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.
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
Legal advice
Can a verbal offer of employment be withdrawn?
Business Technology
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
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
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
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.
Business Technology
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
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.
Business Technology
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
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
If I am self-employed, can I get any sick pay when I have an operation?
Finding and selling to customers
Targeting the right person in a company is critical, but not always easy.
Business management
Statistics show that in the first quarter of 2006 the number of company liquidations rose by 17 per cent on the same period of the previous year. To improve your chances of survival, Bibby Financial Services is offering these basic business tips.
Marketing
Even in the fad-friendly world of the internet, podcasting has become something of a phenomenon of late. But is podcasting simply the latest craze being toyed with by creative media types or is there more commercial substance behind it? Opinion is divided.
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