For many running a successful business is the entrance ticket to a new and more spacious lifestyle.

This practical and jargon free guide to the essential things every entrepreneur needs to know when setting up is the fruit of many years' real life experience of running businesses and advising others professionally, by its authors who are both qualified Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers.

This book will show you:

• How to plan the business in advance of starting it, and how to write a formal business plan if this is required for finance
• What sources of business capital there are out there, and which are likely to be the most accessible to you in your business
• How you should keep records, financial and otherwise
• How to deal with the thorny question of taking on staff; or avoid taking on staff if this is possible
• A summary of all the "red tape" requirements that you'll be up against
• Amongst these, whether you need to register for VAT, and whether this could be an advantage even if it isn't a requirement
• How to advertise and promote the business
• How to choose and use accountants and other advisers, and what so called "experts" to steer clear of
• How to structure the business tax efficiently (for example whether to use a limited company or not)
• What sort of overheads you are likely to incur, and how to control them
• How to avoid the most common mistakes made in business
• How to protect your business and personal assets from things going badly wrong
• What the crucial difference is between working in the business and working on the business; and
• Where to find expert help when it's needed.