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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.
Keep security in mind when choosing and setting up your IT system.
Make sure you have some way to back-up your data. Many companies copy their files regularly to an external hard drive and use cloud backup services, too. For extra confidence, it's always best to have two back-up methods. There are other other storage devices you might wish to consider, too.
One of the easiest ways for someone to illegally obtain your company's data is to steal your equipment, so make sure you physically secure all hardware. Lock laptops and tablets away when they're in not in use, and keep key equipment - like servers - in a separate, locked room.
To protect your business from online threats, make sure you have a firewall on each of your devices. This blocks unauthorised attempts to access your business data.
Biometric access such as fingerprint or face scanning should always be turned on for any devices that support it (as many modern smartphones and laptops do).
You should also install security software. This will help keep you safe from viruses, malware and other online threats.
Once you've planned out all major parts of your IT system, assess whether training would help you and any staff to get the most out of it. Also be aware of your health and safety obligations to your staff when it comes to IT.
It is usually cost-efficient for small businesses to arrange IT support from an external supplier (especially those who need to operate an internal computer network).
If so, shop around for the best value, seek recommendations you can trust from businesses that are similar to your own and be sure to have the details of the arrangement set out in an IT support contract.