Articles

Starting a kennels and cattery business is one of the most difficult and time consuming enterprises to start and run – yet it can also be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding. If you’re a dog or cat lover and have always dreamed of working with animals then running a kennels and cattery could provide you with the perfect business…

The Government introduced the Feed in Tariff (FiT) in order to kick-start the solar industry in the UK. Under the original scheme it had just this effect. The desired aim of increased renewable energy, new business and new jobs had been achieved. Yet all this is now in jeopardy following the Government’s announcement on 31 October, bringing forward the assumed deadline of March 2012 and introducing cuts. Libbie Henderson, Energy Partner with Dickinson Dees LLP, explores the ramifications.

Many entrepreneurs will not want to run their business indefinitely. At some point they will want to sell the company and move on to another project, retire, or go back to being an employee. The route to this, involving selling the company, is called an ‘exit strategy.’ There are a variety of different exit strategies. Knowing which one is most suitable for your company can help ensure you get the best possible price and the smoothest sale.

One of the biggest problems for small businesses is getting paid promptly by their customers. Increasingly customers choose either to delay payment to improve their own cashflow or attempt to renegotiate the cost of a product or service once it has been received or performed.

Selling over the internet was, and still can be, a big step for many businesses. But just as ecommerce is now a daily choice for many consumers, the growth of mobile commerce suggests that it too will become as popular. Businesses of all sizes looking to utilise a new way of allowing customers to purchase products will benefit from mobile commerce, which offers a range of advantages to both the business and the purchaser.

Opportunities in the creative sector are broad but it's a very competitive market. These top tips will help you develop the skills and attitude necessary to break into, and succeed within, the creative sector.

There is an increasing number of entrepreneurs in the UK. Research carried out earlier this year revealed that more than half of 14- to 19-year-olds would like to be their own boss. According to a survey by Hiscox Insurance, 25 percent of London undergraduates were either running their own businesses or setting up companies while still at university – in Hull, the proportion was 36 percent, followed by Glasgow (32 percent) and Cardiff (22 percent). Here, we offer 10 top tips for young entrepreneurs who want to either start or develop their own businesses.

As an employer, one of the most irksome realities of commercial life is that, occasionally, employees become ill and unable to attend work or develop non-sickness-related absence habits. This can be troublesome for the employer and frustrating and stressful for the employee.

Online companies face many of the same legal issues as offline companies. However, many online companies seek to streamline the contractual process and provide a seamless online experience for their customers and users. This results in a slightly different approach to the legal documentation. Further the most valuable asset of many online businesses is their intellectual property rights and so the ownership and protection of such rights is a key consideration.

Paul Blanchard is the founder of Right Angles, an innovative PR consultancy that aims to do things differently. The company boasts an impressive roster, including Compassion in World Farming, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Aviva and the ACCA. inspiresme.co.uk caught up with Paul about his company, the public relations industry, and how small companies can make the most of PR and get their name out there as efficiently as possible.

Vintage T-shirt vendor Truffle Shuffle started trading in 2004 and has grown to be a significant player in the retro t-shirt market. They implemented mobile payments just over a year ago with help from a graduate web developer for the grand total of £200. Now, their mobile customers’ conversion rates have increased five-fold and resulting revenue has tripled. Founder Pat Wood talks to inspiresme.co.uk about the history of Truffle Shuffle, and how mobile payments have helped them expand quickly.

These days, the potential for advertising your business is vast. From print media to social media marketing, the options are seemingly limitless. And with free online channels, such as Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook and paid-for marketing packages for TV, radio and online have been forced to lower prices. While TV advertising may still be beyond the reach of most small businesses, there are still some attractive deals to be had by turning attention to regional and local radio.

Many entrepreneurs find money management difficult, especially during in the early days, and yet it is something that is absolutely critical to the success of your venture. Here are some of the most common money management mistakes that entrepreneurs make and how you can avoid making them yourself.

Each piece of software that you purchase for your business will come with a license stipulating what you can and can’t do with it, and it is essential that you fully understand the terms of the license to ensure that you stay legal.

This article was written by Michael Buckworth, a partner in Buckworth Solicitors. Buckworth Solicitors is a London based law firm specialising in assisting start-ups on a range of matters. The firm works solely on the basis of affordable fixed fees. Michael worked at two of the world’s best law firms for eight years before setting up Buckworth Solicitors at the start of 2011.

We’ve all seen libel and slander cases hitting the headlines – most seemingly involving celebrities or the rich and famous – however it’s also a big problem for businesses and in the most extreme cases can damage a businesses reputation to the point where it can no longer continue trading. So what should you do if your business finds out that a third party is making libellous or slanderous statements about it?