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Practical guides for UK directors — funding, cash flow, tax, insurance, and more. A small business guide hub built around the decisions that matter most.
Whether you run a limited company or work as a sole trader, each guide is written in plain English so you can find what you need quickly and get back to running your business.
Mae ein canllawiau ar gyfer perchnogion busnes yn ymdrin â'r hanfodion y mae cyfarwyddwyr yn dychwelyd atynt dro ar ôl tro: rheoli cyfalaf gweithio, deall credyd busnes a thelerau benthyca, cynllunio ar gyfer TAW a Threth Gorfforaeth, a dewis y gorchudd cywir ar gyfer eich masnach. Defnyddiwch y canllawiau isod i adolygu pwnc cyn penderfyniad, neu dychwelwch pan fydd y sefyllfa'n newid.
Interest can be quoted as a daily rate, a monthly rate or an APR — and the same loan can look very different depending on which you read. This guide explains how business loan interest is actually calculated so you can compare offers on a like-for-like basis.
Darllen y canllaw →Secured loans are backed by an asset; unsecured loans are not. That single difference changes the rate, the speed, the amount, and the risk. This guide explains how each works and when each makes sense for a UK business.
Darllen y canllaw →A personal guarantee makes a company director personally liable for a business debt — so if the company cannot repay, the lender can pursue the director's own assets. Lending without one keeps the borrowing where it belongs: with the company. This guide explains what a personal guarantee is, why it matters, and what no-personal-guarantee lending changes for UK directors.
Darllen y canllaw →A business loan and a business credit card both give your company access to funds, but they behave very differently — in how you draw the money, how you repay it, what they cost, and what they are actually good for. This guide breaks down the practical differences so you can match the tool to the job.
Darllen y canllaw →For decades, a business loan decision hinged on filed accounts that were often more than a year out of date. Open Banking lets a lender read your live business bank data — with your permission — and decide on the business as it is today. This guide explains what Open Banking is, how it speeds up lending, and what it means for a UK limited company applying for finance.
Darllen y canllaw →How much a lender will offer your business comes down to affordability, not a headline maximum. This guide explains what determines your borrowing capacity, how lenders calculate it, and how to work out a realistic figure before you apply.
Darllen y canllaw →A revolving credit facility gives you a pre-approved pot of money you draw from and repay repeatedly — unlike a term loan, which you borrow once. This guide explains how revolving credit works, when it makes sense for a UK business, and how it compares to a standard business loan.
Darllen y canllaw →A business loan application that arrives well-prepared moves faster and tends to get better terms. This guide walks you through every step — from confirming the type of finance you need to having the right contact ready on decision day.
Darllen y canllaw →Rate is the third most important thing about a business lender. Total cost, personal guarantees, speed, transparency and what happens when things go wrong — a checklist that catches the traps.
Darllen y canllaw →The VAT quarter is due and the cash is in unpaid invoices. HMRC Time to Pay, short-term borrowing, and doing nothing — compared honestly, with a worked example.
Darllen y canllaw →What security actually means on a UK business loan — charges, debentures and personal guarantees — what it costs to give, and when an unsecured loan is the better trade.
Darllen y canllaw →Your limited company has its own credit file, separate from yours. Who compiles it, what feeds it, what lenders read, and the specific habits that build a strong company credit record.
Darllen y canllaw →Invoice finance and term loans solve different cash-flow problems. How each works, what each costs, a side-by-side worked example, and a plain rule for choosing between them.
Darllen y canllaw →What business borrowing looks like for a UK startup in its first two years: Start Up Loans, working-capital lending, asset finance and the trading-history problem — with a worked example.
Darllen y canllaw →Public liability, employers' liability, professional indemnity, cyber, key person — what is legally required, what is genuinely useful, and what is over-sold.
Darllen y canllaw →A first-principles guide to investing surplus money — for directors who want a sensible plan rather than a stock-tip spreadsheet.
Darllen y canllaw →A startup funding guide for UK founders: grants, loans, equity, bootstrapping — the funding ladder for a micro-business, with honest pros and cons for each step.
Darllen y canllaw →A practical directory of the UK organisations — public, charitable and commercial — that help small businesses with advice, training, finance and dispute resolution.
Darllen y canllaw →Corporation tax, VAT, PAYE, self-assessment, dividend tax — the five obligations every UK limited-company director has to get right, explained in plain English.
Darllen y canllaw →A practical guide to managing money in a UK micro-business: separating accounts, building a buffer, getting paid on time and watching the right numbers.
Darllen y canllaw →Help centre
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