For any successful business, there will come a time when you think that you could do with an extra pair of hands.  It may be simply to help you keep the administration side of things in order or it could be to work directly alongside you, allowing you to effectively take on twice as many customers as before. If you’re currently in this position and are considering taking on a member or staff, [...]

The 2009-10 tax year finished on 5 April 2010 and if you’re particularly organized, you might have not only received your self assessment tax return in the post, but you could have completed the online variation and received the figure of the amount of tax due for the last financial year. Now, if you’ve kept an eye on your earnings throughout the past 12 months, chances are the figure shown [...]

With the 2009/2010 tax year coming to an end on April 5, if you own a small business in the UK it is likely that you’ll already have had on your doormat a letter from HMRC asking you to complete a self-assessment tax return. If not, don’t worry, it will (unfortunately) be on its way. Whether this is your first or fifteenth year of completing a self-assessment tax return, unless you are extremely [...]

When you first start a small business, there are dozens of different things you have to think about.  From registering and setting up the necessary tax information to ensuring that your prices are at the right level so you are both competitive for your customers but cost-effective for you, setting up a business can be more stressful than actually running it. On top of all of that, someone mentions [...]

If you’re a freelancer, it’s likely that you’ll have your own way of working that you’ve used since you began freelancing. You’ll feel comfortable in the way that you approach your projects and to a certain extent, you’ll feel that you’re producing work at a relatively high level. Sure, you could probably increase your productivity if you really tried. Everyone [...]

Summary: As a freelancer, you’ll probably want to increase your rates someday, if not already. How can do this without alienating your existing clients though? These tips will help you increase your freelance writing rates without potentially losing current clients who can’t account for the change in their budgets. If you’re a freelance writer, it’s highly likely that you will [...]

Summary: Is it better to have a street address for your small business, or will a PO Box suffice? What about for entrepreneurs who work from home? What option is best for a small business business? What option is best for its customers? Small businesses often struggle with their choice of mailing address. Do they use their physical address? Do they get a PO box? The decision becomes even more complicated [...]

Summary: Broken outgoing links on your company’s website can hurt search engine rankings and frustrate visitors who can’t access the page or resource they’re looking for. Xenu Link Sleuth is a free online link checker that will sniff out broken links for you quickly and easily, so you don’t have to dig for them yourself. I’m notorious for changing my websites–moving [...]

Summary: Are your employees constantly leaving on lights in storage rooms, restrooms, and other areas? They may be hurting both profits and the environment. A simple device can keep your energy use under control, even if no one is around to remember to turn off the lights. It’s not uncommon for common-area lights to be left on in the office, even when that room or area isn’t in use. How [...]

Summary: Are you more of an “ideas person?” Do you have great business ideas, but no time or funding to pursue all of them? A new service at SubmitBusinessIdeas.com allows you to submit business ideas and collect 15% profit if the idea is selected, developed, and proves to be profitable. First of all, a quick disclaimer – SubmitBusinessIdeas.com is a new site run by a client of mine. [...]