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.

What’s your favourite innovation – a VC’s advice to founders

Matthew Cushen, co-founder at Worth Capital, discusses his favourite innovation and his advice to small business founders

Business Ideas & Planning

Sole trader

Ceasing trading if you’re a sole trader – what to do

What do you need to do as a sole trader if you decide to wind up your business? Emma Twynholm of Hillier Hopkins offers a step-by-step guide

Startup Funding and Grants

Former Start-Up Series winner discusses his next funding round – Ed Bird, Bird Eyewear

By securing equity investment from The Start-Up Series competition, Ed Bird created a sustainable fashion eyewear business with a social conscience. Now, he's focused on the business' next funding round.

Sole trader

Setting up as a sole trader – a business is born

Setting up as a sole trader is the preferred option for many businesses starting out. James Johnson guides you through what to do

Sole trader

How to become a sole trader

Setting up as a self-employed sole trader is a simple way to start a business. In this guide, we show you how to do it.

Success stories

Winning the Start-Up Series – Mathew Norbury, FC Labs

Wearable brain imaging technology tells you when your alertness is dropping and it’s time to take a break. Think of it as PPE for mental performance

Advice

Starting your own currency brokerage firm is a horrible idea

Setting up a company

Forming a company: Choose your trading type

Joanne Harris of accountants Nixon Williams shows you the different options when it comes to setting up on your own and working for yourself

Advice

Starting your own currency brokerage firm is a horrible idea

Setting up a company

Forming a company: Choose your trading type

Joanne Harris of accountants Nixon Williams shows you the different options when it comes to setting up on your own and working for yourself

Business Ideas & Planning

How to get more from your business plan

Is your business plan gathering dust in a draw somewhere? Here’s why it’s time to adopt a fresh approach that will inject new life into your enterprise

Success stories

Winning the Start-Up Series – Henry Acevedo, Fox Robotics

Nearly a quarter of the time spent fruit picking is trundling produce back and forth to collection points. Fox Robotics uses robots to help workers spend their time more productively

Advice

Tips on running a B&B

What should I know about running a B&B?

Business Ideas & Planning

Five successful small business ideas for 2021

James Birch of Colour Graphics shares five successful business ideas to launch, including businesses you can run from home.

Business Technology

Why you should upgrade your tech now rather than later

To run an optimal business, you must have optimal tech. We explain why you must upgrade your business technology on a regular basis

Investing in a franchise

Should I buy a franchise or go solo?

Starting a new business is an exciting venture. But – especially in well-established industry sectors – a key question is whether it would be better to buy a franchise or go solo.

Partner content

16 ways to improve your business cash flow

Read here for 16 tried and tested tips and tricks to improve potential cash flow problems

Business management

How to create good cashflow habits

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