Business

Employment Rights Act timeline

New UK legislation updating employment rights became law on 18 December 2025, broadening parental leave rights, access to statutory sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal. Find out which changes will be coming into affect in 2026 and 2027.

What to know about business and personal taxation

ICAEW's Tax Faculty has answered some key questions on issues concerning business and personal taxation.

Accessing finance in challenging times

An overview of finance options for established business under stress, considering restructuring or facing challenging times. See the potential options for organisations wanting to improve their cash position or reduce the cost of their borrowing.

Financing your start-up

When setting up a new business one of the first questions you must answer is ‘Will I need finance to set up my business?’ This might be to fit out a premises, to pay staff while they are training or to buy equipment. Many businesses start off with ‘owners equity’ – money they put into the business to fund the start-up. But when they get the business going they may need finance.

Financing a growing business

An overview of finance options for growing businesses, highlighting which types best support different growth plans from launching new products to international expansion. Guidance includes questions to ask when considering finance options and tips on getting the most from your bank.

A great communicator makes for a successful CFO

Kelly Smith is CFO, Kantar Insights UK & Republic of Ireland, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading market research companies. Smith talks about why good communication is key to good leadership, worrying about climate change, and challenges her peers to find ways to maintain engagement in a world of hybrid working.

One of the greatest challenges is making sense of that data so you can communicate it

Peter Burrows is CEO at The Cambridge Building Society, where he was previously Finance Director. He is also a trustee of Astrea Academy Trust. Here, he shares the importance of a holistic view of business success, and offers his perspective on the importance of concision and clarity in board papers.

The power to instigate change lies with corporates

Fay Cooke is Chief Impact and Financial Officer at Yeo Valley Production Ltd. Previously, Fay worked at RWE Generation, RWE npower, and Deloitte. Here, she shares her thoughts on the evolving role of the CFO, how businesses can all play their part in tackling societal issues, and shares her perspective on how to measure impact.

The perennial challenge is taking data to information, to insight, to action

Joel Ripley is CFO at Schroders Personal Wealth, and was previously Finance Director, Wealth and Stockbroking at Lloyds Banking Group. Here, he shares the key issues keeping directors up at night, what businesses can do to address them, and how the CFO can contribute to a fairer future.

We’re trying to make sure that what we say aligns exactly with what we do

Peter Birch is CFO at AJ Bell, and was previously a Partner at Deloitte. Here, he talks about how you can embed purpose in your organisation by starting at the top, and shares his thoughts on how to address the issue of the financial advice gap through enhanced guidance.

Net zero is a chance to say yes

Andy Boteler is Director of Finance at Riverford Organic Farmers, is Senior Independent Director and Chair of Audit and Remuneration Committee at LungLife AI and is Chair of Audit Committee at Octopus AIM VCT PLC. Here, he shares his perspective on what it means to be an FD in a purpose-led, employee-owned organisation.

Lead by example and by doing the right thing

Duncan Magrath is CFO at Alfa Financial Software. Here, he shares the ways in which volatility is fuelling the changing role of the CFO and how the CFO’s privileged access to information can be used to ensure that the organisation stays on track to deliver its plans.

Practical Excel tips 2021

Learn fundamental skills to save you time dealing with the most common problems faced when using Excel.

Business recovery: these are people we’re dealing with

Out of necessity, insolvency practitioners are focused on compliance and best practice. But their interactions with people who have built businesses are often deeply personal – this is why empathy is vital when advising those involved in a business in distress.

Business rescue: are zombie companies on the rise?

There are a high proportion of zombie companies in the UK. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the perfect environment to create more.

Business rescue: Hong Kong still waiting for a moratorium mechanism

Despite a tough period for businesses in Hong Kong the introduction of a corporate rescue procedure remains elusive, says Johnson Kong, Managing Director at BDO Hong Kong

The painful reality of a CVA

Managing director of Perfection Alloys, Fraser Dick, speaks about how hard decisions and empathy from his insolvency practitioner helped his business successfully weather insolvency.

Future proof your organisation - an internal audit approach to operational resilience

This webinar explores how to develop an audit approach to deliver effective assurance as organisations progress their resilience journeys.

Interview techniques for the zoom age

Insight into the world of virtual interviews and the new developments you should be thinking about as you embark on your virtual job search.

Recruiters are looking for commercial FDs

You need commercial knowledge for that step up, say the experts

The CFO and Strategy

Our first report explores the nature of strategy, particularly how CFOs balance planning and opportunism. We then consider the various aspects of the CFO's role in strategy.

Practical Excel tips 2020

Learn fundamental skills to save you time dealing with the most common problems faced when using Excel. We also explore charting in more detail.

5144 reasons you should take the Modern Slavery Act seriously

Nick Wildgoose, a supply chain risk management expert, provides a brief background on the Act itself and international context and potential developments.

How and when should companies start spending their huge cash reserves?

Corporate liquidity has hit record levels this year as companies sit on a huge cash reserve, bolstered by government emergency funding. We look at how and when businesses might resume investing for an economic recovery.

Companies’ post-pandemic cash reserves at record high – by the numbers

Four charts showing the pandemic’s impact on GDP, business investment, company cash reserves and government support for industry.

Navigating 'Office Politics' positively

This webinar will look at what organisational politics is, why it occurs and what individuals need to focus on to improve their personal political intelligence.

The finance team toolkit part 2: leadership and performance management

Finance transformation executive Neil Cutting outlines why having the appropriate leadership and performance management is crucial to a successful finance function transformation strategy.

Supply chain assurance in the retail sector

Abigail Harper talks through a risk-based approach to providing supply chain assurance within the retail sector.

Common online frauds and how to avoid them

A timely update on common online frauds you might encounter in your professional and personal lives, along with some practical tips on how to spot and avoid them.

Leading resilient teams

Learn practical tools and techniques to help you manage stress and build a resilience management framework.

Strategic thinking for senior professionals

Find out what the three core questions of strategy are and the common pitfalls to avoid in addressing them.

The net present value of happiness

Many of us understand how the value of money changes with time. What about when we assess our happiness? How do we account for this?

The finance team toolkit part 1: Tools to help finance leadership succeed

Finance transformation executive Neil Cutting examines the essential elements a finance leader should master to deliver strong, strategic leadership in the first of a series of articles.

The secret life of a CFO during restructuring

What really happens behind the scenes when a company enters administration and restructures? A senior CFO describes the good, bad and ugly of trying to turn around a failing company.

Better people management

Practical ways to help improve your people management skills including being able to deal with difficult situations.

Simple techniques to improve communication

Learn how to communicate clearly and get people on your side.

Top tips for securing board level support for counter fraud

An overview of why it is important to gain board level support for counter fraud activity and create an ethical culture in your organisation.

How to network your way to success

Key insights and techniques to aid those who want to thrive and grow through the simple art of talking to people.

What happens when everything generates data?

The internet of things, where sensors are integrated into many kinds of objects, is growing rapidly. This webinar explores how finance professionals can take advantage of this powerful technology.

Do more in a day than you do in a week

Being effective is a crucial aspect of our wellbeing. This webinar explores some of the latest thinking and practical productivity hacks, leaving you with the capacity to clear the mind, define what's important to you and be as effective as you can be.

How to make the most of your work's life

This essential webinar will reveal the twelve proven ways to fast-track your career, and teach you how to learn from your mistakes, kickstart some good habits, kick out some bad ones and make the most of your life’s work.

Kotter’s theory of change management

The essential blueprint for change managers

Managing and resolving conflict

In ‘Conflict Resolution’, the ideal solution is the one that works best for both parties and achieves an agreed, workable outcome. The aim of this webinar is to introduce you to practical conflict resolution techniques and strategies to help you effectively manage conflict when it arises.

An introduction to data science

Hear first-hand the benefits of data science for accountants and learn how to get started using data to identify patterns, make predictions and automate decision making.

Managing difficult situations and conversations

This webinar provides simple and effective techniques to stay poised and resolve difficult situation.

How accountants can become digital leaders

In this thought-provoking presentation, we will demystify how your future online customer is "thinking" and why every founder, business owner, and entrepreneur can digitally transform their sales and marketing using a proven methodology as a digital leader and utilise disruptive technology effectively.

Influencing and persuading – promoting your brand

We all negotiate on a much more frequent basis than we realise and some of us are much better than others are winning the argument. David Gillespie, professional actor and coach, brings some practical tips in how to persuade people and better negotiate in this punchy twenty minute webinar.

Anti-money laundering update: what every business needs to know

Where there is fraud there is money laundering. Legislation in this area is complex and wide-ranging and has serious implications for businesses and professionals alike. This webinar will provide a timely update on recent developments in this area and how to safeguard your business.

Manage change effectively

This webinar explores how a reaction to change can impact an individual’s wellbeing and the difference having a positive mindset can make. It provides an opportunity to discuss how to accept or adjust to change and how to be open to the opportunities that change can bring.

Essential employment issues

This new ten minute webinar format is being used to deliver a series of “what you need to know” webinars on best practice for employment issues.