What is the Small Business Toolbox?

The Small Business Toolbox is a YouTube channel and website aimed at explaining some of the most basic concepts surrounding running a small business in the UK. From how to become self employed through to why you might want to set up as a limited company. A lot of people come out of school not understanding even the most basic concepts of self employment. The aim of this site is to explain all of that stuff.

What does membership give me?

Membership of the Small Business Toolbox website allows you to directly support this independent website and YouTube channel. Membership is an alternative to more traditional crowdfunding sites such as Patreon. As a thank you for this you’ll get access to loads of useful downloadable spreadsheet templates and more. We really want to keep this website as independent as possible and your support as a member helps us to do this. Thank you for your awesome support!

I’m a member and can’t see the exclusive content?

Member-only downloads are embedded within the relevant articles on this website. For example, downloadable invoice templates are on this page. You can also visit this page to see all downloadable content on a single page. If you’ve logged in and it’s still showing as ‘locked’ try pressing F5 to refresh the page. If that doesn’t work please let us know.

Who is Andy Mac?

I’m Andy MacLellan but everyone calls me Andy Mac. I’ve been working with the small business community since 1996. In that time I’ve set up and managed a number of successful businesses. I’ve filled in more tax returns than I care to remember, I’ve worked with a wide range of accountants and legal professionals, and have been subjected to just about every audit going. My aim on this website is to share with you some of my experiences from over the last 20+ years. Nothing fancy – just stuff I think you should have learned at school.

Can you give me tax and accountancy advice?

Sorry but I’m not qualified in any way to give you tax or accountancy advice. If you send me an e-mail asking specific tax or accounting questions then I’m afraid you’re very unlikely to get a reply. There are lots of good accountancy forums out there such as the UK Business Forums, Money Saving Expert Forums and the Taxation Web. You can also post questions in the comments of my YouTube videos.

The content on here is designed to give you enough information about the basics so that you can ask your accountant the right questions. Lighting the blue touch paper so to speak. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – always get a good accountant. They’re worth their weight in gold.

Do you storage my credit card details?

No. We have no visibility of your complete credit card number or security details. Recurring subscriptions are securely handled via Stripe or PayPal.

How do I cancel my membership on this site?

You have complete control over your membership on this site. Hit ‘My Account’ in the top right (or bottom of the page) and click ‘Cancel’ in the ‘My Memberships’ section.

As an absolute last resort you can also carry out a manual cancellation via your credit card company. There’s more information about how to do this in the Terms and Conditions. Any problems don’t hesitate to get in touch.

How is this website funded?

The Small Business Toolbox website and YouTube channel are completely independent. By that I mean we’re not owned by an accountancy organisation, bank or global conglomerate. We’re not tied in to sponsorships that bias our opinions. Myself and Mrs Mac are just a husband and wife team. We put together honest content based on our direct experiences and hopefully you’ll find this useful. If we find a product we like we make a small amount of commission if you use our affiliate links. This is the fairest way of funding the internet since it doesn’t cost you a penny extra and we’re only paid if you actually buy the product.

If we find a product no longer meets our expectations we can stop recommending them at any time. This is different to sponsorship agreements where we’d be tied in to a contract for several years. Let’s say an accountancy firm sponsors one of our videos and we then find out 6 months down the line that their product is rubbish. We wouldn’t be allowed to delete that video off our channel since the sponsorship agreement would invariably force us to leave it there for at least 2-3 years. We try to avoid this and that’s why the affiliate model is better for everyone.

You can also become a direct supporter of this site through membership (explained above). Our aim has always been to be independent and impartial. If you don’t think we are or your experiences differ from ours then please get in touch. Thank you so much for your support and we hope you enjoy the content!

Andy Mac x