ways to save money on your event

Here, Irma Hunkeler of BlueGlass.co.uk gives her top tips for businesses looking to run an event on a budget. 

Accounting

A small business guide to getting your cash flow right

In this piece James Poyser, CEO of inniAccounts, sets out a framework for getting your cash flow right.