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.
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.
Startup Funding and Grants
Sole trader
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
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
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
Setting up a company
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
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
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
Business Ideas & Planning
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
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
Business Ideas & Planning
James Birch of Colour Graphics shares five successful business ideas to launch, including businesses you can run from home.
Startup Funding and Grants
How important and challenging is it for company founders to assess a Seed EIS investment manager?
Advice
Matthew Cushen, co-founder at Worth Capital, explores the opportunities and dangers of starting a business now, during a pandemic
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
