Planning
Plan before you register.
The decisions you make before you open your doors — your structure, your prices, your name — shape everything that follows. These guides help you get them right.
Most founders rush to register before they have a plan. These guides cover the thinking that should happen first: what your business will charge, what it will be called, and how it will sustain itself financially.
Guide + free template
Write a business plan
What to include, how to structure it for a UK bank or Start Up Loan application, and a section-by-section walkthrough.
OpenGuide + calculator
Set your prices
Cost-plus, value-based and market-rate pricing explained. Includes a profit margin calculator to check your numbers.
OpenGuide
Name your business
How to choose a business name, check availability, understand the difference between a trading name and a registered name, and protect your brand with a trademark.
OpenFree tool
Startup cost calculator
Estimate the total capital you need to launch — equipment, insurance, professional fees, marketing, and a cash buffer.
OpenFree tool
Profit margin calculator
Calculate gross and net profit margins and work out the right selling price for your products or services.
OpenFree template
Business plan template
A structured, copy-paste business plan template formatted for UK bank loan and Start Up Loan applications.
OpenAll guides are grounded in official UK sources — GOV.UK, Companies House, the Intellectual Property Office and the British Business Bank.
Partner offers
Exclusive reader offers
Two offers we genuinely recommend to UK founders. We earn a small referral fee if you sign up — you pay nothing extra.
Business bank account
Reader offerTide Business Account
£200 free cash
£75 when you complete £100 of card transactions within 30 days, plus a further £125 when you deposit £5,000 within 7 days. No credit check, open in 5 minutes.
REFER200Business credit card
Reader offerCapital on Tap business credit card
7,500 free points
Get 7,500 points (worth £75) when you complete your first card transaction within 30 days. 1% uncapped cashback. Up to £250k credit limit.
SETTINGUP18+, UK residents only. Offers are subject to each provider's terms. Tide: £75 paid after completing £100 of card transactions within 30 days of opening, plus a further £125 paid after depositing £5,000 within 7 days (total £200, code REFER200). Capital on Tap: 7,500 points (≈ £75) after first card transaction within 30 days; credit subject to status. We may receive a commission if you sign up — it doesn't change the offer to you.