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Getting started

Taking the difficult early steps.

Our guide to the difficult early steps when starting up…

A mission statement

Defining your business purpose.

Allowable expenses

What can you claim tax relief for?

An introduction to the tax system for the self employed

Key tax issues you need to know about.

Building a brand

Key tips for developing a memorable image.

Choosing a year end

Be tax efficient when deciding a year end date.

Choosing your accounting date

What is the best date to choose?

Incorporation

Considerations when operating as a company.

Insuring your business

Are you sufficiently covered?

Limited liability partnerships

LLPs explained.

Names, trademarks, patents and other registrations

The key legal requirements.

Premises and location

Essential considerations when choosing your base.

Raising finance

Maximise your chances of gaining funding.

Should you buy a franchise?

The pros and cons of buying 'off-the-shelf'.

Which business structure?

Choosing the structure that best suits your needs.

Working from home

Home working do's and don'ts.

Writing a business plan

How to write an effective business plan.

Your business vision

What are your ultimate goals?

The latest news

23 Apr 2019

Business believes UK tax system is 'fundamentally unfair', research suggests

According to research published by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), businesses believe that the UK tax system is 'fundamentally unfair'.

18 Apr 2019

UK SMEs 'exploring new sources of finance', research finds

Research carried out by American Express has found that, as access to finance becomes 'increasingly difficult to secure', UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are 'exploring new sources of finance' instead.

17 Apr 2019

Study suggests UK employees 'work longest hours in EU'

A study carried out by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has suggested that UK employees 'work the longest hours in the EU'.