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.

Get funding from the Angels

If you are thinking about starting or growing a business, one of the toughest challenges you will face is securing funding for the project. Are Business Angels a solution?

Startup Funding and Grants

Business Ideas & Planning

How to write your business plan

A business plan is not only essential for starting a business or for raising funds, but it is vital for running the business. It will help you keep on a specific course or alert you to situations when things are not going to plan and force you to take action.

Business Ideas & Planning

To what address should I register my business?

I am going to start up a new business. I don't want to register my home address, although I will be using my home as my office. What are my options and can I do this?

Advice

The benefits of executive coaching

SmallBusiness.co.uk investigates how executives can gain value from an assessment of their performance as a leader.

Advice

Laying the groundwork for business social networking

Serial entrepreneur Frank Joshi learned about business the hard way. He reveals the trials and tribulations of his career before he started social business software company Mvine.

Business Ideas & Planning

Tatiana Karelina’s Extensive Success

Tatiana Karelina launched Tatiana Hair Extensions in January 2009 and her company is now approaching £1,000,000 in turnover.

Startup Funding and Grants

Becoming an angel investor

Becoming a business angel can be hugely rewarding, personally and financially, but it’s not as easy as they make it look on the TV.

Business Ideas & Planning

Keeping tabs on cabs – Lorenzo Caffarri of ubiCabs

Lorenzo Caffarri co-founded ubiCabs with Jay Patel in October 2010. The company locates and books taxi services in London.

Startup Funding and Grants

Becoming an angel investor

Becoming a business angel can be hugely rewarding, personally and financially, but it’s not as easy as they make it look on the TV.

Business Ideas & Planning

Keeping tabs on cabs – Lorenzo Caffarri of ubiCabs

Lorenzo Caffarri co-founded ubiCabs with Jay Patel in October 2010. The company locates and books taxi services in London.

Advice

Business Lessons – Learning the hard way

Aamir Ahmad, founder of furniture company Dwell, tells SmallBusiness.co.uk what he learned from his mistakes in business.

Advice

Entrepreneur and Mentor – Paul Ragan

Paul Ragan built a multimillion-pound insurance business with Motaquote. Now he passes on his pearls of wisdom through his mentoring service for fellow entrepreneurs.

Advice

Sage start-ups and older entrepreneurs

Old age doesn't have to be about daytime TV, free bus passes and gardening. SmallBusiness.co.uk meets the older entrepreneurs who have decided to be their own boss a little later in life.

Startup Funding and Grants

Using Business Angel Networks to Raise Finance

Angel investor networks are fast becoming the only funding option for early-stage companies. SmallBusiness.co.uk investigates.

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