Small Business Information

As a small business ourselves, we know how important it is to keep costs as low as possible.

If you have a laser printer, copier or fax machine that uses toner, then you are probably paying significantly more than you need for consumables. The high cost of manufacturers' consumables is a deliberate part of their marketing strategy, but one that you don’t have to fall for! Even if you get the best discount or buy remanufactured cartridges, you will not be using the lowest cost option. By buying our toner and topping up your cartridges yourself, you will not only save money but you will also be helping the environment. If this interests you then the starting point is our product selector page where you can find the appropriate product for your machine.

Small businesses have a range of concerns in common, and we list on this page a variety of links to other organisations and their web sites that you may find useful. We also provide on a separate page links to a range of sites concerned with environmentally helpful and cost-effective business practices.

;smallbusiness.co.uk
https://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/

smallbusiness.co.uk is an excellent site giving a wide range of helpful information for small businesses. It is linked with the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide. “Whether you're an existing small business owner, wanting to find contacts, ideas and advice to help your business achieve its objectives, or if you're thinking about taking the plunge and starting your own business, we're here to help. smallbusiness.co.uk has been set up to provide you with a uniquely useful resource, which we hope will help propel your business to success. The site is structured around our originally researched smallbusiness.co.uk directory, which is divided into 7 key areas of business decision-making; Starting-Up, Finance, Legal, People, Property and Sales & Marketing. We've then divided entries up into sub-sections in order to save you clicks and time.”

GC Partners Currency Exchange
https://www.gcpartners.co/register

GC Partners will save you a lot of money if you are transferring funds abroad. This can be for an occasional large amount such as for the purchase of property or setting up an overseas business. It can also be that you have regular foreign supplier to whom you make regular payments. (We buy in much of our toner from overseas global suppliers.) They do not advertise and so get much of their business through referral. In this way they keep their costs small and their rate hot. Compared with your bank you will save a lot of money.

GC Partners provides:
• An experienced and friendly service from your own personal dealer
• Excellent exchange rates
• Guaranteed exchange rates for up to 2 years
• Monthly payment plans
• Free transfers of funds overseas

Goverment Business Pages
https://www.gov.uk/browse/business

Use this site to get official information on setting up and running a small business in the UK. This includes Tax, Finance and Support, Running a Limited Company, Expenses and Employee Benefits and many other topics.

Federation of Small Business
https://www.fsb.org.uk

Set up in 1974, they represent the interests of small business people across the UK. They offer discounted schemes for insurance, medical care, financial services, Internet design and banking. They have 31 regional divisions, each with its own branches who meet separately.

Business Network International
https://www.bni-europe.com/uk

This is an American organisation that has successfully brought its ideas across the pond to the UK. The organisation has many local groups, known as chapters, covering the UK. Each chapter has one representative for as great a range of businesses as possible. Members meet for breakfast each week and are given one minute to stand up and talk about their business. Members then pass on contacts to each other, acting as a larger sales force.

Free Legal help line
https://www.lawnet.co.uk

Free Legal help line and 30-minute free consultation

Skype - Free or Low cost telephone services through your computer
Skype for Business

Enables you to phone free of charge to other Skype users round the world. Also low cost calls to and from non-Skype uses with ordinary phone numbers.

VideFlow - Sports Video Analysis Software for Android (AI Computer Vision)
VideFlow App

VideFlow is a slow motion player for analysing sporting motions. Pause the action and play it back frame-by-frame with fast frame advance. The software draws a body frame map over your body using AI computer vision. Draw traces of the motion of body points, or find limits of their motion in four directions. You can also see body angles and find their limits.

There are two artificial intelligence (AI) custom trackers that can track anything in the video, including sports equipment such as tennis racquets and golf clubs. Ideal for tennis /badminton and golf swings. It's also useful for many other sports, including martial arts /karate /taekwondo, jumps in basketball, dance, skateboarding, snowboarding, gymnastics, boxing, football /soccer, fitness /gym and others.

The main app is free to download and use. It runs entirely on your device with no adverts. You may export the visualizations to MP4 video files to share with friends. This is useful for sports coaches, fitness instructors and personal trainers to give feedback to their students. One in-app-purchase is available to remove watermarks from the exported videos if desired.

Watch VideFlow demo video here

Small Business Links

In our view, the best independent source of advice on the "Total Cost of Printing" is CharisCo Printer Labs who publish a weekly news letter that compares the performance of different printers. We list many of these here.

Late Payment Interest Calculator
https://www.payontime.co.uk/
calculator/index_new.html

Calculate the statutory interest due on late debts and see how to approach collection of it. Great for the problem customer! Cuts through the regulations to a practical solution.

Home Business Alliance
https://www.homebusiness.org.uk
/index.php

As anyone who has started a business working from home knows, it can be a confusing, lonely and sometimes bewildering time. So many decisions to make, so many opportunities to make a mistake. No wonder people ask themselves “Have I done the right thing?”

It could be easier. There is an organisation which can help you right from the start and all along the road to success. An organisation which can support, inform and advise, letting you get on with the job of building your business.

The Princes Trust
https://www.princes-trust.org.uk

The Princes Trust offers support to 18 to 30 year olds who want help to improve their career or selff-employment prospects. If you want to become self-employed, they offer low interest loans, test marketing grants and advice, including a volunteer ‘business mentor’.

Chambers of Commerce
https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/

Chambers of Commerce offer a wide range of services to small business. They are organised locally. To find your local UK chamber using a map of the UK follow this link.

The Telework, Teleworker and Telecentre Association (TCA)
https://www.tca.org.uk/

The TCA provides advice on how to approach teleworking, information on technology, examples of how other people progress - and uniquely - information about work opportunities. In the bi-monthly magazine, Teleworker, and in a weekly electronic bulletin the TCA sends out updates and information about full-time and temporary telework opportunities.

Better Business
https://www.better-business.co.uk/

"Better Business" is the UK's leading magazine for smaller businesses and independent professionals. We are independent and impartial.
We're here to help you make more money and enjoy it more. Check out hundreds of practical proven guides and case studies, loads of useful contacts for on-going ideas and advice and inspiration."

Motion Pro Action Cameras
https://www.Motion-Pro.co.uk/

High quality action camcorders for action sports and general purpose photography. A small lightweight action camera easily fits in your pocket and goes anywhere you do! Ideal for hiking, biking, skiing, watersports, drones, or just take with you on holiday.

Search Engine Optimisation
https://www.janklin.com
If you are to make the most of the free sales leads that come from having a website that ranks highly in the natural results of the search engines, you need a good specialist to get you there. I can vouch that Jan Klin really knows his stuff!

Carole Bentley Copywriting & Marketing Tips Blog
https://www.copywriting4b2b.com/
Blog with Copywriting and Marketing tips for your business. Carol also offers a copywriting service. Lots of marketing gems including how to use social media and mobile apps.