Want to start a business? You’re not alone. Around 832,000 new companies were set up in the UK in 2025, according to the NatWest and Beauhurst New Startup Index—part of a wave of activity that has pushed the total number of active companies to a record 5.66 million. If you want to join their numbers, … [Read more…]
When running a business, it’s essential to have enough cash to cover your working capital—paying suppliers, employees, and tax—as well as to invest in equipment and fund your growth. There are many ways to borrow money, and more options today than there have ever been. Borrowing is also more expensive than it was even five … [Read more…]
Customers are the lifeblood of any business, so it’s vital you can keep generating leads and retaining your existing customers. But doing so is often a concern for businesses, with more than one in three companies saying that generating new business is their biggest worry. We spoke to two small business owners and asked them … [Read more…]
Growth is a tricky business. Companies must continuously strive to identify new growth opportunities to achieve long-term business success. That’s why it is essential for your business to develop fresh insights that will ultimately help to generate ideas that the competition has failed to see. This fascinating subject is what we cover in this article, … [Read more…]
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax is now live, and the question from many sole traders is simple: Will my software actually do the job when it matters? Right now, you should be keeping your income and expenditure digitally. That’s the fundamental MTD rule. But the first quarterly deadline is approaching on 7 August. … [Read more…]
If you sell products or services, keeping your sales order management running effectively is key to your business success. Tracking orders is just the start. From order creation to fulfilment and invoicing—you’ll need to ensure the complete order lifecycle is efficient and all the parts are working in unison. This guide breaks down what sales … [Read more…]
The main difference between a sales order and a purchase order is right in the name: you use purchase orders to make purchases of goods, and the seller agrees to fulfil the purchase by confirming the details with a sales order. This article looks at sales orders versus purchase orders in more detail, breaking down … [Read more…]
You may have several departments steering your company towards a bright future. Some deal with the product offering, some with staffing, others with marketing. Let’s see where your finance team’s fiscal expertise fits into the overall game plan. There’s an argument that all budgeting is strategic because it always involves scenario-based planning and allocation of … [Read more…]
You probably embarked on your nonprofit journey motivated by social values, but it’s crucial to address the financial aspects of these missions as well. One of the most important reports in nonprofit accounting is the statement of activities. Nonprofits have a unique way of operating, and nowhere is this more apparent than when you do … [Read more…]
Sam Jones’s Dragons’ Den start-up pitch is immortalised as the TV show’s “best ever”, and Harry Redknapp describes him as having the work rate of a top footballer. In this episode of Sound Advice, Jones revealed his first-hand experience with how to fund a start-up, including how he convinced stars such as Tinie Tempah to invest in his tech start-up, Gener8, a web browser that … [Read more…]