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Guides

Practical guides to business loans, credit cards, cash flow and running a business. Explore a topic below or use the header search to find a specific question. Each article links to the sources it draws on.

Published by Shareholder · General information, not personalised advice

1 guide

Business banking

  1. Business banking

    Choosing a business current account: what really matters

    Choose a UK business current account by comparing real costs, payment tools, account protection and switching—not just an introductory offer.Read guide

1 guide

Borrowing decisions

  1. Borrowing decisions

    Can your business afford a loan? A cash-flow-first guide

    Work out whether business loan repayments fit your cash flow. Compare total costs, stress-test quieter months and understand guarantees before borrowing.Read guide

1 guide

Cash reserves

  1. Cash reserves

    Business savings accounts: balance interest, access and protection

    Understand UK business savings accounts, easy access, notice and fixed terms. Compare interest, cash needs and FSCS protection before moving reserves.Read guide

1 guide

Self-employed finances

  1. Self-employed finances

    Business credit cards for sole traders: eligibility, costs and risk

    A UK guide to credit cards for sole traders and self-employed people: legal structure, checks, real costs, repayment planning and personal liability.Read guide

6 guides

Running a business

  1. Running a business

    How to spot, stop and protect your small business from payment fraud

    Spot invoice scams, verify changed bank details and build a practical payment-fraud response plan for your small business.Read guide
  2. Running a business

    How UK number plates work: a guide for business vehicles

    Understand UK number-plate identifiers, display rules and checks to make before buying, leasing or changing plates on a business vehicle.Read guide
  3. Running a business

    How to be a better ally in a small business

    Turn workplace allyship into practical actions through fair opportunities, accessible processes, respectful intervention and accountable management.Read guide
  4. Running a business

    How contingency planning helps a business prepare for the unexpected

    Create a practical business contingency plan covering disrupted payments, unavailable staff, supplier failures and short-term cash needs.Read guide
  5. Running a business

    Beyond business finance: practical guides for running a business

    How Shareholder’s educational guides connect borrowing decisions with cash flow, spending controls, resilience and everyday business operations.Read guide
  6. Running a business

    How SMEs can hire to keep up with demand without overstretching cash

    Turn additional demand into a costed hiring plan with realistic productive capacity, payroll timing, training and fair recruitment.Read guide

9 guides

Business loans

  1. Business loans

    How to fund a franchise: business loans, deposits and working capital

    Build a franchise funding plan covering the initial fee, fit-out, working capital, business loans and the risks behind a franchisor’s forecasts.Read guide
  2. Business loans

    How to prepare a business finance case lenders can assess

    Prepare a practical business loan proposal with a clear funding request, financial evidence, repayment plan and downside scenarios.Read guide
  3. Business loans

    How long does it take to get a bridging loan?

    Understand the stages that control bridging-loan completion, from valuation and legal checks to the exit strategy and release of funds.Read guide
  4. Business loans

    How do business loans work? From application to final repayment

    Follow the business-loan lifecycle, including underwriting, drawdown, interest, security, repayments and early settlement.Read guide
  5. Business loans

    How to consolidate business debt—and check whether it actually helps

    Compare business debt consolidation using settlement figures, total repayment, monthly cash flow, fees and changes to security.Read guide
  6. Business loans

    How to build business credit and keep your company’s records accurate

    Improve the foundations of business credit through accurate filings, payment discipline, credit-report checks and responsible borrowing.Read guide
  7. Business loans

    How much will a Growth Guarantee Scheme loan cost?

    Understand GGS interest, lender fees, total repayment and why the government guarantee does not reduce the borrower’s repayment obligation.Read guide
  8. Business loans

    Business loans and SME survival: behind the 70% figure

    Explore the research linking business loans to UK SME survival, what the 70% finding really means, and how to assess funding costs, affordability and risk.Read guide
  9. Business loans

    Secured vs unsecured business loans: costs, risks and differences

    Compare secured and unsecured business loans in the UK. Understand collateral, personal guarantees, costs and eligibility before choosing finance for your business.Read guide

9 guides

Business credit cards

  1. Business credit cards

    Business credit card eligibility checkers: how do they work?

    Understand soft searches, eligibility estimates and why a business credit card checker is not the same as a final lending decision.Read guide
  2. Business credit cards

    How to apply for a business credit card in the UK

    Prepare your business credit card application, understand the checks and compare the agreement before accepting a limit.Read guide
  3. Business credit cards

    How business cashback credit cards work: calculate the real benefit

    Compare business card cashback after fees, interest, exclusions and caps, with a worked break-even example.Read guide
  4. Business credit cards

    What is a business credit card and how does it work?

    Understand business card limits, statements, interest-free periods, minimum repayments and the difference between credit and charge cards.Read guide
  5. Business credit cards

    FlexiPay: how to apply and what to check first

    Understand Funding Circle’s FlexiPay application process, fee-based borrowing and checks to make before using the facility.Read guide
  6. Business credit cards

    Business growth: when can a business credit card help?

    Assess whether a business credit card fits a growth project using the cash cycle, contribution margin, repayment date and downside case.Read guide
  7. Business credit cards

    How a business credit card can help aspiring entrepreneurs

    Understand start-up business card uses, eligibility, personal exposure and spending controls before a new business takes on credit.Read guide
  8. Business credit cards

    How to use a business credit card for marketing without losing control

    Set advertising budgets, track contribution and control recurring marketing charges before funding a campaign with business credit.Read guide
  9. Business credit cards

    Business credit card best practices: keep spending organised

    Create a business card policy with clear limits, receipt capture, reconciliation, repayment checks and employee access controls.Read guide

5 guides

Cash flow

  1. Cash flow

    How to reduce business costs without weakening the business

    Find recurring savings, measure the cost of change and protect service quality, compliance and cash flow when reducing business spending.Read guide
  2. Cash flow

    How to create a cash-flow forecast for your small business

    Build a cash-flow forecast using receipt dates, payment commitments and a worked example, then stress-test business loan repayments.Read guide
  3. Cash flow

    How to build a business cash reserve for economic uncertainty

    Set a realistic cash-reserve target, separate it from tax money and borrowing, and choose access terms that match your business risks.Read guide
  4. Cash flow

    How to manage rising business costs and protect your margins

    Model supplier and payroll increases, review prices and working capital, and judge when finance helps with cost pressure.Read guide
  5. Cash flow

    A small-business guide to dealing with seasonal cash-flow dips

    Plan stock, tax, staffing and borrowing around seasonal cash gaps, using a worked example and a realistic repayment source.Read guide

5 guides

Tax and compliance

  1. Tax and compliance

    What is VAT deferral, and what can a business do now?

    Understand the closed COVID VAT-deferral scheme, current HMRC payment-plan options and how to forecast a VAT cash shortfall.Read guide
  2. Tax and compliance

    How employment-law changes affect your small business in 2026

    Separate employment changes already in force from upcoming measures and prepare payroll, records and workplace policies using Acas guidance.Read guide
  3. Tax and compliance

    How to file business accounts: a private limited company checklist

    Prepare and file limited-company accounts with the right records, approvals, deadlines and separate Corporation Tax responsibilities.Read guide
  4. Tax and compliance

    How the UK Budget affects markets and business finance

    Understand the channels linking Budget measures, market expectations, business costs and loan pricing without assuming a guaranteed market reaction.Read guide
  5. Tax and compliance

    Making Tax Digital: how to prepare your business records

    Understand Making Tax Digital for Income Tax thresholds, the difference from VAT obligations and practical software and record-keeping preparation.Read guide

3 guides

Personal money

  1. Personal money

    How women can start investing: goals, risk and a practical plan

    An investment-planning framework for women, covering personal goals, career breaks, cash buffers, diversification, fees and scam checks.Read guide
  2. Personal money

    How to teach your children about money through everyday choices

    Use age-appropriate activities to teach spending, saving, digital payments and borrowing without passing adult financial worries to children.Read guide
  3. Personal money

    How to save for retirement when you run a business

    Plan retirement savings around variable business income, pension records, access restrictions and the risk of relying only on a future business sale.Read guide