Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
This section takes you through every important aspect of how to run a successful business. It offers expert guides and advice articles on the key elements of business management such as employing staff, finding customers, marketing and sales, pricing, people management, office and home working, business technology and everything else an entrepreneur must tackle in order to succeed.
Ensuring you have the right team in place is of crucial importance when establishing and growing your business. HR guru Beatrice Bartlay gives tips on employing and retaining staff.
Employing & managing staff
Finding and selling to customers
Networking guru Rob Brown discusses how the lead generation process when networking bears a close resemblance to that of online dating.
Business management
Looking after existing customers has been cited as the most popular reason for surviving during the recession, the Bank of Cyprus UK says.
Marketing
Consumers and business buyers are willing to pay up to 10 per cent more for brands that offer interesting content and engaging social media experiences, research finds.
Marketing
Anil Stocker, founder of MarketInvoice, discusses how he was able to slowly build up a user base for his online finance platform.
Employing & managing staff
What is the process if I need to reduce the hours of someone from full time to part time? Do I issue them with a letter and how much notice do I need to provide?
Office & home working
Geraint Evans discusses the ramifications of starting a company in a domestic setting and the options available for expanding.
Marketing
Jasper Martens, head of marketing and communications at Simply Business, discusses how a small company should approach SEO with Google's algorithm changes in mind.
Office & home working
Geraint Evans discusses the ramifications of starting a company in a domestic setting and the options available for expanding.
Marketing
Jasper Martens, head of marketing and communications at Simply Business, discusses how a small company should approach SEO with Google's algorithm changes in mind.
Finding and selling to customers
Bigger companies want to do things on their own terms and this can often mean taking advantage of their small suppliers. Phil Rothwell reveals how a small business can stand its ground in the face of corporate muscle.
Marketing
Holly Barber of FireText Communications presents five reasons for texting customers and prospects.
Employing & managing staff
Small companies are advised to spend up to a year preparing for pension changes, which come into effect in 2014. Jonathan Cowan of Sage discusses the measures small businesses should take.
Business management
Chloe Thomas reveals the measures small companies should take to make sure they maximise the most lucrative time of the year.
Business Loans
Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.
Partner content
Hospitality businesses have faced a number of challenges in the last couple of years. Find out what funding and support is available.
Employing & managing staff
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
Business broadband offers a host of advantages over standard domestic connections, here’s why you should be considering an upgrade