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7 articles
A departing employee can leave with more than a laptop bag. Fobs, keys and alarm codes are access assets that need a controlled return process. This guide sets out a practical register, revocation checklist and landlord coordination routine for UK SMEs.
A lightweight conflict-of-interest protocol for small UK boards without a company secretary or separate secretariat. It covers what to record in a register, how to run declarations, related-party decision rules, minute wording and the annual review that keeps the record credible.
When the founder is away, small decisions can stall and large ones can be made by default. A delegated authority matrix sets out who can approve spend, sign contracts, authorise payments and instruct advisers, giving a ten-person SME speed without losing control.
Standard operating procedures are often treated as training material. They are better understood as evidence of the board's internal control system. This article argues for named owners, controlled versions, risk-register links and a board-level index.
Most SMEs have no procurement function, no supply chain analyst and no contract register — yet they still need a rehearsed response when a critical vendor enters insolvency. This ten-step framework sets out who decides, what to secure first and how to record the event, so the reaction is agreed in advance rather than improvised on the morning the deliveries stop.
Owner-managed companies often rely on ad hoc management meetings that leave decisions poorly recorded and lenders without a clear narrative. A four-page monthly board pack can impose useful discipline without importing corporate bureaucracy.
A practical governance MOT for UK SMEs as 2026 closes. The checklist covers statutory filings, director duties, conflicts, shareholder agreements, delegated authority and decision trails, with red flags and simple fixes for a single planning session.