Minimum Wage Increase April 2026 (UK): Impact on Small Service Businesses Understand the UK minimum wage increase in April 2026: new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates, 15% employer NIC above £5,000, Employment Allowance changes and what it all means for small service businesses with 5–30 staff. Includes a free Minimum Wage Impact…
Growth & Skills Levy 2026: 12-month expiry and no top-up, what levy-paying employers need to do now. From 2026, levy funds will expire in 12 months, the 10% top-up disappears, and co-funding jumps to 25% once your pot is empty. This plain-English guide explains what the Growth & Skills Levy means for levy-paying employers and…
Free apprenticeships for under-25s in SMEs: Budget 2025 plain-English guide (England) From Budget 2025, training for under-25 apprenticeships in SMEs will be fully funded in England. This guide explains what that really means for your costs, cashflow and hiring plans.
Apprenticeship Levy changes 2026: plain-English guide to the Growth & Skills Levy (UK) Worried about Apprenticeship Levy changes in 2026? This plain-English guide explains who pays, what the new Growth & Skills Levy means, and how free under-25 apprenticeships will work for UK SMEs.
Payroll & Cashflow 2025/26: Forecasting Staff Costs the Smart Way Payroll is predictable, but one late client payment can break your cashflow. Learn how to forecast wages, NIC and pensions across 52 weeks to keep payday stress-free.
Direct Costs for UK Service SMEs: What Belongs in Cost of Sales Plain-English COS policy for services: what’s direct vs overhead, grey areas, a worked example, and a checklist to keep margins accurate.
Margin vs Markup (UK Services): Pricing Formulas, VAT & Discounts Plain-English pricing guide for UK service SMEs: margin vs markup, target-based pricing, discount maths, VAT on discounts, and a rate-card playbook.
How to Run 7-Day Management Accounts When Invoices Are Late Struggling to close month-end in seven working days because suppliers invoice late? Learn the upload-as-you-go, expected invoices and materiality system we use with UK service SMEs.
Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC): the plain-English guide for UK service SMEs Learn CCC in plain English. Measure DSO/DIO/DPO, map Order-to-Cash, and use five quick plays to shorten your cycle and unlock cash.