takepayments blog.

Running a business can be hard work, with lots of plates to spin. To help you be more efficient, we've put together these 6 top tips: The best way for you to stay on track is by simply writing down exactly what you need to do for that day. 

Let’s be honest, unless you’re a restauranteur, the idea of offering a table service option in your hospitality business probably wasn’t on your radar until the crazy events of 2020 unfolded.  There’s no point reminiscing on the good old days when you could get within two-metres of a customer without panicking about the repercussions, we are where we are and businesses wanting to remain competitive, not to mention above board, need to keep up to thrive.

Buckle in for our nine steps to prepping for a killer Christmas. As every small business owner knows all too well, Christmas is a spending frenzy - in fact, last year Brits spent a staggering £26.9 billion on gifts, that’s an eye-watering average spend of £513 per person.

While many Brits, us included, had hoped we’d have waved goodbye to the C-word before Christmas, it’s now clear that won’t be the case and businesses up and down the country are battening down the hatches and worrying what it might mean for their future. In some parts of England, the current state of affairs is tougher than others with local lockdowns in place for regions where the number of cases is higher than average, and for business owners within these zones it’s turning into a make or break situation.

A day in the life of a small business owner can be long and tiring. You have payments to chase, clients to impress and a ton of other stuff that can come at a moment’s notice. This was never designed to be easy which is what makes it so rewarding. It makes downtime so important. You should enjoy your leisure time doing things you enjoy. But, you might actually find that downtime (when you aren’t under pressure) can be the time where real ideas can filter through. We think, as well as doing things you enjoy, you should also be attempting to engage your mind by watching (some) documentaries. With so much on the telly and a plethora of streaming options (Netflix and Amazon Prime) available, you might find that you are spending more time choosing than you do watching - a real first world problem right. But fear not. At takepayments, we are here once again to save you from this dilemma of ‘too much choice’ with some of our favourite documentaries which make great viewing for enjoyment and maybe for ideas as well.