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Business start-up and finance

Our latest features, books, articles and guides on sources of business finance and support for business start-ups.
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Read our latest features and articles
Green budgeting: driving sustainable growth through smart planning
  • Article
  • 22 Apr 2025
ICAEW is combining its public sector and sustainability expertise to assess the role that ‘green budgeting’ plays in achieving economic and environmental prosperity.
Tackling existing growth barriers will help mitigate uncertainty
  • Article
  • 22 Apr 2025
The UK government’s plans to kickstart growth have been thrown off course, but acting to address existing growth barriers could help organisations to weather the storm, says ICAEW.
How to survive scaling up
  • Article
  • 22 Apr 2025
Scaling up is a complex mission in which only very few businesses succeed. But with the right foundations, you can mitigate most of the risks.
Tariff and tax woes weaken UK business confidence
  • Article
  • 15 Apr 2025
Soaring tax concerns and US tariffs have dragged UK business confidence back into the red, according to ICAEW analysis, as accountants call for urgent government action.
Haysmacintyre to HaysMac – what’s in a name?
  • Article
  • 11 Apr 2025
Mid-tier accountancy firm Haysmacintyre recently went through a rebranding process to forge an identity that better reflected its culture. Managing Partner Tash Frangos spills the beans.
Five leadership lessons for a growth mindset
  • Article
  • 31 Mar 2025
Rachel Nutt, a senior partner at MHA, advises some of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs and has also overseen rapid growth at her firm. She tells us some of the leadership lessons garnered from those experiences.
Chancellor walks tightrope over uncertain landscape
  • Article
  • 27 Mar 2025
Despite welcome improvements to the OBR forecast and positive noises on defence spending and capital investment in the Spring Statement, the economy remains on shaky ground.
Government confirms consultation on business growth scheme
  • Article
  • 19 Mar 2025
First announced in December, the Business Growth Service will serve as a one-stop shop for government advice and support, to streamline the government’s offer to small companies and to assist businesses seeking to raise finance.
Read more

Topics in depth

Man in office
Business finance and grants
  • Hub page
Our latest features, books, articles and guides on sources of business finance and grants.
Woman working in flower shop
Starting a business
  • Hub page
Our latest features, books, articles and guides on all aspects of starting a business.
Teamwork groups inclusive
Community benefit societies and community interest companies
  • Hub page
Resources on community benefit societies (BenComs) and community interest companies (CICs).
Diverse office workers
Employee ownership
  • Hub page
Online articles, guides and books to help you identify best practice.
Female colleagues at desk
Family businesses
  • Hub page
Articles, books and online resources on issues specific to family-run businesses.
Hands holding plant
Scaling a business
  • Hub page
Resources to help you grow and develop your business.
London skyline
Incorporation
  • Hub page
Resources offering guidance and background information on company incorporation.
Meeting with external colleagues
Limited liability partnerships
  • Hub page
Learn about limited liability partnerships (LLPs) with our selection of online resources and books.

ICAEW advice, guides and reports

Questions about business taxation
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2025
Find answers to key questions relating to tax issues for your business.
Accessing finance in challenging times
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2025
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
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2025
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
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2025
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.
Access to finance special
  • Hub page
  • 2023
ICAEW Insights examines the finance options and support available to businesses, as well as the challenges they face in obtaining it.
ICAEW BAS
  • Promotional material
  • 2020
ICAEW’s Business Advice Service puts small and medium business owners in touch with both ICAEW members or regulated ICAEW member firms who can provide a free initial consultation, without obligation, to discuss any business issues the owners are facing.
Business Finance Guide
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2016
This independent guide draws on the expertise of partners from across the finance industry and business community to provide information on the financing options that may be available to entrepreneurs, startups and businesses at every stage of development.
Exclusive Special report - Growing your business
  • Report
  • 2014
This report is primarily aimed at smaller businesses seeking to grow and develop and to achieve their full potential through practical guidance and advice.
More reports

Webinars

Marta Pacheco
Transformation series: Delivering a sustainability reporting transformation
  • Webinar
  • 19 Mar 2025
25 April
Marta Pacheco
Scale up series: Building your network and communication skills
  • Webinar
  • 19 Mar 2025
1 April
Marta Pacheco
Think, feel, thrive: practical tools for managing stress and pressure
  • Webinar
  • 19 Mar 2025
25 March
Exclusive Funding for business: get investment ready and explore funding options
  • Webinar
  • 13 Mar 2025
Aimed primarily at manufacturing businesses, this webinar will inform you about available commercial funding and how to get it.
Marta Pacheco
Scale-up series: Build a positive culture and team
  • Webinar
  • 24 Jan 2025
Understand the importance of building a healthy culture and attracting the right people.
Marta Pacheco
Scale-up series: Financial planning and raising finance
  • Webinar
  • 03 Dec 2024
Understand the importance of financial planning and the options available to raise finance.
Marta Pacheco
Scale-up series: Building solid foundations to drive performance
  • Webinar
  • 21 Nov 2024
Understand the importance of solid foundations across your business to drive performance.
Marta Pacheco
Scale-up series: An introduction to scaling up
  • Webinar
  • 25 Sep 2024
Understand what scaling up means, how to identify when a business is ready and first steps to take.
More webinars

eBooks

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers. eBooks are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support advice or contact library@icaew.com.

Exclusive Business start up bundle for dummies
  • eBook
  • 2020
  • Colin Barrow
  • John Wiley & Sons
A one stop shop to all your business start-up needs! Covers everything budding entrepreneurs need to know to get their business up and running. Whether readers are just starting out, planning a new venture, setting up at home or extending a current business online, this book is all they need to succeed.
Exclusive Digital finance: big data, start-ups, and the future of financial services
  • eBook
  • 2019
  • Perry H. Beaumont
  • Routledge
This book takes a thoughtful look at how the digital finance industry is evolving. It explains how to integrate digital finance concepts into existing traditional finance platforms and explores what successful companies are doing to maximize their opportunities in this context.
Exclusive Financial Times guide to business start up 2017/18
  • eBook
  • 2016
  • Sara Williams
  • FT Publishing International
Startup guide for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Exclusive Starting a successful business
  • eBook
  • 2011
  • M. J. Morris
  • Kogan Page
Step-by-step guide to starting and running a small business.
Exclusive Consultant's quick start guide: an action plan for your first year in business, The
  • eBook
  • 2009
  • Elaine Blech
  • Pfeiffer
A guide to working as a consultant from a US perspective.
Exclusive Essential business finance: a complete guide to starting, expanding and selling your business
  • eBook
  • 2009
  • Paul Barrow
  • Kogan Page
An introduction to finance aimed at the average business manager.
Exclusive Good small business guide: how to start and grow your own business
  • eBook
  • 2006
  • Meredith Belbin
  • Bloomsbury
A practical guide for anyone interested in starting a business.
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

More eBooks

Business press

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
Exclusive How to unlock value in founder-investor partnerships
  • Article
  • Apr 2025
  • Samantha Hellauer, et al.
This article explores how founder-led companies and private equity investors can overcome challenges and achieve significant value by fostering mutual understanding, aligning on governance, and maintaining open communication.
Exclusive Should my side hustle become my main gig?
  • Article
  • Mar 2025
  • Michael A. Stanko, Jeffrey M. Pollack, Alexander Staub
This fictionalised case study examines Evan Hale's dilemma between a job promotion and a $1 million investment in his startup, Fritch Audio.
Exclusive Maintaining a startup culture while scaling
  • Article
  • Jan 2025
  • Tarang Amin
Tarang Amin, CEO of e.l.f. Beauty, discusses how the company has continued to operate like a start-up, even as it has become a major player in the beauty industry.
Exclusive The biggest mistakes that startups make
  • Article
  • Jan 2025
  • Nir Zicherman
Nir Zicherman, CEO of Oboe, sets out 50 hard-won lessons that start-ups ought to take heed of in order to avoid common pitfalls.
Exclusive Supporting diverse business owners
  • Article
  • Nov 2024
  • Kelly Burch
Discusses the challenges faced by diverse business owners in the US, including people of colour, women, veterans and those with disabilities. Barriers such as limited access to capital are highlighted. Provides a list of resources and funding for entrepreneurs from marginalised groups in New Hampshire, including support from organisations both locally and nationally.
Exclusive Who learns fastest, wins: Lean Startup and Discovery Driven Growth
  • Article
  • Nov 2024
  • Rita Gunther McGrath
Most entrepreneurial ventures and startups fail. Against this backdrop, Lean Startup and Discovery-Driven Growth (DDG) are methods that emphasize rapid learning, resource parsimony, and focus on validating assumptions as ways of reducing the cost and risk of failure. Rita Gunther McGrath looks at the benefits of both methods, suggesting that they are a major advance over traditional planning processes because they both emphasize rapid learning. She also provides a 'flops file' of massive corporate failures and analyses the mistakes made.
More articles

Online magazines

Some online journal titles are available only to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. To view the full range of titles available to you, please log in.
Corporate Financier
  • Journal
  • ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty
Analysis and insight from ICAEW's Corporate Finance Faculty.
SME Finance Monitor
  • Website
  • BVA BDRC
Provides data on access to finance amongst SMEs.
Disclaimer

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

ICAEW Library collection

The ICAEW Library & Information Service collection includes articles, books and reports. Use the links below to see what we have available to request in our Library catalogue (Libcat).
The business life of an entrepreneur
  • Library book
  • 2025
  • A. Lane
  • LexisNexis
A short digest focusing on key tax issues of concern to entrepreneurs in business. Sections cover issues including starting a business, developing a business, profit extraction, selling a business, and protecting family wealth.
Tax saving business structures: how to set up your business to get the most from the tax system
  • Library book
  • 2024
  • Indicator FL Memo
  • Indicator FL Memo
A special report comparing the pros and cons of different types of business structure, from a taxation perspective. The authors consider how the nature and status of the business in question might influence one's choice of structure, and provide tips on how to choose the right structure for your business at the right time.
Small business tax saving tactics: tax planning for sole traders and partnerships, 11th ed.
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • C. Bayley, N. Braun
  • Taxcafe UK
A practical guide to tax saving techniques that can help self-employed business owners (sole traders and partnerships) to pay less tax on their profits. Includes numerous easy-to-follow examples.
The business start up guide
  • Library book
  • 2021
  • A.Pink
  • Tunbridge Wells
A practical and jargon free guide to the essential things every entrepreneur needs to know when setting up a business. Chapters include: the business plan; raising business finance; structuring a business tax efficiently; promotion and marketing; controlling overheads; common mistakes in business.
Growing by numbers: how to scale up your small business with confidence
  • Library book
  • 2020
  • D. Hudson
  • SRA Books
This authoritative, motivating and highly practical guide will take you step-by-step through everything you need to think about, know and do to get your business into the best possible shape for growth.
Incorporating and disincorporating a business, 3rd ed.
  • Library book
  • 2019
  • M. McLaughlin, J. Anderson
  • Bloomsbury Professional
A guide to the tax issues and pitfalls one may encounter when incorporating a sole trader or partnership business. Includes numerous worked examples to illustrate complex points.
Financial management for technology start-ups: a handbook for growth
  • Library book
  • 2017
  • A.Bhimani
  • Kogan Page
A book to help you with the specific know-how required to successfully manage costs, track profit opportunities and monetize your tech start-up.

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

External resources - Funding sources

Alternative Business Funding
  • Website
  • Alternative Business Funding
A matchmaking service for small businesses and alternative finance providers.
British Business Bank
  • Website
  • British Business Bank
An economic development bank launched in 2013 to create more effective finance markets for smaller businesses in the UK.
Enterprise Europe Network
  • Website
  • Enterprise Europe Network
The Enterprise Europe Network helps small businesses develop into new markets, source or license new technologies and access EU finance and funding.
European Investment Fund
  • Website
  • European Investment Fund
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is involved in a number of initiatives to promote regional business development.
Finance and support for your business
  • Website
  • GOV.UK
List of publicly-backed finance or business support schemes. With hundreds of schemes available, this is a good starting point to find out which ones you are eligible for and which suit your needs.
Good Finance
  • Website
  • Good Finance
A UK website aimed at charities and social enterprises. It provides information and advice on locating socially responsible sources of finance.
Start-up loans
  • Website
  • GOV.UK
A government funded scheme to provide loans and mentors for entrepreneurs. As well as start-up finance the scheme offers coaching to applicants to prepare for the pitch for the loan, help prepare a business plan and mentoring for a period after the loan has been received.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

Can't find what you're looking for?

The ICAEW Library can give you the right information from trustworthy, professional sources that aren't freely available online. Contact us for expert help with your enquiries and research.

Everything business

Find out about the key benefits available for members in business and the support from ICAEW. We are proud of our some 60,000 members working in and running business all over the world.
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Winding road
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Some of the content on this web page was provided by the Chartered Accountants’ Trust for Education and Research, a registered charity, which owns the library and operates it for ICAEW.