Business Resource Centre

Starting up a new venture and running an efficient business doesn't have to be a minefield - we've put together some answers to popular questions and advice on overcoming common issues.

Business news feed

• Daily news feed - read our news feed to keep up-to-date with stories relevant to your business.

Starting a new business

• Finding a niche in the market - researching potential demand and competition is an essential first step in setting up any new business.
• Putting together a business plan - creating a detailed plan will not only help you find investment, but also keep you focussed.
• What business structure is best for you? - should you be a sole trader or a limited company? We explain the differences.
• What you need to know about tax - tax can be very confusing. Every self-employed person needs to submit a tax return but if you keep a cool head, it should be plain sailing.
• Getting your name out there - advertising and marketing options for small businesses - it doesn't have to blow the budget.
• Working from home - it's more than just an extra phone line and Internet connection. As well as extra insurance, you also need to think about business rates, tax and legal issues.
• Home business insurance - we look at the booming industry of people working from home and why you can't rely on your home insurance to cover your business goods and property.
• Hotel insurance - running a B&B or hotel is a busy and challenging job. In order to sleep more easily at night, it pays to have the right business insurance.
• Business networks - how do you find the right business network for your firm - and can it provide a good way to grow your business contacts and promote your company?
• Business networking - how to get the most out of business networking events.
• Insurance essentials - don't put off getting the correct insurance policy for your business. Research what you need from the start and get covered from day 1.
• Developing a website - how get a website up and running to promote your business.

Running a business effectively

• Keeping accounts - how to ensure you are keeping accurate accounts for everything from income expenditure to invoices and wages.
• Dealing with staff - how to interview for new staff, keeping your workforce happy and how to resolve conflict.
• Business expenses - you can't put everything on the company accounts - we explain the difference between allowable and non-allowable expenses.
• Improving your sales techniques - what do you need to know when selling your products and services, how do you counter objections and what exactly is an elevator pitch?
• Writing business contracts - you'll need to have various written contracts in place, from statements of employment to service level agreements. Some guidance on drawing up legal contracts for employees, customers and suppliers.
• Debt recovery - there's a range of options to combat late payers and frequent offenders but you should look at arranging conflict amicably before involving debt collectors or the courts.
• Dealing with business interruptions - it's a nightmare scenario, but if your business property is damaged or your communications systems go down, you may be unable to do business for days or even weeks. How can you plan for such and eventuality and what insurance can you take out?
• Protect your staff... and yourself - employers' liability insurance is not only a legal requirement, it can keep you in business should a member of staff have an accident and decide to make a claim against you.
• Accidents will happen - if a member of the public has an accident in your workplace, or is injured in some way that is related to your business, public liability insurance will help cover the cost of a damages payout.
• Expanding your business - if you want to grow your business it will likely involve the raising of funds against existing assets. But the first question you need to ask is whether the time is right to expand. If it is, what is the best way to go about it and what are the pitfalls to avoid?

Running a successful business

• Dealing with suppliers - it's important to maintain good relations with suppliers because they're an essential part of your business operation. How can you also ensure that your suppliers will continue to provide a good service?
• Selling your business - it could be a strategic move or a necessity, but how can you best prepare your company for sale?
• Motivating staff - 12 tips for motivating your employees.
• Green business - from recycling more to looking at alternative energy tariffs, there are plenty of ways in which you can make your business more ecologically friendly.
• Staff training and developing skills - how to get training for your staff, even if you don't have a training budget.
• Buying another company - one great way to expand your business is to buy a competitor or complementary company, but how easy is it to buy another firm and what do you need to do?

Business technology

• Getting the most from technology - what sort of technology might be useful to help run your business and how to get your investments insured.
• IT security - with all the vital information stored on computers, IT security is a must. We look at the options.
• Mobile business - Smartphones, VoIP, PDAs and car navigation systems... we examine the core parts of the mobile worker's technology arsenal.
• Essential business applications - from the humble word processor and spreadsheet application to interactive whiteboards and videoconferencing, we look at the main applications you need to run a business.
• Keeping track of contacts - with gadgets like digital card scanners and paperless options like vCards, there's no excuse for that dusty pile of business cards in the back of your desk drawer any more.