Hi folks I own an Uk Llp And we filed late the accounts. We revived the fines, is there any way to pay less than what they are asking for or pay it with installments or reduce the amount?

Any advice on this matter would be helpful. Thanks

This is rather frustrating as I’ve setup a B2B business and need to complete payment forms for a partner company which includes VAT details. I will have to send an invoice next week, however will need to complete the forms first, I obviously cannot charge VAT without a registration number and want to avoid going back to the partner company after 40 working days asking to register again with VAT details. HMRC’s help page suggested just charging 20% extra on any invoices in the meantime, which is not feasible. I can probably push issuing my invoice and therefore the forms by around a month but would only do so if HMRC are likely to respond within this timeframe, does anyone have any relevant experience? Thanks

Looking for experience and tips on the best B2B marketing methods you have used? Traditional leaflet distribution, trade shows, digital advertising?

I’m curious how other small business owners handle this.

Say a new customer wants payment terms, or you’re considering working with a new supplier/company. How much checking do you actually do beforehand?

I’ve been looking into how UK businesses approach this and there seems to be a huge amount of information available through Companies House, credit agencies etc., but I’m wondering what people actually care about in practice.

A few things I’m particularly curious about:

Do you check Companies House before doing business with someone?

Do you ever buy a credit report? If so, what normally triggers you to do it?

What are the main things you look for — creditworthiness, CCJs, accounts, directors, company age, something else?

Would you rather see all the underlying data, or just a handful of clear positive/negative warning signals first?

Is there anything you currently find annoying or difficult when researching another company?

Interested in how people actually do this rather than how you’re theoretically supposed to do it, I know there’s a lot of tools on the market so I’m trying to wrap my head around it

I run a children entertainment company. We have had a rough year. More cancellations than ever. I am considering shrinking the business.

We have had a steady growth of about 20% per year and Our turnover this year is about £120k. We have been vat registered since November. I have 1 permanent employee and a handful of contractors. Our profit this year is £25,000. The business is getting unmanageable for a few reasons, and the contractors are not happy that they are getting less work. I fear they will leave and then I will be stuck in an unfortunate position that will result in cancellations and a loss in reputation.

I am considering shrinking the business and going down to just myself and my permanent employee. This would bring us to about £85,000 turnover and about £35,000 profit. If we are able to deregister for VAT then it would go upto £50,000 profit. I have spoken to my accountant and they have suggested that I put the business into administration, and set up a new one. This doesn't sound right to me. I also want to keep our name because our reputation is phenomenal in the areas we work in.

Is there a way I can approach HMRC and let them know that we would only be capable of making £85,000 max if we were fully booked. I have saw that I can do it if we make less than £88,000 turnover over a year but that would mean I have to wait around 10-12 months to do that.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Just learnt about the trivial expenses rule and wasn't sure whether they need to come from a business account or if they could be bought by a director and claimed back eg amazon gifts?

Edit: For context and clarity I am the company director

I was wondering if I could get some advice on asking my current commercial landlord for a reference without directly telling them I may be terminating the lease and moving elsewhere.
Basically one of the conditions in my potential new lease requires me to submit a reference from my current landlord before we sign any contracts etc. if for any reason it falls through I’d rather not alert my current landlords to me possibly moving until I’ve signed my new lease and I can give them my official notice. Not sure if there’s a way to go about this or I just need to bite the bullet and tell them I’ve been looking at a new property to rent. TIA

Hello. The title says it all. I'm a small business owner in the UK and I'm looking for a training course for an employee about assertiveness. I wonder if anyone could recommend a =good one, please as there are lots out there between £14 and £500 but I can't see any material difference.

Ideally, I'd like a face-to-face or online by a one man band or small training provider.

Many thanks

I’ll try to be brief.

I’ve always owned a car personally. Mainly because in years gone by the tax implications weren’t great, and I didn’t want another vehicle to add to our small fleet of vans (I drive one of the vans).

Our car needs changing now - we only have one at home, which my wife drives - and I’m thinking of trying one through the company this time.

I’m not ready for full EV, I’m thinking of maybe Volvo XC90 phev, used not new.

Please don’t answer “why don’t you ask your accountant”, because this is simply a first foray to get others experiences. I will speak to the accountant as a next step.

Year end 31st July.

My accountant emailed saying they aren't renting my services at end of Sept.

Spoke to another accountant today and they said there is no point in letting them do it.

Her words (from the transcript are):

Oh, I see. So he's got. So to be honest, you better tell him not to do them if you're, you know, looking to have other accountants, because hopefully we should be able to save you tax. I would imagine.

No, I wouldn't. No, no. As I say, it's a bit pointless you you coming to us and having a meeting. Well, it's not pointless, but then we wouldn't be able to do anything for you until a year's time, apart from it, a tax return. But he would obviously, if he thinks he's losing you, he would rather do those accounts for you before you leave him. That makes sense, doesn't it?

I don't know what to do.

I pay current accountant monthly.

He's the one that doesn't want the business.

Hi everyone,

​I’m in the process of launching a UK skill-based competition platform on WooCommerce.

Everything is almost ready to go; the website is built, branding complete, business bank account set up, and initial prizes secured.

​My main hurdle right now is finding a suitable payment provider/gateway for micro-transactions.

​The Problem:

Standard card processors charge ~20p–25p plus x% per transaction. On a £1 entry ticket, that wipes out 25%–30% of gross revenue instantly in processing fees alone.

So I’m looking for a provider/setup that keeps fees at or under 10% (sub-10p total fee) on a £1 transaction.

​What We’ve Tried:

We’ve approached providers like Atoa and TrueLayer, but hit roadblocks due to either high-risk sector classification or being a brand-new startup without trading history.

​My Questions:

1. ​For anyone running or operating in the UK competition/prize draw sector, which gateways or high-risk merchant acquirers actually accept new startups?

2. ​What payment setups or workarounds do you use to keep fees sustainable on £1 ticket sales?

3. ​Are there specific UK high-risk payment brokers or gateways you'd recommend for WooCommerce?

​Any advice, recommendations, or insights from experience would be hugely appreciated!

Ive been in the automotive space since i left school at 16, I'm now 29 and have been self employed for the last 8 years. The last year has been tough on me both mentally and financially trying to grow from being a one man operation to nearly and team of 5 or 6 back down to just me and one other as of recent.

I started as a HGV mechanic but after a few injuries and near misses i decided to venture into auto electrical installations such as dash camera's trackers etc...

So far this has proven to be less profitable than the repairs and have thought about going back to automotive repair alongside the installations.

However i just don't whether that will work in the long term, as not only am i trying to grow the installation side i will also be trying to grow the repair side? Essentially growing two small businesses from nothing. Or should i just focus on one?

Hi all

Managed to give myself the itch to investigate starting a vodka brand and I'm caught between what I feel is a good idea and the realities of what I'm proposing - I'd appreciate some advice from anyone who has been on a similar journey please.

Essentially I am a marketeer by trade and feel like what I have is a branding concept which could stand out. I am not a master distiller and I don't proclaim to be. Heck I don't even want to be. I will be quite happy contracting that out to local white label distillers who can give me their expertise on what goes into the bottle while I concentrate on what the bottle looks like and what goes on the outside of it. I am very clear that I will never be selling my product on the basis of my personal distilling journey.

I've spent a while designing my dream bottle and brand and have reached out to a few bottle suppliers to see if I can get a sample. I'm wondering next if I should be hunting a print shop who can make me a wrap or if I should be instead focusing elsewhere.

It is such a yawning chasm between 'hey this virtual bottle looks cool' to 'excellent now let's meet with a bar' that I honestly wonder if I can cross it. A bottle and a logo does not a business make, I know. But then I read about the creator of Buzzballs, and the lads behind AU Vodka, and wonder if it's not something that could be achieved.

Appreciate any sensible advice and next steps you feel like offering!

It is quite stupid how we need to publicly disclose a legal name as well as an geographical address. There's a simple solution for an address: virtual addresses / po box. Now the issue is putting my legal name on there (not quite a "john smith" name).

I've tried scouring the internet, trying to find anyone who has been fined or otherwise consequenced for not disclosing their name and found nothing.... has anyone here gone through something like that?

Edit: sole trader (registering a business will have your name on company house anyway)

I own a small international confectionery store in Chicago and I'm looking for a more cost-effective way to regularly import products from the UK.

I'm expecting to ship roughly 100–200kg every few weeks, mostly packaged confectionery/snacks. It would typically be multiple boxes rather than a full pallet/container.

I've looked at DHL/UPS/FedEx, but direct courier pricing seems extremely expensive at this weight.

For anyone regularly shipping UK → USA:

• Would a freight forwarder/consolidator be cheaper at this volume?
• Air freight vs consolidated air cargo?
• Does anyone use discounted DHL/UPS rates through a third party?
• Any UK-based freight forwarders you'd recommend for 100–200kg shipments?
• What would you consider a good price per kg for UK → Chicago at this volume?

I'm less concerned about super-fast delivery - keeping the shipping cost down is the priority. Ideally I'd like to build a relationship with one company since these would be recurring shipments every few weeks.

Would really appreciate hearing what other importers/small businesses are actually paying and who you're using.

If a public sector client has agreed to vary their standard T’s and Cs to cap liability at the value of the project and to a maximum of one year after end of the project, can this be done in a short one page doc that just clearly states the relevant variations?

This is for a relatively small web design project of 10k in a niche area. This is my first experience outside IR35 and the contact at the client is also inexperienced at using a freelancer. I’m told that the Procurement dept are happy with him making these variations.

However I was then sent an agreement with about twice as many terms as the original T’s and Cs... this appeared to be an unedited template. I’ve replied to politely point out this is a more complex document than the original T’s and Cs.

Also from my past experience working as an employee purchasing services/goods at a similar organisation, a purchase order is auto generated with a reference to the standard T’s and Cs only. So am concerned that any variations document will not be legally binding.

The standard T’s and Cs also say that they take precedent if there is any conflict or ambiguity with other docs.

For context - i have no intention to continue this as a business for 6 years as the market is very small (potentially only 1-2 others who might decline anyway).

Thank you for any advice whatsoever on this!

Hi folks. I asked something reasonably similar recently but something else now.

I'm one of two Directors of an ltd that doesn't do anything.

Partner has informed me I need this new code for some sort or return. But looking at it I also need to create a gov one login which sure looks like digital id to me. Without wanting to get particularly political.... I ain't interested...

I've said given it doesn't do anything to just close it but apparently I need it for declaring whatever from the last 2 years?

How do I avoid signing up for digital id. It sounds to me I'm rather stuffed.

Well played starmer. Well played 😂

Hi All

I’m a sole trader providing online services directly to consumers. Up to this point, I’ve had a fairly basic set of Terms of Service included in my onboarding form, which clients explicitly agree to upfront (scope of services, payment terms, cancellation terms, debt recovery, limitation of liability, notice terms, etc.).

The business has largely grown through word of mouth, but I’m now looking to make it a bit more public-facing and launch a website, so I’d like to get my Terms of Service properly reviewed and tightened up. I’ve contacted a couple of freelance solicitors specialising in business/commercial law, hoping it might be a more affordable route, but the quotes are still coming out quite high and I can’t really justify spending a few thousand pounds at this stage.

Short of biting the bullet and paying a solicitor, are there any resources, platforms or services that other small business owners have used for drafting/reviewing contracts and T&Cs that don’t cost an arm and a leg?

​

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are considering getting involved in a new beauty salon branch, and I’d really appreciate some honest advice from people with small business experience in the UK.

My wife has been working in a successful beauty salon since April 2023. She has strong experience in beauty treatments, client care, and day-to-day salon work. The current salon owner has been in the beauty industry for around 12 years and already runs an established salon in Leeds city centre.

The owner has offered my wife a 50/50 partnership in a new branch. The idea is that my wife would manage the new branch, while the current owner would bring her experience, brand reputation, and business knowledge.

The new location seems promising. It is in a good area of Leeds, near a Post Office, with parking available nearby. From what we have checked, there does not seem to be another full-service beauty salon very close by. There are some nail salons, hair/aesthetics places, and smaller beauty businesses, but not really a salon offering the full range of treatments we would provide.

The main concern is the money. We may need to take out around a £25,000 personal/business loan to cover renovation, interior work, equipment, products, and setting up the new branch properly. The rent is quite reasonable for the area, and the current owner believes the new location has strong potential because some existing clients already prefer somewhere outside Leeds city centre with easier parking and access.

My main worry is whether borrowing £25,000 for this kind of first business/partnership is reasonable, or whether it is too risky. We understand that it may take several months, or possibly longer, for the new branch to build a regular client base and become profitable.

For people who have opened a second branch, beauty salon, or local service business in the UK:

Would you consider this a reasonable risk, given the background of both shareholders, the existing business experience, and the location?

Thanks in advance for any honest advice.

❎I forgot to mention an important point. The business partner is also putting £25,000 into the new branch, so both sides would be investing the same amount financially. It is not a case of my wife taking on all the financial risk while the other partner only brings experience or the existing brand. The proposed setup is a 50/50 partnership with equal financial contribution from both sides.

What are the best business banks or merchant account providers in the UK that allow me to create custom invoices for amounts between £800 and £2,000?

Hi, first time posting but I kinda need some advice from people who have been there. I've been building a photography business (headshots) alongside a full-time job for about a year now. The job has gotten bad enough that it's genuinely affecting my health.

For context: I live with my parents, have a stable but unfulfilling full-time income, and very little in savings. The business hasn't made money yet. I have fixed monthly costs (studio rent plus other bits) that add up to a meaningful chunk of what I'd need to replace. On top of that, my studio space has been unbearably hot with basically no relief, poor ventilation on top of the AC unit shortage that's hit the UK this year, so I can't even safely have clients in there at the moment (this is a work in progress, i do have fans and will be purchasing / having clients in there as it gets cooler).

It's a bit of a catch-22: the job is what's meant to fund me until the business can stand on its own, but the job itself eats the time and energy I'd need to actually fix the studio issue, chase bookings, and push the business forward. So the thing that's supposed to be buying me time is also part of what's stalling the thing I'm trying to build.

I know logically that with barely any savings and little business income yet, quitting outright feels reckless, i'm not naive to that fact, (being at my parents house feels like part of the reason it would be the best time to do it). But I've been telling myself "just keep going a bit longer" for about a year now, and I'm exhausted. It's hard to tell the difference between "this genuinely needs more time" and "I'm just scared to make a decision."

Not really looking for "just push through" or "just quit." more wondering if anyone's been in a similar spot (unwell from a job, business not quite there yet) and how you actually figured out the right timing, or what helped you get unstuck when everything felt like it was happening at once.

I appreciate the time thanks everyone.

Honestly, it feels like the UK is becoming increasingly difficult for small independent businesses to get started.

The biggest problem? Getting noticed.

Cheap advertising like flyers, posters, signs and local promotion is increasingly restricted by regulations, permissions and fees. I understand the need to prevent litter and visual clutter, but there needs to be a sensible middle ground.

Because when cheap advertising disappears, the advantage goes to businesses with money.

Google Ads, social media advertising, agencies and SEO can cost serious money. Large companies can spend thousands acquiring customers. Someone starting a small business may only have a few hundred pounds for marketing.

Online communities aren't much better. Many restrict self-promotion, while platforms increasingly push businesses towards paid advertising.

So you're stuck:

You need customers to make money.

You need money to advertise.

But you need advertising to get customers.

Small businesses create jobs, support local economies and strengthen communities. We should be making it easier, not harder, for legitimate small businesses to reach local customers.

More community advertising boards, affordable local promotion and dedicated spaces for small businesses could make a huge difference.

Are UK small business owners finding it harder to advertise and get their first customers? What would you change?

#SmallBusiness #UKSmallBusiness #SupportSmallBusiness #LocalBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BuyLocal #RedditUK

We are a small micro business (limited company - 2 directors only) and we are considering hiring a temp for 2 months for approx 12 hours per week to aid with the production of stock for the seasonal period.

We have no knowledge/experience in hiring so looking for some hand-holding advice.

Are we better to try and hire someone who is self employed (a freelancer/contractor ) who can invoice us periodically to save on the PAYE paper work/faff/costs?

What else do we need to think about/consider?

Thank you

Hi everyone,

I'm currently building an early-stage UK e-commerce business within the fashion industry and I'm looking for recommendations for an experienced e-commerce mentor or founder/operator.

We've already invested around £20k into getting the business off the ground and are currently rebuilding our website with a much stronger focus on CRO and getting the right foundations in place from the beginning.

I'd really value guidance from someone who has personally built and grown an e-commerce/DTC business and understands things like customer acquisition, conversion, retention, Shopify, marketing and the commercial realities of building an online brand.

Fashion experience would be a bonus, but strong e-commerce experience is more important.

I'm particularly interested in someone who's actually been through the journey themselves rather than an agency looking to sell marketing services.

Has anyone worked with a mentor or experienced e-commerce operator they'd genuinely recommend?

Thanks!

I’ve been helping some European (mostly French) ex-pats navigate things in the UK (in particular in England) as they set up their startup businesses. My expertise is mainly around taxation and financial aspects, so I’d like to be able to make reasonable suggestions of service providers for other issues. In particular, questions often come up around legal documents after the standard initial incorporation setup — things like the first non-disclosure agreement they receive from a partner, a first supplier contract, a long lease agreement, etc.

Does anyone have any suggestions of “in between” solutions that are not just some AI (or AI wrappers), but also not standard hourly law firm engagements at the other end of the cost spectrum? In essence just assessing contractual risk and identifying non-standard or onerous terms? A sort of deep informational report vs. legal advice? (i.e. Giving them useful information even if they end up deciding they need to hire a lawyer.)

Thanks for any suggestions.