Smart business insights
10 ways to improve cash flow management
To keep your business in good financial health and ride out the turbulence of current global uncertainty, staying on top of your cash flow management is key. Apply these 10 techniques to get started: 1. Be selective Turning down new business is not easy and needs steely resolve, but doing your research and turning down […]
The ultimate MTD Income Tax guide for sole traders
If you are a contractor, self-employed or a small business owner, MTD, short for ‘Making Tax Digital’ is going to become more and more important in the coming months. In this article, you’ll learn what it is, how it will affect you and how to register for MTD. What is MTD? MTD is HMRC’s initiative […]
How to register as a sole trader
All you need to know before setting up as a sole trader Running a small business and considering whether to register as a sole trader? In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about setting up as a sole trader, including the pros and cons, costs and more. Sole trader definition Sole traders […]
Do I need an accountant for my limited company?
If you are a director of a limited company you are not legally required to appoint an accountant. However, there are many benefits to doing so. In this article, you will learn how an accountant can help improve your business, what accountants don’t do, costs, and how to choose the right one. Let’s start with […]
5 reasons why you need to separate business from personal expenses
Getting organised when it comes to your finances is an important part of running a successful business. However, many self-employed small business owners fall into the trap of using one current account, which means that their personal and business expenses are mixed in together. Although you are not legally required to open a separate business […]
Tax estimate tool – no more tax surprises
Say hello to the Countingup Tax Estimate tool As the self-assessment tax deadline passes for another year and more than 1 million tax returns are still to be submitted, the worlds of banking and tax continue to collide to create new innovations for small businesses. We created the Countingup Tax Estimate tool to help make […]
Charge what you are worth is terrible advice
When you’re starting a business, you’ll find in depth advice on everything from dealing with your taxes to how to devise a fool-proof marketing plan. But the one area where things get a bit hazy is your pricing. You scour competitors’ websites for their price packages, only to find that every one of them states, […]
Break the spreadsheet habit
It is with a mixture of sadness, nostalgia and, we won’t lie, a great deal of relief, that we hereby announce the retirement of the spreadsheet. In the absence of a better solution, spreadsheets have served us well through the years, helping us transition from the sheer disorganised hell that was the shoebox method of […]