Guides
Plain-English guides.
Practical guidance on starting and running a UK business. No fluff, and we always say where we earn a referral fee and where we don’t.
Starting a business
How to start a business in the UK
The complete, honest step-by-step guide to starting a business in the UK in 2026: choosing a structure, registering, banking, accounting, tax, insurance, and your first 30 days.
Sole trader vs limited company: the complete UK guide
The honest trade-offs between sole trader and limited company in 2026: what each structure legally is, tax, liability, admin, privacy, the real revenue crossover point, and how to switch later.
How to register a company in the UK
The complete, honest guide to registering a UK limited company: what you need before you start, the fastest free route, formation agents explained, timelines, and the most common rejection reasons.
UK startup checklist
The complete UK startup checklist, ordered by what actually needs doing first: before you register, registration week, your first 30 and 90 days, and what to keep on top of every year after.
How to choose a company name
An honest guide to choosing a UK company name: the Companies House naming rules, how to check availability, why a company name and a trademark are different, domains, and changing your name later.
Business banking
Best business account for a one-person limited company
An honest comparison of business accounts for a solo director: Tide, Mettle and Starling, what each is best for, and which fits a brand-new one-person Ltd.
Best business bank accounts for UK startups
A segmented, honest guide to the best UK business bank accounts: free options, multi-currency, formation-bundled, and which one actually fits your situation.
How to open a business bank account
A step-by-step guide to opening a UK business bank account: what documents you need, how long it takes, sole trader vs limited company differences, and why applications get delayed.
Best business bank account for contractors
IR35-aware banking, FreeAgent bundling, salary and dividend planning support, and which UK business bank account actually fits a contractor's limited company.
Tax
What taxes does a new business pay?
A plain-English guide to the taxes a new UK business pays: Income Tax and National Insurance for sole traders, Corporation Tax and dividend tax for limited companies, VAT, and PAYE, with key deadlines.
VAT registration guide
An honest guide to VAT registration in the UK: the threshold (based on turnover, not profit), voluntary registration, the main VAT schemes, Making Tax Digital, and the mistakes to avoid.
Accounting
Company admin
Companies House explained
A plain-English guide to Companies House: what it is, what's on the public register, your filing obligations, how it differs from HMRC, and what happens if you miss a filing.
Director responsibilities explained
A plain-English guide to a UK company director's legal responsibilities: statutory duties, filing obligations, the difference from a shareholder, when limited liability doesn't protect you, and what happens if you fall short.
Insurance
Funding
How to start a business
How to start a cleaning business in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting a cleaning business in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start a marketing agency in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting a marketing agency in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start an ecommerce store in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting an ecommerce store in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start a consulting business in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting a consulting business in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start a recruitment agency in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting a recruitment agency in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start a property company in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting a property company in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start a coffee shop in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting a coffee shop in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start a construction business in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting a construction business in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start an IT consultancy in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting an IT consultancy in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
How to start an online coaching business in the UK
A step-by-step, honest guide to starting an online coaching business in the UK: structure, registration, licences, banking, accounting, insurance, and what actually goes wrong.
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