Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Investing in a franchise
Many well known brands have developed successful franchises, such as McDonalds and Starbucks. With over 800 networks in the UK, it has become a popular way to expand. Here are a few things to consider first.
Small Business Banking
SMEs tell us how the banking situation is affecting them.
Finding and selling to customers
Splashing out on organic and home-grown foods is something we have developed a taste for, but with sales of fast food on the rise how are speciality and niche providers finding new ways to stimulate taste buds and be affordable?
Government Grants
It's not easy to getting government grants or funding but there are genuine opportunities available for those who persevere. Find out all you need to know here.
Business Technology
We are a start-up business currently having a bespoke website built (total cost will be around £10k). Will this be treated as a capital cost or trading expense by HMRC?
Marketing
Get people to pay attention to your window displays. An attractive shop window display should draw passers by to look and come in to buy.
News
Record levels of fraud in the UK means companies should ensure they have watertight internal control procedures to prevent losing out, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) warns.
Small Business Banking
The longer the Bank of England takes to cut rates, the worse the economic situation will be, according to the British Chambers of Commerce's (BCC's) quarterly economic forecast.
Marketing
This top six list takes the highest average scoring SEO ranking factors on search engines, with my comments attached. If you want to do the right things to develop a successful website you should take on board this advice.
News
Consumers are increasingly accepting of businesses running from virtual offices rather than bricks and mortar buildings, according to the Institute of Risk Management (IRM).
Small Business Insurance
Many small businesses are underinsured - meaning that they could potentially face legal claims amounting to more than £3 billion, according to research.
Marketing
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is in essence the theory and practice of getting a website onto the first page of 'natural' (sometimes called 'organic') search results on the important search engines for important keywords.