Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
This section takes you through every important aspect of how to run a successful business. It offers expert guides and advice articles on the key elements of business management such as employing staff, finding customers, marketing and sales, pricing, people management, office and home working, business technology and everything else an entrepreneur must tackle in order to succeed.
SmallBusiness.co.uk asks an inspirational entrepreneur to share their experiences and offer advice for SMEs. With the benefit of hindsight, what do they wish they'd known when they started? This week it's Mark Chadwick, founder and director of carbon emissions management company Carbon Clear.
Business management
Business Technology
Setting up an online arm of your business can offer many benefits, not to mention a further route to market.
Employing & managing staff
One of my staff regularly smells of urine. Despite sympathetically asking her on many occasions to address the problem she has failed to do so. What is the position regarding her employment? If I have to, can I ask her to leave?
Business Technology
I am starting a business and hope to have customers all over the United Kingdom and Ireland. I need to know how to set up the acceptance of credit cards for over-the-phone payments. Can you help?
Employing & managing staff
I'm just about to launch a domestic cleaning and laundry business and plan to recruit up to 20 people over the next 2 - 3 years. Am I obliged to offer some sort of access to a pension scheme, either now or in line with my predicted growth of employee numbers? There seems to be lots of advice out there but much of it is conflicting.
Employing & managing staff
The usual definition of induction is a formal introduction of a new employee to a job. However, Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula and SmallBusiness.co.uk, our Q&A panel expert, feels that induction and training should not only happen at the start of employment, but ‘should be ongoing in order to provide solutions to problems as the job duties change’.
Employing & managing staff
It seems Monday is the day that most of us are late for work, with 65 per cent of all tardiness occurring at the start of the week, says a new survey of 2,149 employees across the UK.
Marketing
There are now more than 66 million 'weblogs' or online diaries published on the internet, with an additional 175,000 estimated to be created every day. For small businesses, these 'blogs' are a largely untapped resource that can provide your company with a competitive edge.
Employing & managing staff
It seems Monday is the day that most of us are late for work, with 65 per cent of all tardiness occurring at the start of the week, says a new survey of 2,149 employees across the UK.
Marketing
There are now more than 66 million 'weblogs' or online diaries published on the internet, with an additional 175,000 estimated to be created every day. For small businesses, these 'blogs' are a largely untapped resource that can provide your company with a competitive edge.
Employing & managing staff
Small firms may not be getting the best out of their staff because they are failing to offer them adequate incentives, says business finance firm Bibby Financial Services.
Office & home working
Recent research from YouGov of over 1,150 business owners and managers shows that half of UK bosses based in an urban environment are dreaming of escaping the rat race to find their own small slice of rural happiness.
Business management
SmallBusiness.co.uk asks a seasoned entrepreneur to share their experiences and offer advice for SMEs. With the benefit of hindsight, what do they wish they'd known when they started? Glenda Stone, Founder and CEO of Aurora, offers her pearls of wisdom.
Finding and selling to customers
PR is often considered untouchable by small businesses and best left to the experts and bigger players. But getting good media coverage needn’t be scary or complex.
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
Business Loans
Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.
Business Technology
With the landline shutdown coming fast, there’s never been a better time to switch to VoIP. Don’t let your small business be left behind!
Export & Import
Many factors can affect products’ journeys from A to B. Here are some tips for best practice for successful shipping in the modern world