R&D tax relief: does your startup actually qualify?
A plain-English test for whether your startup's work qualifies for UK R&D tax relief under the merged scheme — and what a claim is really worth.
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The startup numbers blog
Short, sharp posts on startup tax, funding and finance — R&D relief, SEIS, hiring and the numbers that keep founders up at night.
SEIS and EIS, explained for the founder side of the table
What SEIS and EIS actually do for your raise, how advance assurance works, and the mistakes that void investor relief — from the founder's perspective.
Read postMaking your first hire: what payroll actually involves
Everything a startup must do before its first employee's payday: PAYE registration, auto-enrolment pensions, the true loaded cost, and what it costs to run.
Read postThe money you spent before day one: pre-trading expenses
UK startups can claim business expenses from up to 7 years before trading began, and VAT from up to 4 years. What counts, what doesn't, and how to claim it.
Read postThe best business bank account for a startup? Why we point founders to Mettle
Why we recommend Mettle by NatWest for startup business banking: free, FSCS-protected, a native FreeAgent feed, and built for one or two-owner companies.
Read postFreeAgent for startups: bookkeeping that becomes a founder's dashboard
How startups can use FreeAgent as a live financial dashboard — not just bookkeeping: cashflow visibility, tax forecasts, invoicing and the numbers investors ask for.
Read postBudgeting for 2026: the rising costs founders keep forgetting
Business rates, minimum wage and employer NI, energy and software creep — the 2026 cost pressures UK startups should build into their forecasts before they bite.
Read postBeyond the bank loan: alternative funding routes for startups
Banks aren't the only — or best — source of startup capital. Grants, crowdfunding, revenue-based finance, asset finance and angel investment, compared with what each really costs.
Read postMarketing your startup on a lean budget: what actually works
You don't need a big budget to get a startup's first customers. Eight low-cost, high-return marketing routes — content, email, community, referrals and partnerships — that founders can start today.
Read postCustomer concentration risk: the quiet number that scares investors
If one client is most of your revenue, your startup is more fragile than it looks. What customer concentration risk is, why investors and lenders flag it, and how to reduce it.
Read postHow to write a business plan that actually gets funding
A practical guide to writing a startup business plan investors and lenders take seriously — the sections that matter, the financials they scrutinise, and the mistakes to avoid.
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