Starting a business: the basics
What are your start-up options?
When considering starting a business, you should think about the different options available to you. You might want to start your business full-time or part-time, or even in your spare time. You could choose to work from home or separate premises, to buy an existing business or to invest in a franchise, depending on your experience, lifestyle and resources.
You should also think about assessing your own skills and where you might need some extra development or support - for example, looking after the business' finances.
The following material will help you to understand your options and choose which business is right for you:
You can also look at the following guides:
- choose the right premises for your business - explains how to choose the right premises and consider the options available to you as a start-up
- starting a business from home explains the benefits of working from your own home and the issues you might want to consider
- buy a franchise explains what franchising is and why it might suit you more than starting your own business
- buy an existing business looks at the issues around buying an established business, which may be quicker and easier than starting from scratch
- common mistakes when starting up - and how to avoid them - this guide will help you avoid the most frequent assumptions and mistakes made by new business owners
