Nearly half of business owners fear they’ve held back their business by having a naive attitude towards cashflow during their company’s infancy.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of those who identified cashflow naivety as their largest regret suggested that they overspent before gaining any profit, ultimately leaving them in larger debt than they could manage.
Those in the business services, such as sales or marketing regretted their attitude to cashflow, with 65 per cent in these sectors claiming it almost ended their business venture, training providers were second most regretful (63%) and manufacturing third …

Guest post by Pete Mugleston, Online Mortgage Advisor
These days it’s much more common for parents to spend periods of time away from the traditional office. Research by Online Mortgage Advisor (OMA) shows a third of people take a break at some point in their career and parental leave is becoming increasingly more common amongst men, as well as women. Whether it’s the mum-preneur or the stay-at-home dad, there’s a new kind of normal homeowner in town.
Despite these modern-day work circumstances, nearly one in fifth (20%) of those on parental leave …

By Richard Shakespeare, Opus Energy
As an SME or an inspiring business owner, there are plenty of things to think about. Premises, insurance, wages and stock are all vital. But so is paying business rates.
Business rates are a tax on properties used for business purposes. Offices, retail spaces, pubs, restaurants and warehouses, as well as the majority of non-domestic buildings are liable to pay the rates.
The amount each business pays varies, as it’s calculated by the property’s ‘rateable value’. Put simply, business rates are essentially the nondomestic equivalent of council tax. …

By Jonathan Amponsah CTA FCCA, The Tax Guys
Numbers are the language of business so if you tend to shy away from them it’s time to face your fear and learn to love your accounts.  Here are some tips for understanding your business numbers and using them for your decision making.

Are you profitable?

You can check if your business is profitable by looking at the profit and loss account. scroll down to the bottom figure which will show a profit (positive figure) or a loss (negative figure).
Then look at the top …

By Inna Kaushan, co-founder of Solna
The data of over 3million SMEs up and down the country has been analysed to find out which regions are the highest and lowest risk for freelancers and small businesses when it comes to getting paid on time. 121 areas of the UK were scored and ranked based on how quickly businesses pay their invoices.
According to the Federation of Small Businesses, 58% of their members are owed up to £10,000 in late payments from their clients. 15% are owed between £10,000 and £20,000, and an …

By Inna Kaushan, co-founder of Solna
Small companies have always found it hard to get paid on time by larger businesses. However, there is now enhanced awareness amongst policy makers of how systematic the issue of late payments is. This is best typified by a new reporting regime for larger companies which forces them to reveal the number of days it takes to pay suppliers.
That said, policy makers can’t be expected to solve the problem exclusively, and collaboration is required from SMEs and stakeholders who represent their interests.
Technology can also help …

By Inna Kaushan, Solna
When you are busy managing your business it can be easy to put financial issues to one side.  Let’s look at five tools to help you automate tasks, keep track of your budgets and expenses, improve your invoicing, help you get paid and make life easier. 
Monese: Banking 
Monese provides freelancers and small businesses with a UK-based bank account that can be set up quickly. You can manage all your banking using the smart mobile app, designed to provide flexibility and easy transfers.
If you pay for your Monese account, …

Have you ever had to face a question such as:  “Would Italian law on legitimate succession prevail, and so would my succession, given that I do not have Italian citizenship?” Or such as: ”I would like to disinherit my daughter, English law allows me to do so, but can I do the same if I am resident in Italy?”
Are there any differences among the Italian and British Law?
It must be said that the Italian law of succession and the Italian inheritance system can vary quite a lot compared to …

It’s in everyone’s best interests to save for the future. After all, luck can change just as easily as the weather, so it’s important to always have some funds stored safely away in the event of such a turn. That said, in a consumer and capitalist society, saving is one of those pursuits that’s sometimes often easier said than done – especially for the younger generation today.

It’s quite likely that by now you know of the usual ways to save your money, and perhaps these strategies on proving as useful …

by Inna Kaushan, co-founder of Solna
If you run any kind of small business, you’ll recognise this scenario: You’re focused on delivering a project. Then the next one and the next one. Time flies by. And then it suddenly hits you – the year end is approaching, and you have accounts and tax returns to complete.
Only two things can help you ensure you don’t get into a last-minute panic again, accounting, and bookkeeping. These are important financial processes that’ll assist you with financial control and end-of-year tax affairs. But they’re not …