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Need to do a presentation on the fly? Want to keep an eye on your web stats on the move? These 5 essential business apps will help you run your business from your back pocket.

App: Analytics App
Company: Inblosa
Price: £4.99
Device: iPhone
Keeping tabs on traffic to your site shouldn't be a desk-only job.The best desktop tool is Google Analytics, and for the iPhone there's Analytics App. The app, made by Inblosam, gives you access to awide range of Google Analytics reports on your iPhone.
App: mbPointer
Company: Haw-Yuan Yang
Price: £1.99
Device: iPhone and iPad
You can make your iPhone or iPad double as a PowerPointpresentation pointer during your next great pitch or slide show. mbPointer works with Microsoft PowerPoint whether you're on aMac or a Windows XP/Vista PC.
App: SmartNotes 2
Company: Left Coast Logic
Price: £6.99
Device: iPhone and iPadOrganise your ideas intuitively using drag-and-drop 'stickies'.
You can drag any notes on top of another to create a new folderand attach photos or voice recordings to any note.
App: Expensify
Company: Expensify Inc.
Price: Varies
Device: iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry
This app takes the stress out of the dreaded expense report, allowing you to track your expenses, snap photos of receiptsand create an expense report on the go.
App: Cab4Me
Company: Skycoders
Price: Varies
Device: iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry
Have a taxi at your door hail-free by simply typing in yourlocation or an address from your contact list to get a rosterof taxi companies serving your specific area.

Easier business on the move with Sage 50 Accounts Mobile*
Sage 50 Accounts Mobile will give you instant, live access to key accounts data from your Sage 50 Accounts 2012 software wherever you are. Whether it's a quick update on profit and loss, or a reminder of customer details and previous orders, you can stay up to date, keep synchronised and save valuable time.

To find out more about the new Sage 50 Accounts app for iPhone and Blackberry visit www.sage.co.uk/sage50mobile

Raising finance is a hurdle all SMEs face at some stage. As tougher lending restrictions take hold, businesses need to get smarter.

Phil McCabe, of the Forum of Private Business (FPB), says a greater number of restrictions are being put in place, making it more difficult for small businesses to raise finance. "Business owners need to get smarter when they're applying for loans. They need to make sure they have business plans in place and all the paperwork that finance companies want."

Stay smart

Huw Morgan, head of business banking for SMEs at HSBC Commercial Banking UK, agrees. He says "We are looking to support firms with good cash flow management, a strong balance sheet, a sound business plan, a well-balanced management team, a good business record, and who are looking to develop and grow."

Neil Mackay of Advantage Business Angels says it's important to "put some real effort into preparing a business plan: not a consultant template driven one but a well thought out document. Particular emphasis should be placed on sales and the plan should be less than 10 pages of A4."

Know the rules

When it comes to raising finance there are a number of legal issues to consider. Joe Bedford, partner in the corporate department at Stevens & Bolton LLP, says when small business owners are raising either debt or equity finance, legal issues to look out for include the use of standard documents by debt providers, requirements for personal guarantees or other security, and the setting of achievable and clearly understood financial covenants.

"When raising equity finance small business owners need to comply with the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000," Joe says. It is also important that small business owners are clear at the outset as regards any strings attached to the finance that find their way into documentation. A detailed term sheet provided early on in the process should, but won’t always, highlight any snags.

There may be grants available to assist your business too, as well as private finance. To find out more visit: www.businesslink.gov.uk

How do you deal with financial year end? We asked leading business individuals to share their top tips for negotiating the period successfully with as little stress as possible. Hover over the names below for their expert advice.

Mike Wilmot BSc (Hons) FCA, Finance Director, Parkdean Holidays

The key to a successful financial year end is effective planning in advance:

• Work backwards from your important deadlines - for instance stock take, shareholder, banking and audit deadlines
• Reflect on last year’s year end process and audit report - what could be improved?
• Do a mini year end for month 11 and try tidying up/reconciling items prior to the year end
• Prepare a forecast in advance so you have a good vision of what your full year trading performance will look like
• Ensure the finance team and wider business is briefed and motivated, ensure time is allocated appropriately and ensure communication of progress is effective
• Prepare quality files for the auditors and the tax team to minimise their time (saving fees and reducing distractions within the business)

Caroline Thurston, Management Accountant, Tyco Thermal Controls UK Limited "This may sound obvious but really it’s about Planning! Preparation! Timing! Don’t leave it until the last minute."

David Bailey, UK Region Financial Controller, Formica Ltd "It is important to ensure that all balance sheet accounts are regularly reconciled and actions/reasons for all outstanding items are documented and duly followed up. The reconciliations should be reviewed by a more senior person to ensure good practice is being adhered to."

Mark Palmer, Director, Green & Black's Chocolate "....little can be done about year end when you get to the year end. The key is clear visibility of numbers and reporting along the way, ideally on a weekly basis so management can make quality decisions in real time. On top of this consider a year end countdown, perhaps 12 weeks before, to focus the business on doing everything it can from tightening expenditure, reducingdebtor days and clinching every last order."

Further reading... Download our guide Forecasting Sales

The Pensions Bill in January 2011 has removed any lingering doubt about whether auto-enrolment is happening. With only 12 months to go, being ready to comply before its introduction on 1 October 2012 is vital for all businesses in the UK. This overview will help you understand your duties as an employer.

What is auto-enrolment?

Auto-enrolment will mean qualifying employees will need to be automatically enrolled into a pension scheme without any active decision on their part. At present, many workers fail to take up valuable pension benefits because they do not make an application to join their employer's scheme. Auto-enrolment is meant to overcome this and all eligible workers will have to be auto-enrolled into a qualifying pension scheme. Employers can choose the scheme they use, which could include the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) or Sage Pensions (provided by mercer-elect) - pension plans designed exclusively for smaller businesses. The scheme must provide auto-enrolment for all eligible workers and all new workers when they become eligible. Each qualifying scheme must meet minimum standards in respect of the choice of investment fund and the level of contributions.

The timings

The new employer duties are planned to start from 1 October 2012, however they will be staged over 4 years so the process can be managed more effectively and smaller businesses have time to prepare.

The Pension Regulator will write to all employers around 12 months before their staging date so that they know when they have to automatically enrol their employees. Then three months before the employer’s staging date the Regulator will write again to remind them of the new duties and theneed to register.

The UK's largest employers will be affected first and will need to be compliant by October 2012. However, smaller organisations have more time.

For businesses with under 250 employees the staging dates will fall over the period from 2014 to 2016. Many businesses are looking to implement qualifying plans sooner, recognising how positively early adoption is likely to be received by their workforce as well as avoiding the anticipated deluge around the staging dates and helping them to control costs by phasing in the contributions.

To find out more about pensions and other employee benefits call the dedicated specialists at our chosen partner, mercer-elect, on 0800 121 6850.

How to get from 1000's of applicants to the final candidate.

Finding the right person for a role is more time consuming than ever. With so many job seekers in the market employers are sometimes overwhelmed by the number of potential candidates. Maggie Pavlou of Belver North HR Consultants, has put together 10 simple steps to help you perfect your screening process.

1. Log, number and make summary notes of ALL applications received
2. Review/grade in bulk against pre-set criteria (however you don't need to wait until the closing date to start this process)
3. Immediately after the closing date, review the final list and reject altogether any definite 'no's' immediately - that way you are never tempted to revisit them
4. Paper sift the remaining candidates against your pre-set criteria - selecting a 'long list' of no more than 7-9 per position - use a scoring matrix
5. Review your 'long list' and invite those selected to a first stage interview - look at areas where the candidate could add value from the information available
6. First stage interviews: group interviews are a great way of speeding up a process and can look really professional when conducted correctly
7. Reduce your 'long list' to a 'shortlist' of 4-5 appointable candidates (only include people here that you genuinely believe could do the job and that would suit your culture)
8. One to one interview your shortlist
9. If you shortlist two candidates consider work based 'trial' to help you decide
10. Appoint, subject to references and probationary period

Once you've found the right candidate, feel confident your HR procedures are legally compliant and all your employee information is securely stored in one place with Sage 50 HR.

Are small businesses ready for Real Time Information?
Real Time Information (RTI) is a new system aimed at improving the operation of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) by collecting information from employers more often and more efficiently.

However, new research has revealed that the majority of UK SMEs are not ready for the upcoming changes. Sage UK examined 1,100 small businesses and found that 76% admitted that they were completely unaware that any changes were due to be made to PAYE.

What is RTI?
The PAYE system has remained pretty much unchanged since it was introduced in 1944 and in 2012 it celebrates its 68th birthday. It is the method used by employees to pay Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC). Employers deduct payments from employees' pay each week or month. The reason it has remained unchanged during the last 68 years is that for the majority of employers and employees it works. However it is prone to fraud and this makes it difficult for HMRC to identify errors and help customers (employers and employees) resolve problems quickly and efficiently. Under the HMRC RTI system, employers would be required to send data about PAYE, NIC and student loans with their regular payroll submission, rather than with their end-of-year tax return. HMRC hopesthat RTI will help them to operate more efficiently and accurately.

Why is HMRC introducing Real Time Information?
The introduction of RTI will enable HMRC to respond more efficiently to errors and will improve the accuracy of PAYE, reducing the need to send out corrections for overpayment or underpayment and reducing opportunities for fraud.

What does it mean to small businesses?
Instead of sending information once a year at Payroll Year End, employers will be required to submit information electronically to HMRC for PAYE, NIC and student loans etc. every time they pay their employees.

When does it come into effect?
RTI will be phased in from April 2013 (starting with large employers down through medium to small) and will become mandatory for allemployers by October 2013.

What should employers do to find out more about Real Time Information?
Our advice to any business that wants to find out more about this reform, would be to ask their payroll provider. Sage will be ensuring that its customers are made aware of their obligations and will be providing ongoing help, support and guidance in the run up to and introduction of Real Time Information.

How will Sage ensure compliance with Real Time Information?
In April 2012, Sage and a number of our customers are participatingin an HMRC pilot to test the infrastructure and process of Real TimeInformation before it goes live in April 2013.

Sage will ensure that all customers with a SageCover contract receive access to an updated version of their Sage Payroll software that includes the ability to submit Real Time Information electronically to HMRC using the existing proven Sage Internet Submission technology.