Skip to main content
We're here with practical information for your business. Learn about business planning, running a business and more.

Search

For a successful business, you need a viable business idea, the skills to make it work and the funding. Discover whether your idea has what it takes.

Forming your business correctly is essential to ensure you are protected and you comply with the rules. Learn how to set up your business.

Advice on protecting your wellbeing, self-confidence and mental health from the pressures of starting and running a business.

Learn why business planning is an essential exercise if your business is to start and grow successfully, attract funding or target new markets.

It is likely you will need funding to start your business unless you have your own money. Discover some of the main sources of start up funding.

Businesses and individuals must account for and pay various taxes. Understand your tax obligations and how to file, account and pay any taxes you owe.

Businesses are required to comply with a wide range of business laws. We introduce the main rules and regulations you must comply with.

Marketing matters. It drives sales and helps promote your brand and products. Discover how to market your business and reach your target customers.

Some businesses need a high street location whilst others can be run from home. Understand the key factors from cost to location, size to security.

Your employees can your biggest asset. They can also be your biggest challenge. We explain how to recruitment and manage staff successfully.

It is likely your business could not function without some form of IT. Learn how to specify, buy, maintain and secure your business IT.

Few businesses manage the leap from start up to high-growth business. Learn what it takes to scale up and take your business to the next level.

Is your business ready for the Great British Switch Off?

11 May 2021

A third of small firms are unaware of forthcoming changes to the UK telecoms network, according to Zen Internet.

The Great British Switch Off, also known as the copper stop-sell, is set to affect UK businesses in the next few years. As of 2025, the country's traditional telephone network - the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) - will be fully switched off and withdrawn from service. Prior to that, in 2023, products which use the PSTN network, such as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), will stop being sold and will no longer be used for line installations.

New research by Zen Internet has found that many of the UK's small businesses are still reliant on traditional telephony systems and are ill-prepared for the change. Its poll of 500 UK small firms has found that traditional telephony systems are the backbone of communications for many, with 62% using them for customer communications. More than half use them for engaging with partners and 61% for communicating with colleagues.

Yet one in three small firms are not aware of the copper stop-sell. What's more, many businesses are tied to communications agreements that are set to become obsolete - 13% of businesses say that the next possible point of termination with their traditional telephone third-party supplier is more than three years away. It means that some businesses could be spending money on legacy communications systems that are no longer functional. A quarter (26%) of SMEs say they spend between £5,000 and £40,000 a year on traditional telephony systems.

While the copper stop-sell will result in a short-term upheaval for small business owners, it will allow them to transition from traditional telephone networks to cloud-based technology. SMEs are currently lagging behind larger businesses when it comes to moving to a cloud-based model of communication - 60% of large firms use a cloud-based solution for integrating their communications channels, compared to 40% of SMEs. However, over half of small businesses who don't currently use a cloud-based system say they are actively considering it.

Jon Perkins, director of strategy at Zen Internet, said: "It's clear that the forthcoming changes to the UK's telephony network are set to impact businesses large and small - however what has become clear from the research is that smaller businesses could be at risk of being left behind in the switch-over if they don't start to act and plan now.

"Ultimately the planned changes open up the opportunity to migrate to cloud-based alternatives, making communication channels more reliable and suited to modern ways of working. This means businesses no longer need to be tied down to a fixed line at a fixed location."

Written by Rachel Miller.

Stay up-to-date with business advice and news

Sign up to this lively and colourful newsletter for new and more established small businesses.