Category
6 articles
Most UK SMEs can name their most important client faster than they can name the one person whose departure would destabilise the business. A structured key person audit — across sales, operations and finance — turns that blind spot into a manageable risk.
Most UK owner-managers treat succession as a problem for another decade, yet the value of a business often hinges on whether it could trade tomorrow without its founder. We look at the practical groundwork — from documenting relationships to developing leadership beneath you — that turns a personal livelihood into a saleable asset.
Handshake deals feel efficient until they go wrong. We examine why informal arrangements expose UK businesses to unnecessary risk, and how to formalise relationships without souring them.
Most UK small businesses only engage an adviser once a problem has fully formed — by which point the options have narrowed and the bill has grown. We examine what reactive engagement actually costs, and offer a simple test for deciding when outside input earns its fee.
Stretching payment terms looks like prudent cash management, but it often shifts the burden onto smaller suppliers who can least afford it. We examine the reputational and regulatory stakes under the Payment Practices Reporting regime, and set out how to build a payment policy that protects your working capital without damaging goodwill.
The structure you chose on day one may be quietly costing you money — or exposing you to risk you never intended to carry. This deep dive examines when a sole trader, partnership, or limited company structure has served its purpose, and what switching actually involves.