Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Advice on how to start your own business, with guides to help you plan, develop and finance a start-up company, plus recommendations on registering the business, its legal structure and finding financial backing for growth. Whether you are just beginning or have already taken the first steps and want to keep everything on track, our expert articles will give you the knowledge to help lead you to success, whilst maintaining a good work-life balance.
Starting a business can initially seem daunting, but with good support and a strong idea you can quickly pass through the key stages of the setting-up process and be able to launch your company with a solid foundation.
Topics covered include: regulations and requirements for company owners, finding and selecting the professional services you may need (such as banking, insurance, accountancy etc.), legal structure options (self-employed person, sole trader, a partnership or a limited company), business planning, UK start up funding sources and finding your first customers.
Sara Davies, the latest investor on Dragons’ Den, began her company aged 21 while still at university. Today, Crafter’s Companion has become a £35m business. Sara shares 7 tips for other entrepreneurs setting out on their own
Success stories
Advice
Mattel, Harley Davidson and Disney all started out as side hustles. How can you turn your passion project into a business and escape your day job?
Advice
Start a New Business offers a step-by-step guide for the 81% of Britons looking to start their own business, with live shows in London, Birmingham and Glasgow
Setting up a company
Five tech start-ups launch per hour as business formations reach new record in 2019
Business Ideas & Planning
In partnership with BusinessesForSale.com, here are the things that you need to do to become a retail business owner.
Advice
Here, we give some step-by-step advice on preparing and starting up a wedding business.
Startup Funding and Grants
Funding can be key to the success of a business but securing the deal can be daunting. Mark Pearson of Fuel Ventures offers some tips when pitching to investors.
Business Ideas & Planning
From a shop that sells individual shoes for people with one leg to a pitch for a crashless plane, Angel Investment Network (AIN) co-founder Mike Lebus has seen it all.
Startup Funding and Grants
Funding can be key to the success of a business but securing the deal can be daunting. Mark Pearson of Fuel Ventures offers some tips when pitching to investors.
Business Ideas & Planning
From a shop that sells individual shoes for people with one leg to a pitch for a crashless plane, Angel Investment Network (AIN) co-founder Mike Lebus has seen it all.
Business Ideas & Planning
The threat of a hard Brexit has not gone away, it’s just been postponed. Manufacturer Victoria Brocklesby shares her tips for coping with the ongoing uncertainty
Advice
If you've ever thought of starting a business in Nottingham but weren't quite sure, we'll show you the pros and cons of life in the city.
Advice
In this piece, we give some tips on how to make a success of going into business with your spouse.
Partner content
Hospitality businesses have faced a number of challenges in the last couple of years. Find out what funding and support is available.
Business Loans
Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.
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