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.

Ten tips for making your early stage company a success

Here are ten pointers to ensuring you maximise your potential as an early-stage company.

Advice

Advice

Six things small businesses need to know about image licensing

Unlicensed use of images can result in a big fine for small businesses. Rebecca Swift, head of creative planning for iStock, explains how to avoid trouble when selecting images for branding campaigns.

Advice

Sharing ownership in start-ups

In part one of a series, Peter Rouse discusses the concept of shared ownership in new businesses.

Advice

What small companies can be doing to drive business growth

Tim Pat Dufficy discusses how small businesses can rebuild and re-evaluate following a long period of economic uncertainty.

Investing in a franchise

Adapting your business model to become a franchise

Beatrice Bartlay discusses the ins and outs of converting your company into a franchise format.

Business Ideas & Planning

What makes a successful entrepreneur?

Simon Middleton believes there is a specific pattern which highlights those entepreneurs most likely to succeed. He tells all to SmallBusiness.co.uk.

Advice

Why having an amazing business concept doesn’t guarantee success

Great ideas need funding - but raising money can be more complicated than you think. Ward Williams Creative examines a company that looked great on paper but faced significant obstacles to getting to market.

Setting up a company

Setting up a business: Sole trader vs limited company

Emily Coltman of Freeagent discusses the main differences between registering as a sole trader and as a limited company.

Advice

Why having an amazing business concept doesn’t guarantee success

Great ideas need funding - but raising money can be more complicated than you think. Ward Williams Creative examines a company that looked great on paper but faced significant obstacles to getting to market.

Setting up a company

Setting up a business: Sole trader vs limited company

Emily Coltman of Freeagent discusses the main differences between registering as a sole trader and as a limited company.

Business Ideas & Planning

Five tips for choosing the best name for your start-up

What's in a name? Toby Vacher of enthuse.me discusses the key considerations when naming your business.

Work life balance

How to have it all: Growing a start-up and a family, without losing either

Phil Rothwell, marketing director of SellerDeck, discusses the art of sustaining a business and a family at the same time.

Advice

The ten biggest mistakes made by SMEs

Katherine Evans, PR and marketing executive at 08 Direct, looks at how the main pitfalls of running a small business can be avoided.

Business Ideas & Planning

Is your business investment-ready?

Here are some questions you should ask yourself before your company prepares for a funding round.

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