Small Business Software Solutions

It is part of the Northern Ireland SBRI initiative from Matrix NI and the Department for the Economy. SBRI has been used in Northern Ireland to help introduce new innovations in a range of areas including health, education, environment, business rates, audit and tourism. Watch the video to find out about SBRI, a new way to drive public sector innovation in Northern Ireland. If you run an SME, you could find you're also entitled to certain grants and other types of funding. Unlike business loans, there's no need to repay a grant, but it will come with certain conditions and can only be used for specific purposes.

Similarly, time-tracking software is sometimes useful for billing. For example, a micro-business may need project management software, like Trello or Asana, for managing projects with contractors. They may also use file storage software like Dropbox and Google Drive to manage and store files securely.

How Small Business Owners Can Prepare For The Next Crisis

They may also use software like Sage Payroll to pay employees quickly and accurately. Most growing businesses use some form of accounting software, like Sage Accounting, so they can manage the books more efficiently and submit accurate, compliant tax returns. If you’re not interested in creating your own products to sell, you can curate them. One of the best small business ideas is to sell subscription boxes with curated products that follow a certain theme. It generates new business opportunities for companies, provides small and medium-sized enterprises a route to market for their ideas and bridges the seed funding gap experienced by many early stage companies.

The video tells the story of an SBRI Northern Ireland initiative using live data to match the needs of complex school transportation requirements. Government’s review of SBRI into the barriers facing small businesses and recommendations on how to tackle them. Celebrating London Met's Big Ideas Entrepreneurs and social innovators from across the University were highlighted at the Big Idea Challenge awards ceremony. If, for instance, you fall into the ‘microbusiness’ category, then you’ll find switching energy suppliers is slightly easier than it is for other types of business.

Our LGBT+ business hub includes free resources, interviews, advice, and networking events for LGBT+ small business owners and employers looking to make their workplace more inclusive. SBRI was recognised as a leading programme for procurement in aLocal Government Associationreport, ‘Encouraging innovation in local government procurement’. A huge congratulations to the winners of the Big Idea Challenge 2021 Read about the innovative ideas which took home the prizes at London Met’s annual enterprise competition.

Small Business Saturday

This can be across a calendar year or financial year, which is also known as a 'tax year' and runs from April 6 to April 5. The problem in providing specifics when trying to define small and medium enterprises is that no one can agree on a single description. Where the European Union offers its own SME definition, UK bodies such as Ofgem have a different interpretation of how medium, small and micro business sizes should be defined. Ratepayers will remain in the relief scheme for either five years or until the annual incremental increase in business rates reaches the amount they would have paid without the scheme. Our insurance coverage options for offices include property, business contents and product and public liability. Recruit help from colleagues or friends and family to brainstorm new ideas.

Follow these steps to support clients or set up your business for MTD. If a practice supports a larger business, they may use an advanced financial management solution like Sage Intacct. Accountants also use accounts production software for running their practice and payroll software for paying people they employ. For example, if Jane struggles to keep track of all the items on her to-do list, she should consider investing in project management software to keep track of multiple projects.