Xero: your perfect business partner

When we speak to business owners, and we have talked to a lot of them during self-assessment season recently, one of the most pressing issues for them is lack of time. They talk about finding that elusive work/life balance so they can spend time with the family or...

Securing funding for your business

Sourcing funding is a vital component of running a successful business, whether it’s getting your idea off the ground, easing a cashflow crisis or financing the next stage of its development. The first port of call for most established business owners is their bank,...

Extracting profits from partnerships

Depending on how many business partners are involved in your partnership, each partner takes their slice of the pie and pays income tax on it accordingly. This should be a key part of your business plan, and there are several ways for you or your partners to get paid...

Setting up payroll for the first time

You’re starting a business and recognise the need to take on employees to help you share the load, but paying them in cash isn’t an option as you’ll be breaking the law. You usually need to register to pay income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) through...

How to set up as a sole trader

So you’ve had enough of being on the treadmill working for someone else and decided it’s time to break free and go solo. The good thing is you’re not alone as the number of sole traders, which are classed as businesses with no employees, grew 25% quicker than any...