Category

Running a Business

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.

The importance of promoting yourself as a small business: SEO

Rebecca Scully, managing director of PR agency Smarts, discusses how changes in SEO mean businesses should be more scrupulous than ever in their online ranking efforts.

Marketing

Business management

Interflora case study: how new keyword advertising legislation could harm businesses

Trade mark specialist Rob White discusses significant changes in the keyword field in 2013 that businesses should know about.

Office & home working

Flexible working in businesses being held back by cultural barriers

Seven in ten office workers say they can get more done working away from the office and more than one third say they can be more creative when they are able to work flexibly, finds research.

Employing & managing staff

How your business can master employee contracts

Small businesses should not be nervous of the prospect of putting employee contracts together. While they can be complex without an HR or legal department, they certainly don't need to be. Adrian Hoggarth gives some simple advice to help.

Employing & managing staff

Why simple employee engagement can make all the difference in a small business

Entrepreneur Jonathan Richards gives some simple and cheap tips to looking after your staff that little bit better.

Business management

Expanding your horizons as a business – going international 

In the first of a two-part piece on looking international as a small company Ed Molyneux, co-founder of accounting system business FreeAgent, discusses taking his product to America.

Finding and selling to customers

How small businesses can access the data they need to become international

SmallBusiness.co.uk looks at the increasing need for companies to assess more accurately the viability of customers and suppliers.

Business Technology

Questions small businesses should ask about cloud computing – cloud applications, support and security

Last time on SmallBusiness.co.uk, we introduced the concept of cloud computing for new business owners. Here are some of the questions you should ask cloud providers about their service.

Finding and selling to customers

How small businesses can access the data they need to become international

SmallBusiness.co.uk looks at the increasing need for companies to assess more accurately the viability of customers and suppliers.

Business Technology

Questions small businesses should ask about cloud computing – cloud applications, support and security

Last time on SmallBusiness.co.uk, we introduced the concept of cloud computing for new business owners. Here are some of the questions you should ask cloud providers about their service.

Business Technology

Business IT security threatened by the use of inferior passwords 

One in five British businesses use ‘password’ as their password despite more than 70 per cent ranking IT security as vital for their work, according to new research.

Employing & managing staff

Shared parental leave for small businesses – the legal view

Three advisers and a business owner give their opinion on the proposed shared parental leave initiative.

Employing & managing staff

Small business owners lukewarm on RTI implementation

The introduction of real-time information reporting could prove to be a time-consuming nuisance, small business owners fear.

Legal advice

Small business legal advice – How to get the most out of your lawyer

Dealing with lawyers can be a daunting task when starting out in business. Riverview Law offers small businesses some advice on how to navigate the legal terrain.

Business Loans

A guide to getting a small business loan

Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.

Partner content

What are the funding options for hospitality businesses?

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

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