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.

Mobile catering: A guide to managing festival season

Peter Moore, CEO of Lolly, offers some tips for mobile catering start-ups and discusses getting your festival proposition right.

Business Ideas & Planning

Advice

How is Brexit affecting the UK tourism?

With Brexit affecting every aspect of UK life, from business to travel, we take a look at how the vote will affect the UK tourism industry.

Advice

Why every business needs to be prepared for disaster

Here, Jo Gibson, operations director at Payment Bureau First Capital Cashflow, tells us why you need to be prepared for disaster.

Advice

Manufacturing business: How to grow domestically and globally

Paul Bennett, managing director of manufacturing business Fascia Graphics, discusses how the graphic overlays and membrane keypads supplier gained traction in the market.

Startup Funding and Grants

Business and homeowners: What do lenders want to know about my home?

Conrad Ford, chief executive of Funding Options, addresses why lenders need to know whether customers are homeowners, and the implications.

Business Ideas & Planning

Music teacher: How to launch your tutoring business online

Here, guitar tutor Gianluca Chiarella gives some pointers for those thinking of becoming a music teacher.

Advice

A question of values

Here, Iain Thomson, director of Incentive & Recognition at Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services, outlines the advantage of instilling core values in your business.

Advice

Start-up success: From idea to launch in six months

David Spencer-Percival discusses how he found start-up success with his drinks company No1 Rosemary Water, despite having no prior experience of the industry.

Advice

A question of values

Here, Iain Thomson, director of Incentive & Recognition at Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services, outlines the advantage of instilling core values in your business.

Advice

Start-up success: From idea to launch in six months

David Spencer-Percival discusses how he found start-up success with his drinks company No1 Rosemary Water, despite having no prior experience of the industry.

Advice

‘Don’t strangle the self-employed’ The IPSE message to political parties

With the 2017 General Election right around the corner, IPSE warns parties to listen to the needs of the self-employed.

Advice

The unofficial guide to unofficial office party etiquette

Here, TeamTactics gives us their unofficial guide to unofficial office party ethics and etiquette.

Investing in a franchise

Small business franchising: The easiest way to grow your company?

Philip Ciniglio, CEO of Bartercard, discusses the small business franchising opportunity and what company owners should be aware of.

Advice

Failure is an option – and part of a business’ evolution

Here, Jan Chmiel, managing director of Vistage International (UK), explores why we fear failure and how we can overcome that fear in business.

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