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For a successful business, you need a viable business idea, the skills to make it work and the funding. Discover whether your idea has what it takes.

Forming your business correctly is essential to ensure you are protected and you comply with the rules. Learn how to set up your business.

Advice on protecting your wellbeing, self-confidence and mental health from the pressures of starting and running a business.

Learn why business planning is an essential exercise if your business is to start and grow successfully, attract funding or target new markets.

It is likely you will need funding to start your business unless you have your own money. Discover some of the main sources of start up funding.

Businesses and individuals must account for and pay various taxes. Understand your tax obligations and how to file, account and pay any taxes you owe.

Businesses are required to comply with a wide range of business laws. We introduce the main rules and regulations you must comply with.

Marketing matters. It drives sales and helps promote your brand and products. Discover how to market your business and reach your target customers.

Some businesses need a high street location whilst others can be run from home. Understand the key factors from cost to location, size to security.

Your employees can your biggest asset. They can also be your biggest challenge. We explain how to recruitment and manage staff successfully.

It is likely your business could not function without some form of IT. Learn how to specify, buy, maintain and secure your business IT.

Few businesses manage the leap from start up to high-growth business. Learn what it takes to scale up and take your business to the next level.

Almost one million small firms have no emergency fund

9 July 2024

A new survey of small business owners has revealed that 18% of SMEs have no cash reserves to fall back on - rising to 48% among the smallest firms with turnovers of less than £100,000.

A new poll of 1,000 small business owners by card payment provider Dojo, has found that one in five small firms (with turnovers up to £1m) don't have an emergency cash reserve to fall back on in tough times. With 5,547,000 SMEs in the UK, this could mean an estimated 991,800 SMEs don't have any kind of emergency fund.

With payments due, many businesses have money in their "cash runway" - on average the most common length of cash runway for businesses is six months. However, the data suggests that financial buffers are much less robust for smaller businesses. Those with a turnover of £100,000 or less typically have a cash runway of just under three months; of this group, 25% have no cash runway to support them at all and half of them (48%) have no emergency fund either.

Even the biggest SMEs are not immune to risk - the Dojo survey finds that a staggering 31% of firms who turnover £500m a year don't have an emergency fund.

Financial stress continues

Not surprisingly, 30% of businesses report that their biggest challenge is financial stress. The findings show that:

  • 30% have made redundancies in 2024;
  • One in two businesses have late payments owed to them;
  • 27% have borrowed money from their friends to support their business.

One in three (36%) of small businesses say they have had to optimise bills and increase rates and prices due to the current market. For larger SMEs, the most common cost-cutting measure was closing down offices (40%), followed by cutting production costs (39%).

Looking ahead, the future could be brighter for the UK's small business community, with 78% of businesses polled reporting that they are expecting profitability and revenue growth in 2024. However, the smallest businesses (with turnovers under £100,000) are less optimistic, with 38% saying that they don't anticipate growth in terms of revenue and profitability in 2024.

These findings come as the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) publishes its latest quarterly economic survey. The headline results show that business confidence has increased, with 58% of firms expecting an increase in turnover in the next twelve months. The BCC data also indicates that fewer firms (39% compared to 46% in Q1) expect to hike their own prices in the coming months.

Written by Rachel Miller.