There are several signs to suggest that as a nation we’re through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Infection rates have fallen from the highs seen in mid-April, and London – which was one of the worst affected localities – recently saw no new coronavirus cases for a full 24-hour period.

As a small business owner, there will be a number of business insurances that you will consider getting, from professional indemnity insurance to private healthcare insurance. Another type of business insurance you might consider getting is Keyman insurance, also known as Key person insurance.

Many small businesses are being to plan for their reopening, or if they have been maintaining their businesses during Covid-19 perhaps they are preparing for staff to return to their workplace.

As an entrepreneur, starting a new business and hiring employees to join your team can often be a daunting first move to make as your business expands. It can be difficult to create the right environment and culture as a start-up business whilst also developing your brand.

Small business owners will be relieved that lockdown looks set to be easing. However, this isn’t a return to normal. Business needs to think of the changing situation as moving forward into a new normal and continue to deal with the reality of the coronavirus.  Handling this period will take resilience and adaptability from business owners.

Though many areas are beginning to ease up on their shelter-at-home directives, it’s still going to take weeks if not months for in-person customer interactions to get back to normal. This is why it’s essential for businesses to pivot their communication strategies to focus on maintaining and forging virtual connections.

Starting a part-time small business is ideal if you want the security of employment whilst investing in a side business. Starting a business can come with great risks, and one of the main reasons that potential entrepreneurs are held back is for fear of their business failing. However with a combination of business skills and the right product, you can make your business a success. When running a part-time small business you also don’t have the life changing risk of failing hanging over your head, as you still have a steady income through your day job.

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When it comes to the world of SEO, a lot of people are aware of its importance but, frankly, have no idea where to start. This is a peculiar problem that is really not that hard to solve. The field of SEO is quite complex but before you can delve into these subtleties, you need to master all the basics.

Readers question: If I have three separate Limited company businesses, can I pay myself a salary/management fee from each one or only the one?

According to data from Euromonitor International, 2019 was the first year that more than 50% of the world’s population was connected to the Internet. People are likely to stay connected throughout 2020 and beyond as more consumers are using the Internet for the first time because of affordable online access and mobile phones.

Every SMB must make an extra effort when it comes to competing in the online market. The main reason is that the market itself is oversaturated with large companies with large budgets, which makes the competition fiercer than ever. 

If your small business is expanding and you have a small team working for you then you might consider hiring an IT Support professional. As your business and team grow so will the technology involved, so it might be a good idea to either train your staff with basic knowledge of IT support or hire IT support staff. A go-to tech person can help with the day to day issues which may disrupt the workflow and be detrimental to the productivity of the workplace.

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As communities begin to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are looking to take the right steps in preparing for that reopening. Experts are discussing the importance of careful planning during this stage of the pandemic. Business owners will need to be informed about how to properly reopen.

Readers question:  I am one of two company directors in an ltd company. My partner in business has been told by her midwife that she is entitled to 90% of her salary while on maternity leave. For us to pay her, we would need to employ another person to do her job, this would put the business in financial difficulty. Is this the case?

Do you remember the time when our main worry was the dreaded B word?  Deal or no deal? Then everything changed as Covid-19 challenged us in a dramatic way. Over the last few weeks, many small businesses have been taking on the challenge: making provision for team members working from home; analysing the various forms of government help and evaluating how best it can be applied in our individual organisations; projecting the immediate and the longer-term financial impacts. Simultaneously, we’ve had new plates to spin at home as we home school or do online shopping for elderly relatives etc.

With a new tax year come the new tax rates and allowances. Although there has not been a great significant change in the rates and allowances for 2020/21 compared to 2019/20, there have been some changes.

Pension auto-enrolment obligates companies to automatically enrol employees in a pension scheme unless workers decide to ‘opt-out’. As a result, all company owners should make themselves aware of pension auto-enrolment and how it will affect them when hiring employees.

The Women in Tech Employer Awards 2020 have been launched by the team at WomenInTech.co.uk. They are looking for dedicated employers who are helping to narrow the gender gap in the tech sector. These awards will aim to put a spotlight on those businesses and employers who are doing right by women in tech and encouraging them to thrive.

There are a number of ways in which you can set up and run your business in the UK. In this guide created by OrangeGenie, we look at the differences between sole trader, partnership, Ltd and PLC. We will focus on explaining what the type of company is, the tax implications, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
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