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.

Top tips for writing the perfect business plan

In this piece, we provide essential pointers on how to write the perfect business plan to help your company succeed.

Business Ideas & Planning

Starting a Business

Touker Suleyman 7 tips for starting your own business

Touker Suleyman, star of TV’s Dragons' Den, shares his top tips for starting your own business

Business Ideas & Planning

Five low-cost business ideas for your consideration

Here, we look at five of the most useful low-cost business ideas you can consider in any country

Sole trader

Becoming self-employed 

Becoming self-employed could mean less income, more responsibility and working longer hours. But freedom and independence cannot be underestimated, says Margaret Wood

Business Ideas & Planning

How to jump start your food truck business

If you've got a flair for cooking, opening your own food truck business can be a very rewarding and profitable experience, as we reveal in this piece.

Advice

Overcoming obstacles to start-up success

How can you avoid your new business being one of the 60% that fail within three years? Mark Wright, winner of The Apprentice, shares his experience

Business Ideas & Planning

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

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

Business Ideas & Planning

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

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

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

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.