Business guides – Financing

An efficient payroll system is essential to ensure your employees are paid on time and their salaries are correctly calculated.

This guide shows you how to make sure you have an effective system in place to get paid on time.

Helping you to source the right funding to grow your business in 2010 and beyond.

A business banking service that you can rely on and trust can save you time and money.

To raise money to grow your business, you have to convince likely lenders that your idea is profitable.

This guide looks at importing and exporting, accounting for VAT and VAT inspections.

This guide helps you understand the importance of budgeting and how to create and use a budget effectively.

In a small business you always need to be in control of the finances. You can help to achieve this by keeping good records.

Working capital is the money that a business needs to operate in the short term, and is what helps it grow and sustain profits in the long term. Without investing in working capital, your business might not be able to trade or return a profit, but over-investment can lead to cashflow problems. Read how to get the balance right.

Even in less turbulent times, it is important for businesses to regularly assess themselves and question how they do business. Identifying areas for improvement is not only necessary for maximising profits but might also be vital to survival. 

Keeping costs under control is a vital part of business management. Cutting your fixed costs has an immediate positive effect on the profitability of your company, and in difficult times low fixed costs can mean the difference between remaining profitable and going out of business.

Every business needs cash to survive. So it’s crucial to monitor the flow of cash between you and your customers, suppliers and employees.

You need to understand where you’re making money and where you’re spending it.

This guide shows you what to monitor and how to interpret key financial information about your company.