Category

Starting a Business

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.

Invoice financing and the cash flow challenge

Here's why invoice financing is a great way to achieve realistic, yet lucrative results.

Startup Funding and Grants

Work life balance

One in seven people are unhappy with their work-life balance

New research on office workers show the work-life balance of employees is disproportionate, with many working outside of work hours.

Advice

The importance of trust and integrity for your brand

Delivering a quality product or service will form the foundations of your success, but your business needs real values to guarantee it, as we discuss in this piece.

Advice

The advantages of chartering a private jet for business travel

Here, we look at the value of flying privately for business owners.

Business Ideas & Planning

How to make a brand-new business idea a success

David Sonnenthal, director and founder of New Bond Street Pawnbrokers, speaks about his experience starting a high-end pawn shop, and how entrepreneurs with fresh ideas can learn from his experiences.

Advice

The growth paradox

Here, Dr David Cliff, managing director of Gedanken, analyses the growth paradox that small businesses face.

Advice

Seven tips for first-time business owners

Here are seven tips that you can use to assist you out of a tight spot and get your business back on track.

Advice

What goes bump in the office? Five biggest fears about our careers

With Face your Fears day taking place in a few weeks (17th October) a new survey highlights UK’s biggest professional fears.

Advice

Seven tips for first-time business owners

Here are seven tips that you can use to assist you out of a tight spot and get your business back on track.

Advice

What goes bump in the office? Five biggest fears about our careers

With Face your Fears day taking place in a few weeks (17th October) a new survey highlights UK’s biggest professional fears.

Advice

Why you need to get your business ready for winter

Here, Emily Coltman, chief accountant at FreeAgent, gives her tips on how to get your business into shape and running as smoothly as possible during the autumn and winter months.

Advice

Creating a business uniform for the first time

Here are some of the considerations you should make when creating your first business uniform.

Advice

Five tips to grow your small business

Here are five simple, yet effective tips that will help you grow your small business.

Advice

Disrupt and innovate: The future of insurance

There are three key areas in which the future of insurance is already being influenced.

Employing & managing staff

The importance of vocational rehabilitation services for SMEs

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

What are the benefits of business broadband?

Business broadband offers a host of advantages over standard domestic connections, here’s why you should be considering an upgrade

Partner content

How should I select my business broadband provider?

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

Future-proof your business communications set-up

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