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Naming your business as a sole trader
What you can and cannot name your company as a sole trader, including words you need permission to use
Naming your business partnership
What you can and cannot name your business partnership in the UK, including words you need permission to use
Setting up a business partnership
The steps you need to follow to create and set up a business partnership and details of how responsibility is shared
Writing a business plan: 5 top tips
Five key steps that can help you to prepare a successful business plan when you're starting a business.
Grow your business
Browse our key guidance to help you find growth funding in Northern Ireland, and learn how you can scale up your business and grow
Checklist: set up as a sole trader
A checklist of things you must do, and organisations you must make contact with, to set yourself up as a sole trader
Avoid sales forecast pitfalls
The key things to avoid when drawing up a sales forecast including wishful thinking, not making it achievable and moving goalposts
Start a sales forecasts
How to use last year's sales as a starting point for your forecast of next year's sales to help manage your business more effectively.
Sales forecast assumptions
How to build expected changes in your business relating to factors such as your products and your market into a sales forecast.
Developing your sales forecast
How to improve the accuracy of your forecast by breaking down your sales figures into smaller categories such as by product, market, region or customer.
Create a sales plan from a sales forecast
Advice on how to achieve your sales objectives by creating a sales plan including your focus, the necessary changes, the steps involved and your target markets.
Start a business from home
Guidance and practical tips on starting a home-based business and local support to help establish your home business
Business growth and premises
As your business grows and takes in more staff, you may need to assess your options for larger business premises
Business plan: dos and don’ts
A list of things you must do when creating your business plan and things you don't want to do in order to avoid mistakes.
Avoid problems during business growth
Common issues that businesses often face during growth, and tips for overcoming these difficulties through proper planning and management.
Business growth: market research
Use market research to drive business growth and innovation and to stay ahead of the competition
Business growth strategy and planning
Maximise the chances of business growth success by carefully planning your growth strategy
Business growth: developing skills
Developing effective leadership skills and making the most of other people's abilities can help you grow your business
Understanding social value in public procurement
What social value is in public sector procurement, how you demonstrate it in a tender submission and what resources are available to assist your business.
Social enterprises as registered charities
Charitable purposes, features of charities, governing documents and registration