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.

Advice on toilet and washroom facilities

What are the regulations for toilet and washroom facilities for a small, mixed-sex workforce?

Office & home working

Employing & managing staff

Cure needed for sick leave

Employee sick leave is proving to be a headache for nearly a quarter of small to medium-sized business owners and managers in the UK, according to research from Bibby Financial Services.

Legal advice

Starting up while still employed

It is tempting to set up as a sole trader while remaining in full-time employment, but it is wise to find out where you stand legally first. You will need to refer to your contract of employment with your current employer.

Legal advice

Advice on withdrawing an offer of employment

Can a verbal offer of employment be withdrawn?

Business Technology

Businesses without premises

You do not necessarily need an office to run a small business; a virtual office could be all you need. Or with the advent of even more technology, you may not even need that.

Legal advice

Intellectual property: is yours safe?

Entrepreneurial businesses can make their fortunes through intellectual property. If they can hang onto it long enough, that is. Robert Tyerman investigates the murky world of IP protection

Finding and selling to customers

Dealing with dissatisfied customers

Nobody likes disappointed customers, but if your business handles complaints well you could find an angry one becomes a loyal advocate of your business. Alex Tomlin explains how.

Legal advice

Stay ahead of changes in legislation

All businesses need to stay on top of legislative changes. It has never been easier to do so thanks to the introduction of Common Commencement Dates. This means that most new laws affecting businesses now come into play on one of two dates each year, either April or October, making it easier for business to remember compliance timings.

Finding and selling to customers

Dealing with dissatisfied customers

Nobody likes disappointed customers, but if your business handles complaints well you could find an angry one becomes a loyal advocate of your business. Alex Tomlin explains how.

Legal advice

Stay ahead of changes in legislation

Business Technology

Making a transactional website

There are two considerations to take into account when looking at making a site transactional: how are clients going to place orders and how are you going to receive payments?

Employing & managing staff

Healthy body, healthy business

Managers should keep an eye on the profit and loss of their health as much as they do on the health of their business, suggests Dr Dorian Dugmore, Secretary General of the World Council for Cardio Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and one of the speakers at Inspire2006 - the UK's first event for chief executives for SMEs.

Employing & managing staff