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Understand Tax and VAT when self-employed
Guides which can help ensure you understand your responsibilities when it comes to tax and VAT for your startup business
Manage business finances
Guides on why managing finance is an important part of starting and running your business
Family business
Understand the benefits and issues that affect family-run businesses, employing family members or financing from friends and family
Start-up business ideas
Guides and tools to help you find and develop ideas for ways to start up your own business in Northern Ireland
Hire professional services
Guides on how and why to hire professional service providers to help your business in the startup phase
Business planning
Guides on how to create a business plan for your startup and how business plans can be useful at different stages of your business
Record-keeping
Guidance on record-keeping for businesses including how to set up a basic system and free templates
Claim VAT refunds in Northern Ireland or the EU, if you’re established in Northern Ireland or in the EU
How Northern Ireland and EU businesses can claim refunds of VAT incurred on goods in the EU and Northern Ireland using the EU VAT refund system.
If you cannot pay your tax bill on time
You must arrange to pay your tax bill with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you either miss a payment or know you cannot pay on time
Starting a business - find a case study
A range of case studies from local entrepreneurs who have started successful businesses
Starting my business from home - Angels and Butterflies Jewellery Designs (video)
Debbie Todd, owner of Angels and Butterflies Jewellery Designs, discusses how she started her business from home
Types of stock
The four main types of stock - raw materials and components, work in progress, finished goods and consumables
How much stock should you keep?
Advantages and disadvantages of keeping either plenty of stock or very little
Stock control methods
How to control stock through reviews, minimum levels, using batch control and first in first out systems
Managing risks from diseases and infections in the workplace
Introducing policies and procedures to reduce incidences of disease and infections at work to protect your employees, clients and any other visitors
Sales ledger
The basics of using a sales ledger to monitor the money coming into your business.
Purchase ledger
What to record in a purchase ledger to keep track of how much money you owe.
Wages book
The value of maintaining a wages book and how to manage it if you employ staff.
Digital financial records
Reasons for keeping computer-based financial records and how to choose bookkeeping and accounting software packages.
Record-keeping best practice
Good record keeping habits and the "four S" approach: system, separate, security, storage.