Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
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.
Wouldn't it be great if there was a way you could start a business of your own with a much greater chance of survival than the average start-up? Well, there is and that method is called business format franchising and here's how it works...
Investing in a franchise
Business Ideas & Planning
Do you want to sell to the common man or to the more priviliged, is your product something for shops, for the internet or for both? Use this checklist to find your target market.
Business Ideas & Planning
What's in a name? Quite a lot actually. One of the most important decisions you will have to make is what to call your new business.
Business Ideas & Planning
Your business plan is key to keeping your mind on long-term strategic goals while dealing with the day-to-day problems. Here's what it should contain.
Business Ideas & Planning
There's a lot of issues to consider when starting up for the first time and this short guide will help clarify what those are.
Advice
Running your own business means you must wear a range of hats: financial controller, marketer, people manager and more.
Business Ideas & Planning
You have a great idea for your business and you're champing at the bit to get it up and running. But first, take a few minutes to make sure you are absolutely ready.
Business Ideas & Planning
Deciding to start your own business is one of the biggest decisions you will have to make. This checklist from the Small Business Guide reveals the questions you need to ask yourself before you take the plunge.
Business Ideas & Planning
You have a great idea for your business and you're champing at the bit to get it up and running. But first, take a few minutes to make sure you are absolutely ready.
Business Ideas & Planning
Deciding to start your own business is one of the biggest decisions you will have to make. This checklist from the Small Business Guide reveals the questions you need to ask yourself before you take the plunge.
Advice
When first setting up a business there are many issues to consider, not least what whether to register as a company or not.
Business Ideas & Planning
Writing a business plan or proposal is a difficult but vital skill for anyone starting up, with many issues to consider and include.
Advice
The first thing you need to consider is whether a trade association already exists.
Investing in a franchise
Husband and wife Graham and Pam Bastow have been running the Blazes store in Wakefield for almost 3 years and cannot speak highly enough of the fireplace retail franchisor.
Employing & managing staff
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
Business broadband offers a host of advantages over standard domestic connections, here’s why you should be considering an upgrade
Partner content
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
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