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.
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
Employing & managing staff
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
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
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.
Employing & managing staff
Small firms may not be getting the best out of their staff because they are failing to offer them adequate incentives, says business finance firm Bibby Financial Services.
Office & home working
Recent research from YouGov of over 1,150 business owners and managers shows that half of UK bosses based in an urban environment are dreaming of escaping the rat race to find their own small slice of rural happiness.
Business management
SmallBusiness.co.uk asks a seasoned 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? Glenda Stone, Founder and CEO of Aurora, offers her pearls of wisdom.
Finding and selling to customers
PR is often considered untouchable by small businesses and best left to the experts and bigger players. But getting good media coverage needn’t be scary or complex.
Business management
SmallBusiness.co.uk asks a seasoned 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? Glenda Stone, Founder and CEO of Aurora, offers her pearls of wisdom.
Finding and selling to customers
PR is often considered untouchable by small businesses and best left to the experts and bigger players. But getting good media coverage needn’t be scary or complex.
Employing & managing staff
What are an employee's rights on smoking within the work day? i.e. Are they entitled to specified breaks?
Business Technology
A website can be the key to business growth and unlock markets across the globe, but the wrong website will be overlooked almost as soon as it's been visited. Visitors make up their mind about the quality of a website in seconds so if you don't do it right you'll miss vital opportunities, giving the edge to your competition.
Employing & managing staff
Employing non-UK nationals can bring with it a variety of benefits, may reduce workforce shortages and can help promote equality and diversity. Yet business owners need to understand how to comply with relevant legislation and make sure the candidate is legally employable in the UK.
Small Business Insurance
Professional indemnity insurance cover could protect your business from financially crippling and often reputation-damaging claims by dissatisfied clients. Find out how.
Partner content
Business broadband offers a host of advantages over standard domestic connections, here’s why you should be considering an upgrade
Partner content
As with any supplier, it’s important to do your research and ask important questions before you select a broadband provider for your business. But what are the must-have things you should take into consideration?
Business Technology
Landlines as we know them will be scrapped in 2027 – along with a raft of upcoming business changes. Here's how to ensure your communications set-up is fit for whatever the future brings
Business Loans
Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.