Blog Archives

6 pitfalls to avoid when starting your own business

Starting out on your own is a big move and a very exciting time in your life, there is a lot to consider and it can be daunting and somewhat overwhelming. Many mistakes can be made that will undermine or

Posted in Blog

6 top tips on how to survive when running a seasonal business

Anyone running a seasonal business knows how difficult it is in this country particularly if you are relying on some decent weather to get people spending their money. With summer taking an age to finally arrive this year and the

Posted in Blog

Make social networking work for your business

Most people don’t respond well to in-your-face selling and that’s particularly true on social networks. Firms that overtly promote their products or services are not well received. Trust is crucial if company owners want to reap the rewards of social

Posted in Marketing & brand

Credit management checklist

Today, few companies can hope to survive unless they offer some form of trade credit. A company that decides to extend credit to its customers accepts a risk. The company is, in effect, lending its money to its customers. There

Posted in Finance & Business Planning

8 Top tips to reduce your phone bill

The key to reading a phone bill is taking notice of the detail. Reading that bill correctly can save you and your business money, in many cases hundreds or even thousands of pounds every year. So here are a few

Posted in Blog

Forming a business

  Once you have made up your mind to go ahead, you need to get to grips with the legal requirements for forming a business. Setting up your business in the right way keeps costs down. It can also help

Posted in Finance & Business Planning

5 Top tips – business IT security

For most companies these days’ data is one of the most valuable parts of a business and if it’s lost or compromised, then quite simply there is no business left. Online security continues to be a regular topic in the

Posted in Blog

Damn – I’ve overpaid the workers

Anyone who runs a payroll each month will have experienced it. You’ve paid everyone for the month and the following week you realise you’ve made a mistake and some of the staff received more than they should have. You’ve spoken

Posted in Blog

National Minimum Wage increases – October 2013

The following rates will come into effect on 1 October 2013: the adult rate will increase by 12p to £6.31 an hour the rate for 18-20 year olds will increase by 5p to £5.03 an hour the rate for 16-17

Posted in Blog

Nine warning signs for business

Business owners shouldn’t ignore warning signs that could indicate financial problems. The production of monthly accounts and cashflow reports is essential. Just as important is the implementation of a credit control system to deal with late payments promptly. Don’t fall

Posted in Finance & Business Planning