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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.

Register as a sole trader

How can you begin to nurture a small business? How do you register as a sole trader and where can you get the necessary forms?

Sole trader

Advice

Amanda Christie on starting the mysinglefriend.com online business

Amanda Christie set up online singles network Mysinglefriend.com with her childhood friend Sarah Beeny, presenter of Channel 4's Property Ladder programme. The website takes a different approach to online dating, attempting to remove the stigma. It is now one of the top online dating sites in the UK. SmallBusiness.co.uk caught up with her to find out how she did it.

Advice

Getting started in the buy-to-let business

For some, buying a property to let can generate a full-time income, and the task of managing more than one or two properties can become a job in itself.

Work life balance

Balance home and work life

Most of us have suffered from some form of stress at some point trying to balance home and work life. Learning to identify the symptoms is a good starting point and these tips from SmallBusiness.co.uk and BUPA offer some practical advice.

Business Ideas & Planning

Getting your product design brief right

Ask a successful designer what the most important part of developing a product is and they’re most likely to say the briefing phase, notes Tim Gluyas, director of inventors’ resource IdeasintoProfit. Without a clear brief, it can prove almost impossible to design and develop a commercially successful product.

Startup Funding and Grants

Funding a start-up from a limited company

How can I use surplus cash in my existing limited company to fund my new start-up business?

Business Ideas & Planning

Registering in the UK, living in France

I need to know if it is possible to have a business registered in the UK with a UK address but the owners lives in France. All taxes would be paid in the UK and the business would only have UK operations but our residential address is French.

Work life balance

Returning to work as a parent

As a mother of two and founder of WorkingMums.co.uk, Gillian Nissim says she knows what it is like to try to get back into work and start a business after having a child. SmallBusiness.co.uk asked her to touch on some of the issues faced by mums returning to work and offer some insights.

Business Ideas & Planning

Registering in the UK, living in France

I need to know if it is possible to have a business registered in the UK with a UK address but the owners lives in France. All taxes would be paid in the UK and the business would only have UK operations but our residential address is French.

Work life balance

Returning to work as a parent

As a mother of two and founder of WorkingMums.co.uk, Gillian Nissim says she knows what it is like to try to get back into work and start a business after having a child. SmallBusiness.co.uk asked her to touch on some of the issues faced by mums returning to work and offer some insights.

Business Ideas & Planning

Business plan dos and don’ts

Seeking funding for your new business can be a real challenge. Meeting with potential investors or banks is daunting, but having a sturdy business plan to back you up should help boost your confidence and your chances of gaining finance. Here are some top tips from SmallBusiness.co.uk.

Sole trader

Raising an invoice as a sole trader

When raising an invoice as a sole trader, do I have to raise it in my name or can I use the title I am trading under. For example if I am John Smith t/a JS Associates, can I just use JS Associates?

Advice

A guide to leasehold premises

Many companies don't want to buy freehold premises, preferring to take a lease for a set number of years or 'term'. Nicola Heaney of Sherrards Solicitors explains what to look out for when taking a leasehold premises.

Sole trader

Employing “zero hours” staff

As a sole trader I want to take on a first employee, but want to guard against a drop in business activity. Is offering a “zero hours” contract a possible answer and what are the implications?

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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