E-commerce

As e-commerce continues to develop and grow in importance as part of the UK retail sector (posting double digit growth every year in both consumer and B2B spending figures) it also becomes more complex. This section offers expert advice and guidance on how to ensure your small business can make the most of the opportunities available with case studies, stories and comparisons of the best e-commerce platforms available on the market.

Business Ideas & Planning

Starting up your online business

Smallbusiness.co.uk offers some top tips for entrepreneurs looking to set up an online business venture.

Getting Online

How to market your e-commerce website

How to get your small business website noticed. James Cooper of digital marketing solution Convoboss outlines all the tools you need to give your ecommerce website visibility

Business management

The role of B2B ecommerce in choosing the right supplier

How Alibaba.com can help you discover new suppliers around the world

Getting Online

Six things to consider during e-commerce website development

Here are six important aspects to consider during website development.

Accounting

The EU VAT e-commerce package: how accounting can help

The EU is expanding the ‘one-stop’ system for reporting and paying VAT across the bloc to include all distance sales of services and intracommunity sale of goods. The updated schemes are together known as the EU VAT E-commerce Package. What does it mean for UK businesses and how can you adapt?

Alternative finance

Forward Advances wants to lend £250m to small businesses by 2023

Forward Advances is the latest merchant cash advance provider to enter UK market alongside PayPal, eBay and Clearbanc

Export & Import

Small businesses selling into EU face £180m in extra red tape costs

An estimated 26,000 microbusiness sellers who sell into Europe will be dragged into registering for VAT for the first time

Finding and selling to customers

5 ways to make your website more friendly for older customers

Older shoppers spend £320bn each year, yet online sellers pay little attention to them. Paul Gray, marketing director of online fashion retailer Chums, chases the grey pound

Finding and selling to customers

5 tips to maximise Black Friday sales during lockdown

This year’s Black Friday takes place on November 27. How can you maximise online sales while your business is in lockdown?

News

As predicted, Amazon passes on 2% sales tax onto small businesses

Amazon tells small businesses selling through its platform that it is increasing its fees by 2 per cent to cover cost of Government digital sales tax

Tax

Small businesses may have to pay 2% online sales tax

Rishi Sunak considering tax on online sales to help high street as part of wider review into business rates reform

Success stories

What winning The Start-Up Series meant for me – Nick James, Bedfolk

Nick and Jo James, co-founders of online bedding company Bedfolk, sold their flat to fund their online bedding business. Here Nick talks about what difference winning the Start-Up Series has made and why getting into bed with Worth Capital was so important

Future-proof your business communications set-up

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

A guide to getting a small business loan

Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.

Business Technology

Friendly guide – top tips for small businesses switching to VoIP

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!