For entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and small business owners
The resources worth your time.
Tools, books, podcasts, networking groups and other resources as we find them. A short, honest directory to help you run a better business, chosen by Nicola Cairncross, who has run businesses herself. UK-focused, with real prices, dated and sourced.
Tools
Start here
Best Making Tax Digital software for UK sole traders (2026)
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax reaches sole traders with qualifying income over £30,000 from 6 April 2027, and over £20,000 from 6 April 2028 (GOV.UK). Seven HMRC-recognised options compared, with prices as of 21 October 2026.
Coming next
More honest tool guides
One careful page at a time: banking, invoicing, email and the simple tech stack a one-person business actually needs. Each with real UK prices and the date.
Books
The shelf starts with Nicola’s own book, A Better Entrepreneur, then the classics every business owner should know, each with one line on why it’s there.
Podcasts
A Better Entrepreneur Podcast
Nicola Cairncross
Nicola’s own show: practical, honest ideas for running a better business, from the author of A Better Entrepreneur.
The Diary of a CEO
Steven Bartlett
The hugely popular UK show: long, candid conversations with founders and experts about building a business, and a life.
The Bottom Line
Evan Davis, BBC Radio 4
Plain-English UK business conversations with bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, every week.
How I Built This
Guy Raz
Founders tell the real story of how their companies started, wobbles and all. Good for perspective on a bad week.
Smart Passive Income
Pat Flynn
Practical, transparent advice on building an online business, from a long-running show aimed at solo founders.
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss
In-depth interviews with top performers, picking apart the habits, routines and tools they actually use.
Entrepreneurs on Fire
John Lee Dumas
Interviews with entrepreneurs about their biggest failures and the lessons they took from them.
Networking groups
The Digital Entrepreneurs Circle
Nicola’s own community for entrepreneurs who want to use digital and AI tools well. NicolaCairnX.com
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
The UK membership body for small businesses and the self-employed, with local events and member support. fsb.org.uk
BNI
Weekly referral-networking chapters across the UK, built around members passing each other business. bni.co.uk
Your local Chamber of Commerce
Business support and networking events near you, through the British Chambers of Commerce network. britishchambers.org.uk
Enterprise Nation
A UK community of small businesses and advisers, with events and support for starting and growing. enterprisenation.com
Quotes
From Nicola’s book
“You must take 100% responsibility for your results. When you do, magical things will happen, mentors will appear & invisible doors will open.”
“People buy from people they know, like and trust and creating content can make that easier than you can imagine.”
“Successful people like to pay it forward, it’s good karma for them too.”
“Don’t be attached to the outcome, or bind your ego up in your success or failure. Every outcome of every experiment in the business journey is simply information.”
“Sometimes in life an opportunity meets your previous preparation and fires off into the biggest opportunity of your life. Some call this luck.”
Classic quotes
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
“No business plan survives first contact with customers.”
More resources
Coming soon: templates, guides and groups we find useful.
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