ByteStart is delighted to announce the launch of a new service to help businesses cut their energy costs. Created in conjunction with the UK’s leading business energy price comparison service, Make It Cheaper, the partnership gives you access to brilliant value business energy, broadband and phone deals.
The area of tax for small businesses is not straightforward, in fact it can be a real minefield for the unwary. However, if you take a little time, and work with your accountant, it’s usually possible to find ways to save some tax. To help you think about ways you and your business could pay […]
Virtually every business now relies on technology to trade successfully so need to invest in the right technology. For large businesses, this is rarely an issue, but for early stage and small businesses, these can be big decisions and the wrong ones can cause real problems. This guide aims to help you make the right decisions when it comes to IT and telecoms. (more…)
Even in an age of digital marketing, the use of direct mail as a way of attracting and converting new customers as well as touching base with previous clients remains a tried and tested technique. However, if you make any of these common direct mail mistakes, you will almost certainly be wasting time, paper, ink and postage. (more…)
Making Tax Digital (MTD) is arguably the biggest change to the UK’s tax system for a generation, so here’s a quick walkthrough of what MTD means for small businesses, together with five practical steps to help you tackle the changes. (more…)
Equity crowdfunding has flourished as a key form of alternative finance for early and growth stage businesses. It’s become a great alternative to bank loans and other traditional funding sources, allowing entrepreneurs to engage a crowd of passionate investors for financial backing.
However, the popularity of equity crowdfunding has left platforms, like Crowdcube and Seedrs, rather overcrowded with hundreds of active campaigns at any one time. (more…)
For some people, power (and therefore impact) sits in symbols of power such as a corner office, a nice company car or an executive assistant.
Symbols can, at times, play an impactful role but real and lasting impact is so much bigger than that. It’s how you conduct yourself, your actions and behaviours, that will speak the loudest. And if you do that effectively, you definitely don’t need to have the biggest office to have an impact. (more…)
As a small business owner fundraising can be a daunting prospect but digital technology is changing this. You can now raise the funds you need to develop and expand your business in a way which you’ll find more user-friendly and which puts you in control of the process. (more…)
Young businesses and start-ups that are looking to raise funding have a dizzying array of choices nowadays. In fact, there has probably never been a bigger range of places to go for early-stage finance, from crowdfunding and angel investors through to government-backed start-up loans and P2P lenders. (more…)
5G is the word on everyone’s lips at the moment, with the UK recently taking strides to develop its network infrastructure. The technology is expected to be rolled out properly by 2020 and hit over one billion connections by 2025.
The fifth generation of mobile networks promises even faster download speeds, less lag and a more stable connection than existing 3 and 4G. But what does this mean for businesses, and how can they prepare for its arrival to get first-mover advantage? (more…)
Most entrepreneurs really struggle to bring in investment without the proper tools to bolster their proposition. An engaging pitch deck is a key part of any successful fundraising strategy, so it’s vital to get it right.
With no clear consensus on what a great pitch deck for raising funds looks like, we asked funding expert, John Auckland to share the insight he has gleaned from a series of successful fundraisings. (more…)
Whether you are pitching for new business, updating a client on their project or doing some face-to-face business networking, you need to act fast.
As Lyn Roseaman of Toastmasters International explains, you have less than 10 seconds to grab your audience’s attention, and show them you’re going to talk about something they’ll value or that you are someone they’ll want to work with. (more…)
Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) play a part in improving your business telecoms? Will it impact landline, VoIP, Mobile or fibre/copper broadband services? Mike Ianiri, of Equinox looks at where developments in AI can benefit business telecoms.
The highly controversial payday loans industry is under further criticism, but this time it is not towards the lenders, but the claims companies. With the window to claim for PPI coming to a close in August this year, many claims providers are turning their attention to the potentially lucrative mis-sold payday loans industry.
In a competitive marketplace you can’t always give staff cash bonuses or pay rises. Rewarding employees with other forms of incentives can help you to overcome this and also lead to a more productive workplace where people want to work.
Is your company an authority in its chosen market? If it’s not — it should be. Being seen as an authority in your line of work is a key part of attracting customers, so here are 4 ways you can build your authority and get yourself ahead of the competition.
When it comes to selling your business, there are a number of routes you can take. To ensure your business sale goes smoothly and you get full value for your business, we look at the process of selling a small business and highlight some of the key considerations you will need to make.
Networking is a skill you can acquire just like any other. Sure, while you’re learning you might make some mistakes but the reality is, mistakes are lessons to learn from. To help you quickly master the skills you’ll need, here are 5 networking hacks.
Copper is dead. Long live fibre broadband – or so the ISPs will have you believe. But as Mike Ianiri of Equinox, explains, fibre broadband will soon be overtaken by better alternatives so businesses should not be tempted to install it.
Entrepreneurs usually need investors to stump up the funding to fuel their dreams. The mistake many make is putting a huge effort into persuading investors to back them, only to neglect them once they have invested. This approach is damaging, especially when you need more investment for your next phase of growth, so we asked, […]
Resilience determines whether you succeed or fail in life. It’s true in sport, business, entertainment, and it’s true in your life. Starting and running your own business certainly tests your resilience, so here’s how to develop your positive thinking to help beat the stresses of running your own business.
If an employee is suffering with substance addiction, this can cause real problems for a small business so needs to be dealt with promptly. However, as with all issues relating to employment law, business owners must tackle the problem very carefully, so we asked employment lawyer, Sarah Chilton to explain how employers should navigate the […]
Many new business owners can struggle to get to grips with the numbers behind their business. However, your accounts can reveal so much about your business and getting your head around them will help you make the right decisions. Here, Jonathan Amponsah CTA FCCA, of The Tax Guys explains the key numbers to look out […]
Stress is an inevitable part of everyday life and our bodies are hard-wired to respond to it. However, it’s clear stress is taking a negative toll on businesses across the country. Poor mental health costs employers between £1,205 and £1,560 per employee every year. This cost is for all employees, not just those who are […]
My most radical prediction is that in a matter of years, the word ‘consumer’ will have lost all relevance. Look at the signs, and it’s clear that consumerism is already fading. In its place, we’re seeing more reciprocal relationships between brands and their customers, relationships based on genuine engagement, and not merely a quick transaction. […]
Starting a new business is never easy especially in this day and age, when you may well be competing with hundreds of others offering the same service or selling similar/identical items. If someone bad-mouths your business, you can lose sales immediately and suffer long-term damage to your reputation. So what can you do, if this […]
When fashion chain, Ted Baker, hit the news last year among stories of ‘forced hugging’, it’s likely that many businesses across the country began to look at how practices in their own organisation’s culture may be received by its staff. And the key question many business owners will be asking is, can hugging at work […]
Many businesses now allocate much of their marketing budget to raising their online profile. However, this does mean that some of the more traditional methods of marketing risk being side-lined. The printed brochure is one of those valuable sales tools that can sometimes be overlooked. Yet one of the reasons that brochures have been such […]
Your domain says a lot about you and your company. It’s your address on the internet, the place people go to find you, and a name intrinsically associated with your brand. But is one domain name enough, and what options do small businesses have when it comes to deciding on a domain strategy?
Fundraising for your business is rarely a walk in the park. It’s a tough process, regardless of the industry you’re in, it can take up vast amounts of time, and more often than not, ends in failure. Communicating effectively with investors will really boost your chances of success, so we asked funding expert, John Auckland, […]
In light of the launch of the Certificates of Tax Position tool, there has never been a more important time for entrepreneurs to be aware of the risk on any undeclared offshore income or gains. We asked Mark Wilson, a Partner at Richard Nelson LLP and specialist in resolving tax investigations, to explain what entreprenurs […]
Changes in telecoms, that are already in motion, will be developing at an even faster rate over coming months. To help you understand what’s happening, we asked Mike Ianiri of independent telecoms brokerage, Equinox to explain what business owners need to know about the telecoms changes heading our way.
Whether you’re an ardent protestor or you prefer the status quo, it’s hard to deny that society is rapidly shifting power to the people and away from traditional institutions. Populist politicians are seizing on the mistrust of ‘the establishment’, #MeToo is cracking down on men misusing their power, while the recent plastic straw ban show […]
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance cyber security is already on your radar. That’s a good place to have it, because cybercrime is relentlessly on the up. Data breaches, phishing scams and ransomware attacks fill the digital headlines. All of which begs the question: How do you protect your business from hackers and […]
We are at a significant moment in our history when there is momentum building, putting increasing pressure on businesses to act in the right way. Our staff want us to change, our children need us to change and our customers expect us to change.
Cyber-attacks aren’t letting up, with corporate giants such as Facebook, British Airways and Marriott International all hitting the headlines in the last 12 months. Yet, despite publicity around these high-profile cases, for small businesses, it’s still tempting to think that cyber attacks aren’t something that you really need to worry about.
As business leaders, it’s easy to get consumed in the pressures of running your business. It’s stressful, but there is a consequence to that stress, and it can be damaging for business, as well as your own health.
Whilst most employers will be well versed in dealing with under-performing staff, the situation can be trickier when faced with those who appear to be coasting at work. Given the increasing demands placed on business owners it can be easy to overlook staff who are doing just enough to get by, however failing to recognise […]