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.

Employer PAYE returns: common errors

The deadline for filing your Employer PAYE end-of-year returns is mid-May. To make sure you get the best out of online filing, SmallBusiness.co.uk and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have put together this list of common errors to help you avoid making the same mistakes.

Accounting

Accounting

Claiming VAT on postage

Can I claim VAT on postage as it has been pointed out to me the receipts have a VAT no. on them?

Accounting

Tax liabilities when selling a business?

I'm approaching retirement and looking to sell my business. Will there be taxes to pay?

Accounting

Chasing bad debt

I am a freelance designer and I find it impossible to get people to pay me on time. What’s worse, I often end up taking a discount on what I have charged just to get paid because I am short of money. What can I do?

Accounting

Effective cash flow

One of the critical elements of running a successful business is being able to manage your cash flow.

Government Grants

Start up business grants

I have a great fledgling business but cannot move forward as I need money for advertising on the Internet. Are there any start-up business grants still available in this country? Can you suggest other methods of spreading the word?

Accounting

Deferring state pension: Good idea?

I am self-employed and shall be 65 on April 3rd and my wife is 62. I intend to draw a deferred pension accrued from when I was working. I understand my tax allowance will be increased this year. If I continue to work for a couple of years or so, and also employ my wife, part-time, to carry out book-keeping, what are the tax implications?

Accounting

How to forecast more accurately

If you already run a business, you will have a trading history and will be able to use this to make decisions about the future.

Accounting

Deferring state pension: Good idea?

I am self-employed and shall be 65 on April 3rd and my wife is 62. I intend to draw a deferred pension accrued from when I was working. I understand my tax allowance will be increased this year. If I continue to work for a couple of years or so, and also employ my wife, part-time, to carry out book-keeping, what are the tax implications?

Accounting

How to forecast more accurately

If you already run a business, you will have a trading history and will be able to use this to make decisions about the future.

Alternative finance

How to punch above your financial weight

A key element of business growth is having the finance available to make the most of opportunities as they arise. Maintaining a steady cash flow and securing additional funds for expansion and development are two of the biggest challenges facing smaller firms.

Accounting

Buying property through a company

Can a private individual set up a company to buy houses and then buy their own house through that company and rent it back? Are there any benefits of doing this?

Tax

Taxman clamps down on dividends

An increasingly tough approach from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) means owner-manager shareholders could pay a high price for failing to stick closely to the rules relating to dividend payments.

Tax

Tax exemptions for home-based workers

I would like to find out what tax exemptions are available for home-based workers, if any, i.e. in terms of vehicle usage. Unfortunately, the Inland Revenue site is abysmal to say the least. Can you help?

Business Technology

How to keep your small business safe online

Here's how Security Service Edge from Vodafone can help to protect your SME from ever-increasing cyber threats

Business Technology

How to grow a global creative agency in record time

Find out how creative agency, Myth Studio, used technology to grow their business and quadruple their staff count in 18 months

Partner content

Attracting and keeping top talent through Total Reward

Employment benefits specialist, Drewberry, explain why you should base your benefits around a Total Reward Strategy

Partner content

5 things every small business owner needs to know before starting

HSBC - Advertising feature