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.

Choosing the right product packaging and labelling

Here's how good presentation of your product can be a marketing tool as of itself.

Advice

Advice

How to proceed in the event of an employee being arrested 

Amy Paxton, senior employment consultant at Croner, explores the course of action to take when an employee is connected to a criminal offence.

Advice

How to choose the right envelopes for your direct mail campaign

Making sure you send your direct mail in the right type of envelope may not be top of your priorities, but it's key to getting the most bang for your marketing buck.

Advice

Striking the right balance between a defensive and proactive strategy in business

The short-term mindset of downsizing is more practical for larger businesses than small, argues David Cliff in this piece.

Work life balance

How I balance work and home life as an entrepreneur

E-commerce expert Simon Horton talks about how he manages to balance work and home life as an entrepreneur running his own business.

Startup Funding and Grants

The five M’s of choosing a business investment

Craig Peterson looks at the investor's perspective in finding the most attractive businesses.

Advice

Three tips for effective internal communication

Ian Cowley reveals some low-cost ways of connecting better with your employees.

Advice

Why failing is not necessarily a problem for a small business

Elizabetta Camilleri discusses a key mistake she made in her business SalesGossip, and how learning from it made the company stronger.

Advice

Three tips for effective internal communication

Ian Cowley reveals some low-cost ways of connecting better with your employees.

Advice

Why failing is not necessarily a problem for a small business

Elizabetta Camilleri discusses a key mistake she made in her business SalesGossip, and how learning from it made the company stronger.

Business Ideas & Planning

Considering the personal cost of setting up a company

Erin Walls, a specialist business advisor for SMEs at Ward Williams Creative, looks at the important personal considerations that need to be made before going into business.

Startup Funding and Grants

Fundraising and building a business: Lessons learned

Richard Healy, co-founder of BaseKit, discusses the importance of getting the first-round funding pitch right.

Advice

Five things I would have done differently in my small business 

Tom Skinner, managing director of marketing company Go Up, reveals what he would have changed if he could have started again.

Advice

Why a partnership proposition wasn’t the right choice for my business

E-commerce expert Simon Horton shares why some partnership 'opportunities' can be more trouble than they're worth.

Partner content

What are the funding options for hospitality businesses?

Hospitality businesses have faced a number of challenges in the last couple of years. Find out what funding and support is available.

Business Loans

A guide to getting a small business loan

Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your 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