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For a successful business, you need a viable business idea, the skills to make it work and the funding. Discover whether your idea has what it takes.

Forming your business correctly is essential to ensure you are protected and you comply with the rules. Learn how to set up your business.

Advice on protecting your wellbeing, self-confidence and mental health from the pressures of starting and running a business.

Learn why business planning is an essential exercise if your business is to start and grow successfully, attract funding or target new markets.

It is likely you will need funding to start your business unless you have your own money. Discover some of the main sources of start up funding.

Businesses and individuals must account for and pay various taxes. Understand your tax obligations and how to file, account and pay any taxes you owe.

Businesses are required to comply with a wide range of business laws. We introduce the main rules and regulations you must comply with.

Marketing matters. It drives sales and helps promote your brand and products. Discover how to market your business and reach your target customers.

Some businesses need a high street location whilst others can be run from home. Understand the key factors from cost to location, size to security.

Your employees can your biggest asset. They can also be your biggest challenge. We explain how to recruitment and manage staff successfully.

It is likely your business could not function without some form of IT. Learn how to specify, buy, maintain and secure your business IT.

Few businesses manage the leap from start up to high-growth business. Learn what it takes to scale up and take your business to the next level.

Testing business ideas

To avoid starting a new business that's doomed to fail, you must test your business idea rigorously. Discover how to test your business ideas.

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15 results shown
If you make deliveries, your service must be reliable: it can differentiate you from competitors. How can you make your delivery service superior?
Simon Pitkeathley, chief executive of regeneration agency Camden Town Unlimited, explains how to set up a pop-up business
Many of us have a 'big idea': the idea that fuels our entrepreneurial dreams. But how can we make the transition from dream to business reality?
Sometimes ideas have seasonal appeal. If you're lucky, you might be able to generate enough profit to carry you through the rest of the year.
Taking an idea from concept to a fully working, product is a massive challenge. Beau Spinks of TiiPii beds tells us how they developed their product.
Adam Butwilowski spotted a gap in the market for a website for web, ecommerce and social media jobs. So how did he turn his idea into a business?
Business inspiration can come from anywhere. Adam Ewart of Send My Bag explains how an unpleasant journey sparked his business idea.
After being made redundant, Allie Astell decided starting a business was preferable to finding another position in an uncertain jobs market.
Bristol-based duo Tom Drummond and Pat Hammett are bringing an age-old musical tradition up to date with beautiful, handmade cigar box guitars.
The soar-away success of Butlers in the Buff has been built upon the fact that there are many women who like to be waited on by toned, semi-clad men.
In this article, Henry Virgin of London-based Green Boar OrganicTea takes a look back to explain how he came up with his idea for a new business.
Nick Telson and Andrew Webster came up with an idea for a night-life price comparison site. But how did they test it and refine it before launch?
Nick Edmonds is a gardener who knows a lot about "one of the best kept secrets of nature": the awesome pollination activities of the solitary bee.
Sir James Dyson famously overcame many hurdles and rejections to launch his bagless vacuum. What lessons can he pass on to new businesses?
Mother and son team Deborah de Maio and Rem Malloy set up Italy4Real in 1995. They reveal the secrets behind the success of their family business.