Category: Finance

According to a new study conducted by the UK’s largest Angel Network, as many as half of UK start-up businesses have tried and subsequently failed to secure substantial financial investment from a traditional source, such as bank loans or by selling shares.

Everyone has to deal with the taxman at some point; and for many people that’s the most frightening part of setting up and running a business – because they’re worried about paying the wrong amount of tax, or filling in a form incorrectly.

Seven years ago heralded the new dawn of pension simplification bringing an end to the complexities involved in pension funding but this year has seen a massive reform of pensions, announced by the government, which will change the way many people fund their retirement.

If you want more aggressive growth and your business has a mid to high potential, it may be time to knock on a business angels door.

It has been revealed that, while traditional forms of investment focus on the financial offering, two thirds of small business owners are actually seeking business expertise as much as money.

When you work from home and you run your business through a limited company the good news is that you’re allowed to claim some of the home expenses you accumulate.

The UK economy is registering growth levels higher than before the financial crisis. This has been reflected in sterling performance, which, although fluctuating, has been strong on the whole.

SMEs should take note, the Pensions Regulator has increased the amount it will spend on auto enrolment enforcement in 2014 /15. This means if your business doesn’t comply the chances of the Pensions Regulator taking action against you has just increased considerably.

As Barclays celebrates five years of contactless payments on debit cards, latest figures show that we are heading into a contactless world, with Brits now choosing to use contactless three times more than they did in 2012.

If your business has been suffering with cash flow problems and is struggling with debt then it is important to know that any creditor with a debt over £750 can issue a winding up petition and you could be facing a winding up order.

When you run your business as a limited company it means that you are considered an employee while the company is your employer.

There are almost 4.5 million small businesses in the UK and securing finance has been a longstanding problem for SMEs. Already this year Bank of England figures show that loans to smaller firms have dropped by more than £700m, despite efforts to boost credit.

Around the world, record numbers of people are setting up their own businesses. Many of these fledgling businesses will be looking for growth funding but are unsure of the best options.

As thousands of SMEs prepare for the AE challenge, Clare Abrahams, head of auto-enrolment at Lorica Employee Benefits explores the lessons they can learn from the large corporates who’ve already been through it.