Planning
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
Promotions are independently checked against provider terms. We may receive a referral fee if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
Business banking
Reader offerTide Business Account
Up to £200 cash
£75 after at least £100 of eligible Tide card transactions in 30 days, plus £125 when the separate Tide Instant Saver milestone is met.
REFER200New customers only. Terms, eligibility and payment timing apply.
Business credit card
Reader offerCapital on Tap Business Credit Card
7,500 bonus points
7,500 bonus points after a completed qualifying card or cash transaction in the three months after approval, subject to Capital on Tap’s current partner terms.
SETTINGUP18+, UK-resident qualifying company applicants. Credit subject to status and affordability.
18+ and UK requirements apply. Tide: £75 after at least £100 of eligible Tide card transactions in 30 days, plus £125 when the separate Tide Instant Saver milestone is met. New customers only. Terms, eligibility and payment timing apply. Capital on Tap: 7,500 bonus points after a completed qualifying card or cash transaction in the three months after approval, subject to Capital on Tap’s current partner terms. 18+, UK-resident qualifying company applicants. Credit subject to status and affordability. We may receive a commission if you sign up; it does not change the provider’s offer or pricing.