takepayments blog.

Running your own business is an incredibly rewarding experience, giving you the freedom to be your own boss and shape your future. But let’s be honest — there’s a lot to keep on top of. From working out taxes to setting up payroll, the admin side of things can sometimes feel overwhelming. One of those responsibilities is business rates. And with new changes brought in from April 2025, understanding what they mean for your business is more important than ever.

As of 2024, there were 4.29 million self-employed people in the UK, which means that registering and reporting all that extra income via a Self Assessment tax return has never been more crucial. But, if you’re a small business owner submitting a Self Assessment tax return, knowing where to begin can be confusing if your business is only just finding its feet.

In 2023 alone, UK businesses lost £83.3 million to authorised push payment (APP) fraud, which is when a victim is duped into sending money to a fraudster. Whether it’s clever phishing emails, AI-powered deepfakes, or sham insurance policies, scammers' tactics are constantly evolving. While ensuring your business has the required card payment security measures is one of the best ways to protect you and your customers from fraud, prevention also means being clued up on how scammers are tricking people out of their hard-earned cash.

As a small business in the retail industry, no doubt you’re au fait with the ins and outs of accepting payments; it’s the backbone of trading, after all. But when it comes to refunds and returns, not everyone is as clued up despite the fact they’re a by-product of working in sales. With nearly one in ten (9%) of all products purchased in brick-and-mortar stores being returned, businesses need to have an efficient product refund system in place to make the exchange as streamlined as possible for all parties. As well as this, 62% of shoppers said they were more likely to shop online if they could return items in-store. This shows just how important in-store refunds are to customers and how much of an impact they can have on eCommerce overall.

While there’s no expectation to tip in the UK, 60% of Brits said they’d add gratuity if impressed by the service, and 1 in 3 people stated they were likely to tip independent businesses to show their support. Therefore, it's a good idea to learn more about tips and service charges so you don’t miss out on hard-earned money. However, as a business owner, it’s also important to know your responsibilities for distributing your tips amongst your staff.