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Of the various approaches you can take to recover money owed to you, applying for a bankruptcy against your debtor is perhaps the most extreme. While individuals who owe money they can’t repay may declare themselves bankrupt, a creditor owed more than £5,000 can also apply for a Bankruptcy Order. When to Apply for a Bankruptcy Order You can apply for a Bankruptcy Order if an individual owes you money you can

Late payments constitute one of the biggest threats to the survival of small businesses. Unlike large corporations, most small or micro businesses don’t have the reserves to manage without regular cashflow coming in, and any substantial delay in payment of the money they’re owed could potentially force their closure. Which makes the latest statistics particularly worrying. Figures show that over half of i

The private rental sector has been volatile for some time, with changing regulations, fast-rising rents and difficulties for landlords, and that doesn’t look like ending any time soon. What with a reduction in the buy-to-let market, further increases in the cost for tenants and uncertainty over what measures the new government might bring in, the whole sector is holding its breath. A Fall in the Buy-to-Let Mark

SMEs may need to access finance for various reasons. Perhaps they have plans for growth requiring money up front, or maybe there’s a delay in their cashflow — a particular problem in recent years, as the scourge of late payments has grown worse. Recent figures, from various sources, have shown both good and bad news about financing small businesses. A Third of SMEs Need Finance to Survive The most alarming figu

Bankruptcy is often seen as a badge of shame, a sign of failure — but is it really? The legal state of bankruptcy was actually introduced in the 19th century as a protection for debtors, who could previously have been thrown into prison until their debt was cleared. So is bankruptcy the end of the world, or should it be seen as a tool that can be used to get back on your feet when things have gone seriously wrong? Wh

It’s only a few weeks until the election and, whoever ends up forming the next government, most of us have hopes about what their policies will be. Small business owners are no exception, and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has released the results of a poll of its members. This suggests strongly what small business owners are looking for from the next government. Cracking Down on Late Payments Late pa

Traditionally, people have always been terrified of “the bailiffs”. They’ve been seen as people who can descend on you and use strong-arm tactics to seize your property and leave you destitute. That’s a very Dickensian picture, and while it may have once been true, enforcement officers (as they’re more correctly called) are carefully regulated today. And a recent survey showed that 83% o

In difficult times like these, resorting to Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) can seem like a lifesaver. Used carefully and with full understanding, it can be a good way of spreading costs for items you can’t immediately afford. The problem is that many consumers don’t fully understand the terms and, as recent research by TotallyMoney shows, repayments can very quickly build up. What Is Buy Now Pay Later? BNPL is

Figures just out show that private rents increased in the past 12 months at a rate well above inflation. At the same time, as prospects seem to be diminishing of the renters reform bill passing before the election, record numbers of tenants are being forced to move. It might seem at a casual glance that this is all great news for buy-to-let owners, but it’s actually not that simple. If you’re a private la

The last quarter of 2023 saw the UK going formally into recession, and that’s bound to affect the mood among small businesses. It’s not a coincidence that a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found that businesses felt more pessimistic during Q4 than Q3. Lower Levels of Optimism Among Small Businesses The FSB’s Small Business Index for the final quarter of 2023 found a reduction in s