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.

Advertise jobs internally or externally?

If a position of employment becomes available, does it have to be advertised or offered internally first?

Employing & managing staff

Employing & managing staff

Employing part-time bar staff

I run a bar and employ four part-time staff. Two of them have full-time jobs. Do I need to issue them with a contract of employment and how does holiday pay work in this instance?

Employing & managing staff

Rules for compassionate leave time off work paid or unpaid

An employee's brother has unfortunately died. What are the rules for time off paid or unpaid?

Buying and selling a company

Regulations when selling a partnership business

I started my business in partnership 15 years ago. Can you advise me on selling my half of the business, I understand my partner has first refusal.

Business management

Lessons Learned: Mark Chadwick, Founder and Director, Carbon Clear

SmallBusiness.co.uk asks an inspirational entrepreneur to share their experiences and offer advice for SMEs. With the benefit of hindsight, what do they wish they'd known when they started? This week it's Mark Chadwick, founder and director of carbon emissions management company Carbon Clear.

Business Technology

Setting up shop online

Setting up an online arm of your business can offer many benefits, not to mention a further route to market.

Employing & managing staff

Personal hygiene issues

One of my staff regularly smells of urine. Despite sympathetically asking her on many occasions to address the problem she has failed to do so. What is the position regarding her employment? If I have to, can I ask her to leave?

Business Technology

Accepting credit card payments

I am starting a business and hope to have customers all over the United Kingdom and Ireland. I need to know how to set up the acceptance of credit cards for over-the-phone payments. Can you help?

Employing & managing staff

Personal hygiene issues

One of my staff regularly smells of urine. Despite sympathetically asking her on many occasions to address the problem she has failed to do so. What is the position regarding her employment? If I have to, can I ask her to leave?

Business Technology

Accepting credit card payments

I am starting a business and hope to have customers all over the United Kingdom and Ireland. I need to know how to set up the acceptance of credit cards for over-the-phone payments. Can you help?

Employing & managing staff

Am I obliged to offer a pension scheme?

I'm just about to launch a domestic cleaning and laundry business and plan to recruit up to 20 people over the next 2 - 3 years. Am I obliged to offer some sort of access to a pension scheme, either now or in line with my predicted growth of employee numbers? There seems to be lots of advice out there but much of it is conflicting.

Employing & managing staff

Guide to induction and training

The usual definition of induction is a formal introduction of a new employee to a job. However, Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula and SmallBusiness.co.uk, our Q&A panel expert, feels that induction and training should not only happen at the start of employment, but ‘should be ongoing in order to provide solutions to problems as the job duties change’.

Employing & managing staff

Lateness: a ‘national epidemic’

It seems Monday is the day that most of us are late for work, with 65 per cent of all tardiness occurring at the start of the week, says a new survey of 2,149 employees across the UK.

Marketing

Top blog content tips

There are now more than 66 million 'weblogs' or online diaries published on the internet, with an additional 175,000 estimated to be created every day. For small businesses, these 'blogs' are a largely untapped resource that can provide your company with a competitive edge.

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

Small business owners: discover alternative funding solutions to help fuel your growth

Business Technology

Why you should upgrade your tech now rather than later

To run an optimal business, you must have optimal tech. We explain why you must upgrade your business technology on a regular basis

Investing in a franchise

Should I buy a franchise or go solo?

Starting a new business is an exciting venture. But – especially in well-established industry sectors – a key question is whether it would be better to buy a franchise or go solo.