Guides & Tips

Self-employment: six steps to success Apr 10 2008
The chance to steer your own career is a major attraction of becoming self-employed. However, success needs a firm foundation, so before you take the leap, follow these six quick steps to success. Read Succeeding in the hospitality business Mar 31 2008
Knowing your market is vital to running a successful restaurant, bed and breakfast or hotel in this competitive market. SmallBusiness.co.uk offers this advice on how to avoid common pitfalls within the hospitality industry. Read Getting started in buy-to-let Feb 28 2008
For some, buying a property to let can generate a full-time income, and the task of managing more than one or two properties can become a job in itself. SmallBusiness.co.uk teamed up with Gee Sahota, from Simply Business to offer some basics to get you started. Read From summer fête to supermarket: how to get your product on the shelves. Feb 11 2008
Getting your product onto the shelves of a major retailer is no mean feat. SmallBusiness.co.uk speaks to Maria Hellyer, co-founder of The British Curry Company, about how she managed to turn a few jars of curry sauce at a summer fête into Bombay Authentics, a brand that is now sold throughout the UK and exported to 12 countries throughout North America, the Middle East and Europe. Read Lessons learned – Rachel Elnaugh, former Dragons' Den investor Feb 05 2008
The well-publicised crash of her company Red Letter Days meant that Rachel Elnaugh's days as an investor on the Dragons' Den were over. SmallBusiness.co.uk caught up with her to ask what she has learned along the way. Read Top New Year’s cash flow resolutions Dec 11 2007
With Christmas around the corner and the new year fast approaching, it is a good time to start thinking about what you want to do differently in your business in 2008. Read Tips from the top – finding your niche Nov 27 2007
SmallBusiness.co.uk caught up with Tim Slatter, co-founder of speciality cake-maker www.thecakestore.co.uk, a company that took on the larger stores and, in the face of strong competition, has now achieved sales of around £1.5 million. Read Getting your product design brief right Sep 10 2007
Ask a successful designer what the most important part of developing a product is and they’re most likely to say the briefing phase. Without a clear brief, it can prove almost impossible to design and develop a commercially successful product. SmallBusiness.co.uk teamed up with Ideas into Profit to offer you this guide to writing an effective design brief. Read How to become more efficient Sep 04 2007
Keeping a united workforce is certainly a challenge but many simple changes can be made that won’t cost. SmallBusiness.co.uk and the CIPD have these tips to help you make improvements. Read Five strategies to help your business grow Aug 21 2007

For businesses, increased interest rates are something of a double-edged sword. Low
inflation keeps costs down, but increasing rates means that business borrowers are hit. Often, it’s the early-stage companies that are hit hardest. SmallBusiness.co.uk has these tips to help your business grow and avoid complacency.

Read Business plan dos and don’ts Jun 21 2007
Seeking funding for your new business can be a real challenge. Meeting with potential investors or banks is daunting, but having a sturdy business plan to back you up should help boost your confidence and your chances of gaining finance. Here are some top tips from SmallBusiness.co.uk. Read The perfect pitch Apr 26 2007
After your business plan has been written, the next stage often involves pitching it to prospective investors. Yet, it’s not only the content of the business plan that is being scrutinised, but also the capabilities of the management team. Your pitch is the first step to showing you can succeed. Read Setting up shop online Feb 28 2007
Setting up an online arm of your business can offer many benefits, not to mention a further route to market. Here are some top tips that can help you start out in ecommerce safely, from SmallBusiness.co.uk and Chris Barling, CEO of ecommerce software supplier Actinic and co-author of ‘Selling Successfully Online’. Read The Role of the CEO: tips from the top Feb 15 2007
Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, has lifted the company and the Cobra brand to achieve annual turnover of £96 million, selling across more than 45 countries worldwide. He has recently published a guide to entrepreneurship, drawing on his experiences and offering advice for prospective business owners in his own infectiously enthusiastic style. SmallBusiness.co.uk reveals his tips on the role of the CEO. Read Starting a business: The ups and downs Jan 09 2007
If you’re thinking about starting a small business you need to avoid rose-tinted spectacles and consider the challenges you will face as well as the benefits you’ll reap. SmallBusiness.co.uk considers the ups and the downs of starting and running a small business. Read Top start-up tips for mums Jan 08 2007
Starting a business is difficult enough, but add children into the equation and the challenge is multiplied. Here are a few tips from Gillian Nissim, Founder of WorkingMums.co.uk, herself a mum who started her own business.
Click to read on... Read How to forecast more accurately Dec 14 2006
If you already run a business, you will have a trading history and will be able to use this to make decisions about the future. On the other hand, if you are just about to start up you will lack that history, and while you can make some assessment of the initial monthly outgoings, particularly fixed costs, the real challenge is to accurately predict the likely sales revenues.
Click to read a guide to forecasting... Read Expert advice: Find a mentor Nov 30 2006
Running a business can be a lonely experience. It often involves having to make difficult decisions on your own, without anyone to turn to for advice and support. The experience and guidance of a high calibre mentor can make the difference between success and failure for an ambitious company with high growth potential.
Click to read on... Read Top start-up tips from an expert Nov 24 2006
If you are thinking of starting a small business it is always wise to get advice from someone with relevant experience in the field and to learn from those who have been through the process themselves. SmallBusiness.co.uk asked entrepreneur Duncan Cheatle to give us his top tips for start-up companies.
Click to read on... Read Plan for success in the next 10 years Oct 25 2006
As social, economic, political and organisational pressures are set to increase at an ever greater pace, small firms need to make sure they are prepared for change, says the latest report from the Orange Future Enterprise coalition (OFEc). This guide offers some points to consider. Read Starting up while still employed Oct 10 2006
It is tempting to set up as a sole trader while remaining in full-time employment, but it is wise to find out where you stand legally first. You will need to refer to your contract of employment with your current employer. Read Healthy body, healthy business Sep 07 2006
Managers should keep an eye on the profit and loss of their health as much as they do on the health of their business, suggests Dr Dorian Dugmore, Secretary General of the World Council for Cardio Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and one of the speakers at Inspire2006 – the UK’s first event for chief executives for SMEs. Read Tax for part-time businesses Jun 14 2006
When starting up for the first time, many people opt to retain their full-time job and set up their own business part-time. But what does this mean for their tax situation? Will the tax be deducted from the day job wage? Or is it only taken from what is earned from the business? Are they separate? Read Choosing a name for your business Apr 19 2006
Choosing a name for your company should be a fun process but one that you dedicate plenty of time and decision making to. You can trade under your own name or use another business name. If you decide to use a business name, you need to make sure that your business stationery displays your name as well as the trading name of the business. Read Outsourcing website and email systems: the benefits Apr 05 2006
A study into web and email systems in SME businesses has revealed that organisations the length and breadth of the UK are wasting thousands of pounds every year by relying on badly managed and unreliable in-house server systems to deliver their website and email communications. Read How to be a better leader Feb 28 2006
Three-quarters of small business owners admitted in a recent Business Link survey that their management and leadership skills left some room for improvement. Use these top tips to become a better leader. Read Business start-up organiser Feb 20 2006
You’ve had the inspiration, the idea, spotted the gap in the market and your friends all think it will work, but how will you actually get your business going? Read Guide to growth Dec 14 2005
Growing your business, by its very nature, is likely to bring greater complexity. This guide to expanding your small enterprise should help. Read Guide to choosing a name Aug 12 2005
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. These tips will give you some good ideas. Read Guide to buying a business Aug 12 2005
Buying a business is not something to rush into. Use these guidelines to help steer you in the right direction. Read Tips on negotiating when buying a business Aug 12 2005
If you decide that buying an existing business is preferable to starting your own then you'll need to haggle for the best possible deal. Here are some pointers. Read Guide to writing a business plan Aug 12 2005
This 10-point guide shows the benefits of a good business plan and what to consider when writing one. Read Guide to company identities Aug 12 2005
Do you want to be a sole trader, a limited company or a partnership. This short guide will help. Read Checklist: what should be in your business plan Aug 12 2005
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. Read Guide to the first steps Aug 12 2005
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. Read Checklist: your finances Aug 12 2005
Cash is obviously vital to the success of your business and keeping track of where it's coming in and going out is of the utmost importance. Use this template to keep an eye on your money. Read Checklist: your skills Aug 11 2005
Running your own business means you must wear a range of hats: financial controller, marketer, people manager and more. Use this checklist to identify where your strengths lie and where there is room for improvement. Read Checklist: your family Aug 11 2005
Starting up a business changes everything, including your family life. When starting up, use this checklist to see if you and your family are prepared and how they may be able to help. Read Checklist: your idea Aug 11 2005
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. Read Checklist: Is starting a business for you? Aug 11 2005
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. Read How to write your business plan Feb 13 2003
A business plan is not only essential for starting a business or for raising funds, but it is vital for running the business. Read