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Start up business ideas

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.

Set up a business

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

Skills and wellbeing

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

Business planning

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

Start up funding

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.

Tax and National Insurance

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.

Business law

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

Sales and marketing

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

Business premises

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.

Employees

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

Business IT

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

Grow your business

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.

Employees

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

Resource topics

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How hiring graduates can benefit small firms

Despite 300,000 people graduating each year, historically relatively few end up one of the nation's 4.8m small firms. But things are changing.

What makes a great small business employee?

Successful SMEs are only as good as their people. But finding great staff is not always easy. We explain what you should look for.

Stop! 10 signs you're about to recruit the wrong person

Many small business owners are doing their own recruitment to save money. But wait! Could you be about to recruit the wrong person?

Employing a family member

Employing a relative is quite different to recruiting someone else. There are some important tax and legal considerations which we explore here:

Drawing up an employment contract - checklist

Our step-by-step guide to drawing up an employment contract, from thinking up the basic terms to include to agreeing and signing with your employee.

Setting up a grievance procedure - checklist

If your employees want to file a grievance, there should be a fair and clear way to do this. Read our tips on setting up a grievance procedure.

Essential guide to dismissing employees

Dismissing an employee may be your best option if their performance is unacceptable, or their position no longer exists. Here are some simple rules.

Holding a disciplinary hearing - checklist

Not sure how to go about holding a fair and lawful disciplinary hearing when an employee has breached workplace rules? Follow our step-by-step guide.

Setting up a disciplinary procedure - checklist

You need to have clear rules outlining what will happen if employees commit an offence in the workplace. Our checklist tells you what to include.

Having difficult conversations with employees

Employers occasionally need to have difficult conversations with employees, perhaps about performance or personal issues. It pays to prepare.

How to handle staff personality clashes

Personality clashes create a bad atmosphere at work and often impact on motivation and productivity. Mediation techniques can help resolve conflict.

Essential guide to everyday workplace policies

Workplace policies covering areas like homeworking, holidays and sickness pay can save you a lot of time and effort and can help avoid misunderstandings or more serious employee disputes.

Essential guide to performance appraisals

Performance appraisals help employees take responsibility for their performance by setting agreed objectives. Read our guide to effective appraisals.

Essential guide to teambuilding

How you put together and lead work teams is critical if you want everyone to work together and produce results. Our guide to effective teambuilding.

Essential guide to motivating employees

Employees can spend less than half their time at work being productive - and ironically the employer is usually at fault. Learn to motivate employees.