Articles

In recent weeks the growth in younger entrepreneurs, particularly amongst those aged 18 to 24, has been making headlines – but entrepreneurship is also an option for older workers, particularly in the current job market

For Russell Singler, the Director of Art You Grew Up With, his ‘magical’ career started when he was fourteen years old, when his parents bought him an original production cel of Baloo from Disney’s Jungle Book. ‘I couldn’t believe it,’ he said. ‘It was (and still is) my favourite film, and that kickstarted my collection.’ Skip forward thirty years and Russell is now director of the world’s largest destination for collectors of animation and character based fine art.

Keeping in touch with colleagues is essential in today’s fast-paced business environment. Finding the right mobile phones for employees – and on the right contract – can help improve productivity and keep costs down

Several hundred people are killed each year and hundreds of thousands suffer ill health and injury at work. Following standard health and safety procedures is essential for every business to help ensure the happiness and security of both staff and visitors.

Public liability insurance protects you in the event of third party injury or damage to property as a result of your negligence. If you regularly interact with clients or customers, either at their place of work or yours, you should consider taking out public liability insurance although for most businesses it is not legally required.

Industrial waste does not need to be written off and sent to landfill or incinerated - new technologies are emerging that can turn byproducts into usable and commercially viable items. With investments in this marketplace increasing, now is a great time to get on board.

Writing a business plan can be confusing for first-time entrepreneurs. Our sample outline provides you with a skeleton framework for writing a solid and well-crafted business plan.

In today’s world, many businesses are very reliant on technology. Employees will use computer screens for many hours; choosing the right monitors is important to keeping staff happy and maintaining high levels of productivity and output.

Protecting your intellectual property is essential to remaining profitable. Our guide explains the many ways in which you can get protection including patents, trademarks and ensuring your products are first-to-market.

Running your business from home brings an enormous number of benefits. However, it can also bring difficulties, such as a closer fusion of work and domesticity. One of the most difficult challenges home-based entrepreneurs face is maintaining professionalism at all times; these five tips should help you do so.

Controlling stock is essential to a business’ success. Overstocking can result in insufficient liquidity whilst understocking can make it impossible to satisfy your customers’ demands.

Start-up finance from friends and family is a popular way to kick-start a business; favourable terms and flexible repayment schedules are often just what entrepreneurs need when trying to get off to a good start.

Government grants are growing in popularity; with funding available for a range of projects and in different geographic areas, small businesses no longer have to feel limited by traditional ways of raising capital. Applying for a Government grant is easy and can be very cost-effective.

Learning to negotiate with investors will help you secure the best possible deal for your business. Your investor will try to strike a hard bargain – remaining strong but being flexible is key to success.

Private equity provides businesses with finance in exchange for a proportion of the business, most often in the form of shares. It is a popular method of financing because private investors often provide support and guidance in addition to capital.

Angel investors provide significant amounts of capital to start-ups and established businesses in exchange for an equity share of the business – they can also provide advice and industry contacts, but may want a say in the company’s future decisions.