About

Tim Adler is group editor of Small Business, Growth Business and Information Age. He is a former commissioning editor at the Daily Telegraph, who has written for the Financial Times, The Times and the Daily Telegraph. He is the author of three nonfiction books, the most recent of which was reviewed by The Sunday Times as “compulsively readable” and by the Daily Mail as “dazzling”. Since becoming editor of Small Business in 2019, the website was named alongside the BBC, the Guardian and the Telegraph as a top live blog covering the coronavirus pandemic by journalist trade magazine Press Gazette.

Productivity Zone

20 free apps to improve your business productivity

You don’t have to spend thousands each year licensing expensive software. Here are 20 free alternatives to boosting small business output

Employing & managing staff

Hiring an apprentice: The benefits for a small company

Taking on an apprentice can inject youthful energy and ideas into your company. A guide to how to enrol an apprentice into your small business

Financing

Small business startup funding

Startup funding for any small business can be a minefield, so here is a guide to the options available to you in those early days.

Running a Business

Best small business energy brokers and switching services

Energy brokers help 60% of businesses switch contracts for cheaper fixed deals. But with 3,000 energy brokers to choose from, we profile five of the best

Government Grants

Small business energy grants – what’s available

Whether you want to install an electric car charging station, replace your old boiler with a heat pump or just replace draughty windows, you can apply for a range of energy grants

Marketing

Six digital marketing tools every small business needs

Getting a strong grasp of digital marketing is important for small businesses. Here are the best tools to help you.

Business car leasing

Company car insurance rules

What is the difference between fleet car insurance and business car insurance? As an owner-director of a small business, which one is right for you and your employees?

Business Ideas & Planning

A small business guide to self employment

Being self-employed means, you are captain of your own ship. But there are key decisions to make before you quit full-time employment, unless you want your ship to run aground

Alternative finance

Is your business a good candidate for a merchant cash advance?

Merchant cash advance is the fastest-growing area of business funding, enabling businesses to raise working capital against till sales. It’s a new way of funding driven by technology.

Business Loans

Personal guarantees for loans stifling growth, say business owners

Small business lobbyist calls out banks’ use of harsh personal guarantees, which can force small business owners to put their homes on the line

Business Technology

Call for increased tax breaks for spending on digital services

Signatory Sage has said small businesses embracing technology could add £232 billion of value to the UK economy