Sam Jones’s Dragons’ Den start-up pitch is immortalised as the TV show’s “best ever”, and Harry Redknapp describes him as having the work rate of a top footballer. In this episode of Sound Advice, Jones revealed his first-hand experience with how to fund a start-up, including how he convinced stars such as Tinie Tempah to invest in his tech start-up, Gener8, a web browser that … [Read more…]
You’ve found the right candidate, the interviews have gone well and the offer’s been accepted. Before they can officially start, though, there are still a few important checks employers need to complete to make sure everything is compliant and properly documented. These are known as background checks. We know that organising background checks isn’t super … [Read more…]
Kit & Kin founder Christopher Money turned an eco-friendly baby product idea into an award-winning startup by partnering with Emma Bunton to build a purpose-driven brand. Money was on the hunt to find baby products that were both kind to sensitive skin and kind to the planet, but he couldn’t find what he was looking for—so he … [Read more…]
The UK unfair dismissal landscape is set for an overhaul under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Scheduled changes to reduce the unfair dismissal qualifying period from two years to six months, remove the statutory cap on compensation and extend tribunal time limits will materially change how and when employers can manage risk in the employment … [Read more…]
Accountex 2026 took place in mid-May 2026, and delivered some powerful, game changing insights about the state of the accountancy profession. We’ve a full write-up in this article, as follows: Operational pressures: Beyond compliance and deadlines One of the most revealing moments at Accountex 2026 came during a session discussing operational pressure inside accounting firms. … [Read more…]
Running payroll is one of those jobs that sounds straightforward until you’re actually doing it. According to Employment Hero commissioned research, 2 in 3 businesses manage payroll in house with software, so it’s clear that many UK business owners and HR professionals are navigating variable hours, National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW/NLW) updates, pension auto-enrolment, … [Read more…]
If you’re new to running a business, you’ve probably put a lot of thought into the basic first steps: sourcing materials, arranging production, and then serving customers. One finer detail of those steps is building relationships with your suppliers. They’ll want to see that you know what you’re doing, and that you’re both speaking the … [Read more…]
Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 runs from 11th to 17th May, with this year’s theme: Every Action Counts. If you’re a business owner or HR manager in the UK, mental health at work is probably something you’re already thinking about.. The harder question is what you’re actually doing about it. As expectations around workplace wellbeing … [Read more…]
If you’re managing projects or payroll, budgeting or planning, you need to know how many working hours there are in a year or month. Maybe you’re planning resources and output, and want to create a detailed plan including the amount of working hours for the year. Or, you want to reassess productivity and benchmark if … [Read more…]
If you offer overtime for part-time workers, it’s essential to treat them equally to your full-time employees. While overtime isn’t a statutory right in the UK, if an employer does offer it, the law requires that part-time workers aren’t treated less favourably when it comes to getting paid for their work. This is covered in … [Read more…]