If you’re a tradesman and you rely on your van to make a living then it’s absolutely vital that it’s properly insured. Working vans tend to be transport, office space, staff room and secure lock-up all rolled into one vehicle and damage or theft can be a huge blow to your livelihood if you aren’t well protected. Ask yourself these three questions to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Have I got the right level of insurance?

We all want the cheapest quote, but you may find yourself paying through the nose later if you opt to skimp on spending now.… Continue reading »

The UK is about to see an overhaul of its work-based pension scheme. The changes have already been made but are being implemented gradually across the space of five years. If you’re in work, you need to know the basics of how your pension is going to change.

What is Auto Enrolment?

Auto enrolment is the newly-applied change to the law regarding your pension. The legislation sees employees being automatically enrolled onto workplace pension schemes on employment, without application by the employee themselves.

What does this mean for me?

If you’re an employee and not already on a workplace pension scheme, the law will state that you must be enrolled onto it automatically.… Continue reading »

Financial Boost for Your Business

If the time has come that your business is in need of some financial assistance, then there are many different lending options available, not to mention lenders.

Banks are only too willing to give you money these days, but make sure you shop around and get the best interest rates available. Interest rates are also negotiable. This is not something lenders will tell you, but they will do almost anything to lock you in. A more convenient method in today’s day and age is to apply for your small business loans online.

… Continue reading »

Does Your Business Need Financial Help?

Typically, small business loans are available at virtually all reputable banks, and the procedures a number of them follow seem to be based on the same template. These are the steps that are usually required in order have a company’s start-up loan approved:

1. Consulting with a loan officer in your area to discuss the specific financial needs of your business. This will enable the bank to determine the type of business loan that is best-suited to providing the necessary funding in your particular situation.

2. Completing the related application form and submitting all the documents required to obtain the loan you have requested.… Continue reading »

Everyone knows that you have to spend money to make money. But what if you have the idea, but not the money to invest in the first place? In this situation, there’s nothing to worry about, as it’s a situation that most successful entrepreneurs will have found themselves in at the beginning of their careers.

So, with no money to invest, you will need to look to borrow the necessary funds to get your new venture off the ground. But how should you go about it? Here we take a look at how you can get your business on the path to success, potentially creating an operation as successful as Lloyds in the process.… Continue reading »

Starting a business is not a cost-free endeavor, and in fact, many businesses choose to take out a loan to cover expenses. Now is a good time to find a small business loan, and according to SBA.gov, now is the best time in the last four years – banks are “reporting the biggest increase in lending to small businesses” in as much time.

We are here to help you find the best small business loan for your business needs, and to provide tips for doing so.

1. Make sure you have a sound business plan

Before attempting to obtain a loan, make sure you have a business plan for your idea, as those who will be willing to provide you with a loan want to be sure that they will get their money back.… Continue reading »

For those who are new to the world of business, there are many aspects you have to consider. One of the most important of these is your marketing strategy. If they don’t know you exist, how do you expect them to pay you? You need to get your name out there in the public both online and off. However, there are several methods that you should be wary of until your business has a chance to start earning its keep.

1. Promotional Goods

Giving away or selling promotional items within your store is a good method to attract attention to what your business focuses on.… Continue reading »

Although frequently portrayed in the media as irrational risk takers, the truth is that most people who decide to start their own small business are actually quite risk averse. Rather than spontaneously lunging at the latest fad, entrepreneurs have proven to be much more pragmatic, launching their company in response to what they see as a unique window of opportunity to exploit an unfulfilled need in the marketplace.

When individuals like this make the decision to seek out additional capital to fuel their expansion, they do so with the same measured consideration, research, and rigor used when starting their firm in the first place.… Continue reading »

On 22 May 2011, John Motazedi, CEO of computer services firm SNC Squared, stood in a field in Joplin, Missouri, looking at the vast empty space littered with debris where his office had been standing a few hours before.

“After the tornado, I could do a 360 degree turn and there was nothing left standing. The tornado was so strong it blew the bark off the trees and peeled asphalt up in parking lots,” he said.

Amazingly, Motazedi got his company back up and running just five hours after the tornado flattened his office. Within 72 hours of coming back online, SNC Squared had all of its clients in a position to conduct business.… Continue reading »

As a freelancer, sole trader, self-employed worker or an owner of a Limited company have you ever wondered how you can lower your tax bill?

The simplest way to reduce your tax bill is by claiming back businesses expenses. However in order to claim back your expenses, the expense must be a cost that was made solely for the running of your business and you must ensure that this is the case for any expenses you wish to claim.

How does a business expense reduce my tax bill?

An expense is not taxed so say for example, your income for a month was £8,000 and you withdrew it with no expenses you would pay tax on the full £8,000.… Continue reading »

The self-regulation of the UK third-party funding market has recently entered into a debate with the US. The Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), an American body, has insisted on statutory regulation and made 11 claims against litigation funding in England.

They claim that litigation funding in this country opens the flood gates to consumers making claims, despite the fact that it is not for personal injury claims and is only used by commercial companies and individuals with large scale commercial claims.

The Civil Justice Council working party have created the Code of Conduct and it is being embraced by litigation funders in the UK.… Continue reading »

It’s a great time for small businesses to rise up and compete with larger corporations. The digital world has leveled the playing field in so many ways that you no longer have to have a cache of resources to survive. You do, however, have to maintain money smarts, or you’ll join the boneyard of those small businesses that don’t take saving money seriously. Here are 4 places where your business should skip the steak and go for the salad.

1. Advertising

Small businesses are popping up all over and many of them are succeeding. Due to current modes of communication, it’s never been less expensive to advertise.… Continue reading »

Choosing the right insurance is an important part of owning a business. If your company is up and running, you’ve probably already worked with an insurance agent to purchase the most common types of insurance policies you need, such as general liability, product liability, worker’s compensation, and other industry-specific insurances for vehicles and property. But is that everything you need? Many business owners never go beyond the legal requirements and bare necessities when they’re shopping for insurance, and this can be a mistake. If you plan for success, you could see your business grow, your number of employees increase, and your plan to keep everything running smoothly become even more important.… Continue reading »

Nobody likes paying for insurance, and small business owners are no different. Often it can feel like you’re not getting anything for your money, especially where insurance is legally required. It’s just another thing you have to factor in to your expenses.

In reality, insurance should make you feel more secure; it’s there to protect you and your clients or customers when the worst happens. There’s nothing worse than something happening which you aren’t covered for. You wouldn’t drive on the roads without having your car insured, and business insurance is no different.

There are an infinite number of different circumstances which could negatively affect your business, and you can never predict what might happen.… Continue reading »

If you are starting, or thinking of starting your own business there are many things you need to consider.

Where to get funding, how much you will need, what your goals are, how much you expect to earn over the first year, where you hope to be in five years time and what will happen to your business should something bad happen to you. Business life insurance from lifeinsurance.org.uk lets you stop worrying about the last item on the list at least.

Having business life insurance is especially important if you are working with a partner, as it covers them in the event of your death.… Continue reading »

Kickstarter, the crowd funding venture launched in the USA just a few years ago, is to move into the UK market with a view to providing valuable funding to new businesses and innovators. The success of Kickstarter (itself a new business not so long ago) is mostly due to the imaginative way that funding can be raised but its reason for existing in the first place is simple: new businesses are expensive.

But of course not everybody can raise funds from venture capitalists. For every Kickstarter or Dragon’s Den success story, there are thousands of others who have to do it on their own.… Continue reading »

How to Afford Your Small Business Technology Needs with a Small Business Loan or Business Line of Credit?

Just because you own a small business doesn’t mean you have small technology needs. And in today’s competitive, technology-driven market, even small businesses need cutting-edge tools. But when you add up hardware, software, networking, website and telecommunications costs, you’ll often find quite a bill. Taking out a small business loan or business equipment loan can help you afford the right technology without draining your existing cash flow.

You can use a business loan calculator to determine your expected cash flow to small business loan amount ratio, but first, determine how much you need to borrow to meet your technology needs.… Continue reading »

As the national rate of unemployment in Spain soared beyond 25% last week, the issue of global unemployment is once again dominating media headlines. In the wake of this, the continuing Eurozone crisis and the impending fiscal cliff that faces the U.S. federal government, it is little wonder that jobless individuals are looking to market their skills and find gainful employment as independent contractors.

The Mindset of an Independent Contractor: How to Save Money

While being an independent contractor may allow you to find employment, however, it does not necessarily deliver the financial rewards expected. This is due to a number of costs and legal factors that are associated with freelancing, and it is important to develop a mindset that enables you to cope with these accordingly.… Continue reading »

As a small business owner finance could be one of the major sources of worry for you.  If you are worried about running up debt and feel that it could be too much for you to deal with as you set up your business then here are the top 5 ways in which invoice finance solutions like factoring can work for your small business…

1. True Cost of Debt Is Reduced to near Zero

For a small business owner budgeting means cutting costs on all fronts, more so on interest and cost of debt.  There are several ways to do so – one of them is factoring.… Continue reading »