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

Can an employee take unpaid leave?

I have an employee who wants to take unpaid leave to go on holiday but they still have enough of their holiday entitlement left to take it as paid. Is it a legal responsibility to use their entitlement first before being granted unpaid time off?

Marketing

Business Blog content: how to ensure users keep returning

Here, we look at four ways to make your business blog content more interesting and ensure users keep returning to your website.

Employing & managing staff

Building a sales team: What to consider as a small business

Building a sales team is a daunting prospect for any growing company, but can be achieved with the right people, technology, and activities. Here are some tips to getting it right.

Employing & managing staff

Hiring your first employee: What to be aware of

Make sure you follow these steps to get the best employee possible for the role you are creating.

Marketing

How to promote your small business blog organically

Should you promote your blog organically or with the help of professionals? Here, we explore the options.

Advice

The most important aspects of running a family business

In this piece, we look at the key ingredients required for a successful family business and give first hand advice on managing one successfully.

Small Business Banking

Key tips to opening and managing a business bank account

In this piece we discuss best practice for finding, opening, and running a business bank account.

News

British Small Business Awards winners: Liz Wilson of Ma Baker

At last year's British Small Business Awards, Liz Wilson of Ma Baker won the Sole Trader of the Year gong for her Fulham-based micro bakery. Here, we catch up with her to chat about how business has been since the win.

News

British Small Business Awards winners: Marc Wileman of Sublime Science

'Mad' Marc Wileman, winner of our Micro Business of the Year award at the 2017 British Small Business Awards, discusses how his company has grown since winning the gong.

Marketing

Instagram Stories: How you can use video and photos to build your business

Here's how to formulate a robust strategy for your brand on the booming social platform that is Instagram.

Marketing

Low cost digital marketing strategies for businesses on a budget

Here are some digital marketing tips to ensure your small business is getting the right exposure at the right price.

Employing & managing staff

Employing self employed staff: A small business guide

What is the real contractual relationship between the parties when a small business takes on self employed people? In this piece, we investigate.