{"id":8984,"date":"2021-11-03T12:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T12:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=8984"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:33:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:33:51","slug":"small-business-administration-easy-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/small-business-administration-easy-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Small business administration: Your easy guide to managing your admin"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Strategy, Legal &amp; Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSmall business administration: Your easy guide to managing your admin\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-11-03T12:00:26+00:00\">3 November, 2021<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Small business administration: Your easy guide to managing your admin\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/small-business-administration-easy-guide\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/staceymcintosh\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/11\/Stacey-McIntosh-350-1.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Stacey McIntosh<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s be honest, you didn\u2019t start a business because you have a passion for paperwork (unless you do have a passion for it and your business helps people manage their paperwork\u2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All the same, small business administration is an essential part of running a company and it can have a real impact on your profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research conducted by Sage in 2020 found that only 42% owners claim they have always been good at looking after money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is evidence that even if you dread small business admin right now, with a little bit of time and patience, you can learn to boss it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, we\u2019ve put together this simple business administration guide to demystify the processes you need to think about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can\u2019t promise you\u2019ll start loving business administration tasks, but you might find them a little less painful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what the article covers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#what-anchor-link\">What is small business administration?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#benefits-anchor-link\">Benefits of business administration tasks<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#small-anchor-link\">Small business administration tips<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#dedicate-anchor-link\">1. Dedicate time to your business administration tasks<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#daily-anchor-link\">2. Daily business administration tasks<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#weekly-anchor-link\">3. Weekly small business administration tasks<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#monthly-anchor-link\">4. Monthly small business admin jobs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#annual-anchor-link\">5. Annual small business administration tasks<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#how-anchor-link\">How to organise small business paperwork<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#admin-anchor-link\">Admin help for small businesses<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#ready-anchor-link\">Ready for small business administration?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a class=\"button button--primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/business-readiness-assessment\/\">Dreaming of bossing your own business? Take our quiz to see how ready you are to take the plunge<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-anchor-link\">What is small business administration?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Small business admin refers to a variety of record-keeping tasks that companies need to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the most basic level, business admin is about being on top of the money that enters and leaves the company and keeping records in the form of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/invoice-cheat-sheet\/\">invoices<\/a>, receipts and bank statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of these tasks are a legal obligation if you\u2019re a business owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You must keep records of income and expenses, and you\u2019re also obliged to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tips-tax-isnt-taxing-business\/\">pay your taxes to HMRC<\/a> each year. Failing to do so could result in fines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other business admin tasks aren\u2019t obligatory, but they can make your business run more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"benefits-anchor-link\">Benefits of business administration tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you fear filling in forms and are spooked by spreadsheets, try to remember that admin is your friend (and it\u2019s possible to use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/size\/small-business\/\">small business software<\/a> to automate some of your tasks too, which will save you time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the benefits of completing business administration tasks on time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tells you how the business is doing (including how much profit you\u2019re making).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Helps you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/make-smarter-business-decisions\/\">make better decisions<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identifies if you\u2019re getting good value from suppliers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Means you reduce the risk of any small business legal issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See which products\/services are or <em>are not<\/em> selling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-d7bc68ed-d198-44d2-baef-e4e091084f11\">Download your free guide, Small business pocket guide: Going it alone but never on your own<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"small-anchor-link\">Small business administration tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s everything you need to know about how to do paperwork for a small business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dedicate-anchor-link\">1. Dedicate time to your business administration tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Make a date with yourself to complete the various administrative tasks you need to do. While it might be tempting to put these jobs off until later, you\u2019ll save yourself more time in the long run by doing admin frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Put a reminder in your diary for when you need to complete specific tasks and set aside the time to do each of those jobs. Different tasks should be done daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With practice, you\u2019ll get much faster at completing them and admin will soon become part of your routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"daily-anchor-link\">2. Daily business administration tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Each day set aside 20 minutes or so to complete some simple admin tasks. This includes things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Checking your business bank account:\u00a0<\/strong>Make a note of which clients have paid invoices and monitor your spending from one day to the next.\u00a0If you use accounting software, the technology can track this for you automatically and provide reminders of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/features\/invoicing\/\">when invoices are overdue<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recording expenses: <\/strong>Try to note down all payments you make each day and store your receipts somewhere safe (preferably digitally). If you do this daily, it\u2019ll be fresh in your memory so it\u2019s easy to remember what you bought. Put this information in a simple spreadsheet, write it down in a book or use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/\">accounting software<\/a> to track this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"weekly-anchor-link\">3. Weekly small business administration tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Other small business admin tasks should be completed on a weekly basis. You might want to set aside a morning each week for tasks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Paying suppliers: <\/strong>Paying off your invoices regularly stops them building up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chasing invoices: <\/strong>Every week check which customer invoices are overdue and send a reminder email to the client.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Record data on a digital system: <\/strong>If you do your daily bookkeeping using a paper-based system, set aside some time to record all this information on a spreadsheet. If you use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/\">accounting software<\/a> all this information gets uploaded and stored securely and you don\u2019t ever have to worry about losing your files.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"monthly-anchor-link\">4. Monthly small business admin jobs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to set aside one day each month for bigger business administration processes such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sending invoices: <\/strong>You won\u2019t get paid if you don\u2019t send invoices. Accurately invoicing on the same day each month means you won\u2019t forget to charge for work done in the past.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Payroll runs: <\/strong>If you\u2019re a limited company, you\u2019ll need to pay yourself on a (usually) monthly basis. The same goes for your staff.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reconciliation: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/bank-reconciliation-save-time\/\">Bank reconciliation<\/a> is about matching income\/expenses on your business bank statement against invoices\/receipts so you\u2019ve got a record of what was paid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Manage inventory: <\/strong>A monthly stock take will tell you what stock you have in store and show you what is and isn\u2019t selling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Administrative review: <\/strong>It\u2019s worthwhile taking some time each month to check how the business is doing. Are you turning over enough money? This can then be used to tweak your wider business strategy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Performance review and planning: <\/strong>It\u2019s helpful to spend a day per month looking at how the business has been doing, then creating plans and projections for the future too. By looking at the information you\u2019ve gathered over the past month, you might notice seasonal trends, spot which customers are most valuable to you and decide if there are any products or services that just aren\u2019t worth your while.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"annual-anchor-link\">5. Annual small business administration tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, there are several processes and procedures you\u2019ll need to do each year. Set aside at least a day or two for these jobs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Self Assessment (if you\u2019re a sole trader): <\/strong>The deadline to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/file-a-tax-return-online\/\">submit your tax returns<\/a> is 31 January after the end of the previous tax year. You also have to pay your tax bill by that date. For example, in the tax year that runs from 6 April 2020 to 5 April 2021, you need to submit your tax returns digitally by 31 January 2022, and make your payment by that deadline too.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Filing accounts and company tax return (if you\u2019re a limited company): <\/strong>The deadlines for doing so depend on when your financial year ends and when you registered as a company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Review insurance: <\/strong>If you\u2019ve taken out business insurance, review your annual premiums and shop around for better offers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-d7bc68ed-d198-44d2-baef-e4e091084f11\">Download your free guide, Small business pocket guide: Going it alone but never on your own<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-anchor-link\">How to organise small business paperwork<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re legally obliged to keep records of your business\u2019s activities. At the most basic, you need to write all this information down on paper or use a spreadsheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But many companies today prefer digital record keeping since it\u2019s faster and more secure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Accounting software<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You might want to use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/\">accounting software<\/a> to do your bookkeeping. This can automatically take on more small business administration tasks for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have to pay for these services, but they make admin jobs much faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accounting software can save a lot of time when it comes to organising paperwork, ensures your records are kept securely and means everything is held digitally, which makes it much easier to search through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cash book<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find cash books in any stationery shop. You simply write down all sales and expenses each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Storing receipts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/managing-business-expenses\/\">store paper receipts<\/a> in a folder or shoebox. You&#8217;d then need to hand over these receipts to your accountant, which can be time consuming (and there\u2019s always the risk of losing them).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, most business owners prefer taking photos or scans of their receipts and keeping them digitally. It\u2019s easier to search through them this way &#8211; and you reduce the chance of things getting lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The cloud vs local storage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When thinking about how to organise small business files, you can store your invoices, receipts and business records on your own computer, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/moving-to-the-cloud\/\">use the cloud<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cloud is basically a way of storing your files in a big data centre. You upload all your files over the internet, rather than storing them on your own computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The benefit is that even if you lose your personal computer, all your documents are stored securely online. Cloud storage usually costs a small fee each month, depending on the package you opt for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Spreadsheets<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re probably familiar with programs such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. There are lots of easy-to-use business admin spreadsheet templates you can find online to record your income and outgoings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While they can be useful, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/speed-up-business-processes\/\">spreadsheets do have their challenges<\/a> when it comes to accuracy and manual data entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"admin-anchor-link\">Admin help for small businesses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many small business owners simply don\u2019t have the time or inclination to do all their admin. And this is precisely why you might get someone else to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a couple of things you can try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hire a part-time administrator<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Experienced administrators and virtual assistants can manage all your admin tasks and find ways of running the business more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Outsource to an accountant or bookkeeper<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-choose-an-accountant-for-your-business\/\">Small business accountants<\/a> and bookkeepers are also able to process many of your admin tasks and ensure everything is done correctly and above board for HMRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can also offer business administration advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ready-anchor-link\">Ready for small business administration?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At first glance, these small business admin tasks might feel like a lot. But with a little practice (and the use of software), they will soon become second nature and will take no time at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more tailored advice on launching and running your small business, try our business readiness quiz today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This article was first published in April 2021 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Are you ready to be your own boss?<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Dreaming of managing your own business? Take our quiz to see how ready you are to take the plunge.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/business-readiness-assessment\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-8930\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Take the quiz<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/03\/CTA-2.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/03\/CTA-2.jpg 780w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/bookkeeping\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBookkeeping\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/start-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to start a business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-1543 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-free-guides-templates category-strategy-legal-operations tag-business-continuity tag-create-business-plan tag-grow-business tag-start-business business_type-small-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-740534235-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-740534235-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-740534235-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-740534235-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div 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0 0 .537-.216.74.74 0 0 0 .223-.535.76.76 0 0 0-.223-.535.75.75 0 0 0-.537-.216z\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-05T11:19:49+01:00\">5 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-write-a-business-plan\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFree template: How to write a business plan\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tA business plan is essential for reaching financial success. Download our business plan template and use it to help you achieve your goals.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-4239 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-create-business-plan tag-start-business business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/starting-and-planning\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-612742822_super-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-612742822_super-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-612742822_super-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-612742822_super-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-05T10:02:11+01:00\">5 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to start a business\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-30318 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-bookkeeping tag-payments business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-ap-automation\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1128201585-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1128201585-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1128201585-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1128201585-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-02T16:58:53+01:00\">2 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAccounts payable automation: How it works, key benefits, and why your business needs it\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-30315 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-bookkeeping tag-e-invoicing business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-an-electronic-invoice\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-875247398-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Dealing with payroll tasks for the business\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-875247398-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-875247398-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-875247398-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-02T16:16:14+01:00\">2 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is e-invoicing? Advantages and disadvantages of electronic invoicing\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-30313 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-bookkeeping tag-payments business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-an-automated-billing-system\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-580503469-1-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Running a business\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-580503469-1-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-580503469-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-580503469-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-02T15:54:42+01:00\">2 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is an automated billing system?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the small business administration tasks you&#8217;ll need to fulfil as you run your company and tips to help you complete them efficiently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":346,"featured_media":8985,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[23,12],"business_type":[4],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[73,75],"imagine_tag":[269,109],"coauthors":[353],"class_list":["post-8984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-bookkeeping","tag-start-business","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Stacey McIntosh","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/04\/iStock-495467994-1.jpg","imagine_tags":{"269":"Purchase automation","109":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/346"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8984"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8984\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/8985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8984"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=8984"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=8984"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=8984"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=8984"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=8984"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=8984"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}