Category

Financing

The financing channel looks at the different small business funding options available to start-up companies and established SME businesses looking to grow. Read a wealth of guides and tips to help manage your accounts and cash flow better, views on the future of business banking and where to source alternative finance.

How to win bank funding

Business owners and bankers share tips with SmallBusiness.co.uk on how to negotiate a financing deal.

Small Business Banking

Small Business Banking

Credit check for business account

My business partner and I recently were rejected for a business account application. (My credit score is excellent). Is a credit check performed only on a company director (my business partner) or the company secretary (myself) as well?

Accounting

Can capital from solar panels be part-offset against profits?

If I were to use my home as part business and install solar panels, can the capital be part-offset against profits and if so, how?

Alternative finance

Top tips for raising equity finance

Entrepreneur Guy Rigby offers guidance on preparing for fundraising.

Alternative finance

A peer-to-peer lending case study: Red Advertising

Job advertising network Red Advertising secured a loan of £150,000 over five years through peer-to-peer lender ThinCats.com.

Crowdfunding for Business

Crowdfunding Case Study – Artesano raises £65,000 on Funding Circle

Knitting wool wholesaler Artesano raised £65,000 on Funding Circle, which matches lenders with businesses online.

Alternative finance

Fundraising through equity-based crowdsourcing

Alex Kammerling founded spirit manufacturer Kamm & Sons in 2011 and raised £180,000 through Crowdcube, a website that offers equity-based crowdsourcing as a means of raising funds.

Alternative finance

Social Lending Websites – A new era for small business finance

The banks aren't interested, but social lending websites are. SmallBusiness.co.uk talks to three early-stage companies that have benefitted from the growing phenomenon in peer-to-peer SME fundraising.

Alternative finance

Fundraising through equity-based crowdsourcing

Alex Kammerling founded spirit manufacturer Kamm & Sons in 2011 and raised £180,000 through Crowdcube, a website that offers equity-based crowdsourcing as a means of raising funds.

Alternative finance

Social Lending Websites – A new era for small business finance

The banks aren't interested, but social lending websites are. SmallBusiness.co.uk talks to three early-stage companies that have benefitted from the growing phenomenon in peer-to-peer SME fundraising.

Tax

Would I be liable to pay business council tax?

If I worked from home in a spare bedroom on a computer trading foreign exchange virtually and there would be no visitors to my home, no deliveries, and no post to do with the work as statements sent via email, would I be liable to pay business council tax?

News

Managers show favouritism towards staff members

Research has given insight into employer bias in the workplace, with the key reasons being work ethic, loyalty, personality, and humour.

Small Business Banking

Can small businesses get bank loans?

I am sure that like me, you have seen headlines about banks not lending to small businesses with depressing regularity.

Crowdfunding for Business

Funding, cubed

Crowdcube provides a platform for entrepreneurs of startups and growing businesses to connect with potential investors. SmallBusiness.co.uk talks to co-founder Luke Lang.

Employing & managing staff

The importance of vocational rehabilitation services for SMEs

In Aviva’s latest SME research*, 57 per cent of employers surveyed agreed that nowadays employees expect benefits to protect against loss of income or earnings. What do you offer your people?

Partner content

What are the benefits of business broadband?

Business broadband offers a host of advantages over standard domestic connections, here’s why you should be considering an upgrade

Partner content

How should I select my business broadband provider?

As with any supplier, it’s important to do your research and ask important questions before you select a broadband provider for your business. But what are the must-have things you should take into consideration?

Business Technology

Future-proof your business communications set-up

Landlines as we know them will be scrapped in 2027 – along with a raft of upcoming business changes. Here's how to ensure your communications set-up is fit for whatever the future brings