Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
News
Individuals who have successfully set up their own businesses in the face of adversity are being encouraged to have their achievements recognised through the Barclays Trading Places Awards, now in their second year.
Finding and selling to customers
Effective management of the way you sell and market to existing and potential customers is vital if your business is to succeed. This is where customer relationship management, or CRM, comes in.
News
A ruling in the European Court of Justice could force small businesses to rethink the way they pay employees after it said that the practice of giving staff extra holiday pay in lieu of actual time off is illegal.
News
Although outbursts of David Brent-style jargon are thankfully on the decline in most British businesses, occasional references to ‘touching base’, ‘pushing the envelope’ and ‘thinking outside the box’ can still blight a working day. Thankfully, however, there is now a solution.
News
Winning industry awards, even just being nominated, can enhance your business in many ways – be it bolstering sales, boosting employee morale or increasing web traffic. But before you start drafting your acceptance speech, a little careful preparation is needed to ensure success.
News
According to new research from BT, more than three-quarters (78 per cent) of SMEs have been mis-sold business services, and almost two-thirds of these (59 per cent) have been misled into signing up for unwanted telephone services.
Accounting
When you run a business, you are legally required to keep certain financial records, like tax returns and VAT details. You might decide to do some of this yourself, but you need to weigh up the cost of a professional accountant against the time and potential headaches it could cause you.
Business Technology
Many small businesses in the UK currently don't take enough advantage of trading online. Plenty of businesses have websites, but as few as ten per cent of these allow customers to buy goods or services online. It's a little like having a corner shop without putting in a cash register.
Legal advice
The Data Protection Act (1998) covers personal data (including audio and video) which identifies living, individual persons. It covers information held about customers and employees on both paper-based records and on a computer.
Employing & managing staff
When starting your business, you may well only be working with a small number of other people. If your business is a success and you want to expand, you may well look to take on employees. Even if you’ve been running a business for a while, now might be the time you’re looking at taking someone on.
Office & home working
Leasing property is a popular option for many small businesses, but the contracts are often packed with legal terminology.
News
The new tax year starts in the first week of April and, amidst the reams of bureaucratic red tape that small firms have to wade through, Bibby Financial Services is advising SMEs to get their affairs in order.