Most businesses need a bit of help with finance at some stage – whether it's for startup or growth. You might need funding for a dip in revenue or cash flow, or for new equipment or recruitment. In this section we'll explain how to prepare for the process and look at the options from banks, investors, alternative lenders or business grants, and what the implications are for your business.
A Sole Trader’s Guide to Alternative Finance
— Read More — A Sole Trader’s Guide to Alternative FinanceA Sole Trader’s Guide to Alternative Finance
If you're a sole trader operating in the UK, it's worth considering the alternative finance options available to you. Here's our guide, covering crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, and more
How to Achieve Sustainable Business Growth
— Read More — How to Achieve Sustainable Business GrowthHow to Achieve Sustainable Business Growth
Mark Tighe of specialist tax relief consultancy Catax shares his tips on how UK SMEs can achieve sustainable business growth, such as by protecting cash flow and managing payment terms
Credit Control Checklist for Small Businesses
— Read More — Credit Control Checklist for Small BusinessesCredit Control Checklist for Small Businesses
If you offer your products or services on credit, it's vital that this is carried out in a controlled manner and a strict collection procedure is in place
How to Prioritize Investment Within Your Company
— Read More — How to Prioritize Investment Within Your CompanyHow to Prioritize Investment Within Your Company
It can be difficult to know which parts of your SME to invest in when looking into business growth. Lewis Miller of Nelson Frank shares his expertise on how to prioritize company investments
Creating a Pitch Deck To Secure Investor Funding
— Read More — Creating a Pitch Deck To Secure Investor FundingCreating a Pitch Deck To Secure Investor Funding
Creating your first pitch deck can seem like a daunting task. To help you get started, Mike Sims of ThinkLions shares three ways to leverage your pitch deck to win over investors
Streamlining Financial Processes for Growth
— Read More — Streamlining Financial Processes for GrowthStreamlining Financial Processes for Growth
Neil Robertson of Compleat Software shares his thoughts on how streamlining financial processes can facilitate sustainable business growth
The Start-up Guide to Business Funding
— Read More — The Start-up Guide to Business FundingThe Start-up Guide to Business Funding
Here’s a quick look at the main funding options available to budding startup founders across the UK, including bank funding, angel investment and government grants
What is Fintech?
— Read More — What is Fintech?Here's our view of how fintech works and the impact it's having on the landscape of the UK economy
Financial New Year’s Resolutions for SME Owners
— Read More — Financial New Year’s Resolutions for SME OwnersFinancial New Year’s Resolutions for SME Owners
The new year is the perfect time to regroup and revisit your company's financial practices. Here are four resolutions to keep your business in the green this year
Is Vehicle Leasing the Right Option for Your SME?
— Read More — Is Vehicle Leasing the Right Option for Your SME?Is Vehicle Leasing the Right Option for Your SME?
To buy or to lease? Many SMEs struggle to weigh the pros and cons of leasing a fleet of vehicles versus purchasing outright. Tom Preston talks us through the key points to consider
How to Improve Your Company Credit Score
— Read More — How to Improve Your Company Credit ScoreHow to Improve Your Company Credit Score
Credit scores are one of the most telling reflections of your business' financial health. We look at how to improve your credit score and the influence it can have on finance applications
The Construction SME's Guide to Securing Tools
— Read More — The Construction SME's Guide to Securing ToolsThe Construction SME's Guide to Securing Tools
Tool theft can be a huge strain on any construction company, and can even put some out of business. Storage Giant's Simon Williams explores the best ways to secure your tools
How SMEs Can Overcome Financial Restraint
— Read More — How SMEs Can Overcome Financial RestraintHow SMEs Can Overcome Financial Restraint
Real Business Rescue’s Keith Tully explores some of the most common financial issues you might have to deal with as a business owner and how to overcome them
The Changing Tide of Women in Finance
— Read More — The Changing Tide of Women in FinanceThe Changing Tide of Women in Finance
The numbers of women in the financial services industry has been a topic of contention for a few years now but, slowly, the tide is changing. Aanisah Begg of Midven takes a look at why
The Accelerator Helping to Build Future Britain
— Read More — The Accelerator Helping to Build Future BritainThe Accelerator Helping to Build Future Britain
By nurturing some of the UKs very best startups, accelerator Geovation is supplying much-needed support to the UK tech industry to fuel future innovation
Small Business Online Accounting Software
— Read More — Small Business Online Accounting SoftwareSmall Business Online Accounting Software
Finding the perfect online accounting software for your business can be tricky with so many providers available to choose from. Here's our guide.
The Small Business Guide to Tax
— Read More — The Small Business Guide to TaxThe Small Business Guide to Tax
Understanding tax law can be tricky, whether you're a sole trader or a limited company. In this guide for small businesses, we cover all you need to know
How to Avoid Early Repayment Charges
— Read More — How to Avoid Early Repayment ChargesHow to Avoid Early Repayment Charges
If you’re taking out a business loan, you may wish to repay it early. But how can you avoid early repayment charges? Find out in Fleximize’s handy guide
How to Download a Bank Statement
— Read More — How to Download a Bank StatementHow to Download a Bank Statement
A simple guide to downloading a bank statement from all of the major UK banks, including Lloyds, Barclays, NatWest, HSBC, Nationwide, Santander and RBS
Card Surcharge Ban: How SMEs Can Offset the Cost
— Read More — Card Surcharge Ban: How SMEs Can Offset the CostCard Surcharge Ban: How SMEs Can Offset the Cost
It's now illegal for businesses to charge customers for debit and credit card payments. How can companies manage the impact of the card surcharge ban?
When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.
Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.
For more information on cookies, please click here.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms.
You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.
All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages.
If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites.
They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Log In
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit.
If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.