How to set up and run a small business
One of the main benefits of becoming self employed is the ease with which you can start and run a business. Here are five things you need to do when you decide to go self employed.
The area of tax for small businesses is not straightforward but, if you take a little time, it’s usually possible to save some tax. Here are ten ways you could cut your tax bill.
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, employees are entitled to take a minimum of 5.6 times their normal working week as paid annual leave each year.
As employees typically place great significance on their holiday entitlement, the act of declining an annual leave request can often be met with annoyance. Continue…
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The business landscape is constantly changing, and new technology is accelerating the pace of developments. These changing dynamics have redefined the ‘ability to learn’ as an essential skill, whatever your role in the organisation.
‘Learn something new today’ should not be just a lesson for when you are in school or university – it should be a life lesson; personally, and professionally, in or out of the workplace. Continue…
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Whether its public, private or hybrid, cloud is redefining how SMEs use IT. Businesses of any size can now acquire high-quality, IT software and technologies when they need it.
According to the latest research, total cloud adoption in the UK now stands at 88 percent and no longer are SMEs trailing behind larger corporates, with adoption rates reaching 82 percent in 2017. Continue…
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Pre-paid funeral plans are set to be met with much stricter regulation, it has emerged. The funeral plan industry has been brought to the attention of the UK Government which plans to deal with bad practice in the sector. Continue…
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Although the sole trader route, which is commonly referred to as being self employed, is the most popular way of running a business in the UK, there are significant advantages of operating as a limited company.
Here, we highlight 10 of the biggest benefits a limited company gives you over working as self-employed.
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High street betting stores are expected to ‘lose jobs’ over the recent crackdown in fixed odds betting machines (FOBTs). New rules coming into place in April 2019 will see the maximum stake changed from £100 to just £2, something that is expected to impact the profits and business of high street bookmakers such as Ladbrokes, William Hill and Coral. Continue…
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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 less tax, we’ve asked Simon Cox of Forbes Watson Accountants to share 10 of the best ways small business owners can look to pay less tax.
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We’re all faced with obstacles at work and sometimes just coming back after a holiday can feel challenging. However, when an employee is returning to work after mental ill health, the experience can be even more daunting.
We asked Liz Walker, HR Director at Unum, to share advice on how employers can support returning staff and help ease them back into the work that can be so beneficial to their recovery. Continue…
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Imagine your smartphone or tablet scaled up and delivering information in the high street, restaurant or hospital. That’s what a digital signage system looks like and it’s an engaging way to transmit information to your audience, whatever the focus of your small business.
To help you take advantage of the opportunity it offers, here’s our small business guide to digital signage. Continue…
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Aside from the sole trader route, the limited liability company is the most popular business structure in the UK.
With a limited company, the liability of company directors is ‘limited’ in that the company’s finances are separate from the personal finances of the business owner. This is not the case for those who run their business as a sole trader (self employed).
Limited company shareholders are not responsible for any debts run up by the business, although banks may ask company directors to provide loan guarantees for commercial loans or credit taken out in the company’s name.
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As a small business owner, you may be giving a presentation to customers, at a networking event, to potential investors or for staff training.
What will you do if your presentation is turning out to be a nightmare: projector’s not working, presentation not displaying as you want or you have the audience from hell? How can we turn a challenging presentation into a winning one? Continue…
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With the PPI deadline looming on the horizon, a number of eligible claimants may still be wondering whether or not they are truly entitled to compensation.
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A recent study found that 48% of millenial graduates believe a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) to be the ideal sized business to work for as opposed to a larger organisation.
Even with this encouraging statistic, graduate recruitment can be difficult for small businesses. If you are to succeed you need to take a multi-faceted approach to gain interest from students and graduates alike. Here are 4 things you can do to ensure your graduate hiring process delivers. Continue…
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Unfair dismissal can cause big issues for any type of small business. Even business owners with the best intentions and excellent hiring abilities might be faced with dismissing an employee one day.
Here, we look at what classifies as unfair dismissal and explain how to prevent legal action in the face of a dismissal within your business. Continue…
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Google regards links as a principal ranking signal and there is no evidence to suggest that this is set to change in the future. It therefore goes without saying that building the right links to your website will help you to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). Continue…
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On Monday 29 October, Philip Hammond delivered his second Autumn Budget. With stronger tax receipts driving better than expected Government borrowing figures, the Autumn 2018 Budget was more generous than most observers expected. So much so, that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) calculates these spending promises to be the biggest Budget giveaway since the independent body was set up in 2010.
However, with the possibility of the UK leaving the EU without a trade deal hanging over the country, the Chancellor did say that he will consider a Spring 2019 Budget should there be a no-deal Brexit.
To help you quickly grasp the major changes, we’ve worked with HFM Tax to bring you a summary of the key points from the Autumn Budget 2018 likely to affect small business owners and self-employed people; Continue…
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Continuous testing, benchmarking and learning is a cornerstone of all social media activity. It will help you identify areas of relative under-performance, potential risks and opportunities to generate better results. Continue…
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A lot of small businesses start using AdWords in the hope that it will help them increase sales with small investment. This isn’t true.
Yes, AdWords can help you increase sales but only with the right investment.
To get the return on investment you’re hoping for, you will need to set up your account properly and invest the right amount of money. Continue…
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Running a small business can be a bit of a roller-coaster. Just when you think everything is going smoothly, an unexpected shock can hit your business and all of a sudden, your business is experiencing a very tough time.
So how do you turn your business around when times are bad, and all seems lost? Here, business owner, Anthony Main reveals how he saved his business from folding, and shares what he learned from his experience.
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In this guide, we look at the taxes you will encounter if you start your own business as a sole trader, and other things you should bear in mind before taking the plunge and becoming self employed.
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