Has your business got stuck in a rut? Do you find yourself bored by things that used to excite you? Don’t worry – after the first exciting flush of starting a new business, it’s normal for things to start to feel stale, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. This is the perfect time of year to put the fireworks back into your business so you can feel the passion again in 2020, and we have some tips to help you do just that!
(more…)Category: Small business
Social media is a vital tool for modern businesses, but with so many platforms to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? We’re here to help – each month we’ll focus on one social media platform and examine how it can help your business grow and connect with an online audience. This month, we’re looking at YouTube.
(more…)Small business owners have all sorts of costs to think about, but quite often more immediate outlays like rent, stock and insurance can push your pension to the bottom of the list. In fact, according to the Money Advice Service, only 31% of self-employed people have a pension scheme in place.*
However, having a pension is vitally important, so today we’re bringing you some pointers about the types of pensions available for self-employed people and how to deal with pensions for your employees.†
(more…)When you run a small business, it can be tempting to do as much as possible yourself, but sometimes this DIY approach will end up costing you more than if you had simply outsourced the work to a professional.
This is especially true when it comes to photography for your business – if you’re not a photographer, taking your own photographs can be a risky move. In honour of World Photography Day (19th August), which celebrates photography in all its forms, we’re taking a look at how hiring a professional photographer could be the best decision you can make for your SME.
(more…)Plastic is a hot topic – the buzz around it began in earnest thanks to the BBC series Blue Planet II, which raised awareness about the damage plastic is doing to our oceans and sea life. Earlier this month, people and organisations around the world celebrated World Oceans Day (8th June), an annual event which encourages people to protect our oceans against threats like plastic.
So how can you, as a business owner, get involved with this movement? We’ve gathered together a few ideas – big and small – to help you reduce plastic in your workplace.
(more…)This week is Learning at Work Week (13–19 May), and to celebrate, we’re talking about CPD – continuing professional development.
CPD is the process of tracking your knowledge and skills, and investing time in your own training and development at work. It is reflective – it requires you to think about the things you have learned, to reflect on what you would do differently next time, and to set goals and targets for yourself for the future. Most importantly, it involves writing these things down, so that you have a permanent record of your own development.
We’ve talked before about how to do CPD as a business owner, but today we’re focusing on why it’s important, and why you should make time for it.
(more…)Mother’s Day is just around the corner (Sunday 31st March), and to celebrate we thought we’d ask some of our VAs what it’s like to be a mum and run a business.
At Get Ahead VA, we offer our virtual assistants a flexible approach to working, so that they are able to provide a professional service to our clients, whilst also fitting their work around other commitments, such as family. As a result, many of our VAs are also parents, and they’re brimming with good advice about managing life and business side by side!
If you’re a parent who’s interested in starting a business, here’s are some tips from our VAs to get you started.
(more…)The end of the financial year is just around the corner, and with it come some changes that the government is making to VAT returns for businesses – an initiative called ‘Making Tax Digital’.
If you’re not sure whether or how the changes will affect your business, don’t worry. Here’s what you need to know to prepare for this new way of managing your business’ taxes.
(more…)Today is International Women’s Day, an annual celebration of women’s rights, designed to raise awareness of women’s issues and continue the push towards a more fair and equal global society. This year’s theme is #BalanceforBetter, a rallying cry for gender balance around the world, including in businesses and boardrooms.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we thought we’d share with you some invaluable advice from some of the world’s most influential businesswomen, to guide and inspire you in your own business!
(more…)Earlier this month was National Sickie Day, an awareness day which started from the claim that more people call into work sick on the first Monday in February than at any other time of the year. Whether or not that’s true, sickies are a real phenomenon, and they can be especially tricky to deal with if you run a small business.
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, 2017 saw the lowest average number of sick days taken on record, at only 4.1 days for the year.1However, the cost to employers increased, from £455 per employee for days lost to sickness in 2016, to £570 in 2017.2While paid sick leave is obviously an important right for workers, sickies (i.e. sick days taken when the person isn’t really sick) can have a negative impact, especially on small business owners.
So what should you do if one of your employees pulls a sickie? Here are some tips that will help you to handle it in the right way.
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