Duport

Duport Helping sole traders, limited companies and small businesses get started and grow since 1997.

Company formation, registered office addresses, domains, websites and friendly business advice, all in one place.

Ever heard of a professional bridesmaid? 👰🎩It's a real job, and a brilliantly bizarre one at that.People actually hire s...
20/06/2026

Ever heard of a professional bridesmaid? 👰🎩

It's a real job, and a brilliantly bizarre one at that.

People actually hire someone to help coordinate the big day, keep the peace between family members, and make sure the bride stays calm and sane from start to finish. Think of it as a wedding PA with a bouquet.

And the money? Professional bridesmaids can earn anywhere from £300 to £1,000+ per wedding. Not bad for a weekend's work!

If this sounds like your kind of thing, swipe through to find out more, and if you fancy making it official, we can help you set up as a sole trader or limited company in just a few minutes. 😊

Got a brilliantly bizarre business idea of your own? Drop it in the comments, we'd love to feature it!

Do you need an accountant to file your Self Assessment?Honest answer, not always. HMRC's online system is pretty straigh...
18/06/2026

Do you need an accountant to file your Self Assessment?
Honest answer, not always.

HMRC's online system is pretty straightforward, and plenty of sole traders file their own return every year without any issues.

If your income is simple and comes from one place, doing it yourself is often perfectly fine.

But there are times when having an accountant in your corner is genuinely worth it:
You have income coming in from more than one source

- You're a company director as well as a sole trader
- You're not confident about what you can and can't claim as expenses
- You just want someone else to deal with it so you can get on with running your business

That last one is more common than you'd think, the peace of mind alone is worth it for a lot of people.

For some people with a simple setup, filing their own return works well, but everyone's situation is different

Have you ever filed your own Self Assessment, or do you use an accountant? We'd love to hear how you find it 👇

If you run a limited company and pay yourself through dividends, your first £500 of dividend income each year is complet...
16/06/2026

If you run a limited company and pay yourself through dividends, your first £500 of dividend income each year is completely tax-free.

On top of that, most directors can also take advantage of the £12,570 personal allowance, meaning you could earn up to £13,070 completely tax-free when you combine the two.

After that, the tax rate you pay depends on your overall income.
The rates have increased slightly this tax year, (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027)
Basic rate taxpayer - 10.75% (up from 8.75%)
Higher rate taxpayer - 35.75% (up from 33.75%)
Additional rate taxpayer - 39.35% (unchanged)

Even with these increases, dividend tax rates are still considerably lower than standard income tax rates, which is why so many directors choose to pay themselves a small salary topped up with dividends. It's one of the genuine advantages of running a limited company.

Worth a chat with your accountant if you haven't already reviewed how you're paying yourself this tax year it could still make a real difference.

Did you know this when you first set up your company? Let us know in the comments 👇

Nobody really talks about this part of running a business.You can be busy all day with emails, clients, deadlines, decis...
12/06/2026

Nobody really talks about this part of running a business.

You can be busy all day with emails, clients, deadlines, decisions and still finish the day feeling completely isolated.

Sometimes there's no office to walk into, no colleague to grab a coffee with, no one to have a moan to when something goes wrong.

And on top of that, you're wearing every hat!

You're the accountant, the salesperson, the marketing department, the IT support, and the person who remembers to order more printer paper. It's a lot for one person to carry.

When you work for yourself, the wins are all yours. But so is everything else.
The worry at 2am.
The uncertainty.
The days where you're not sure if you're doing the right thing.

The good news is there are things that actually help.

Seek out other business owners.
Whether that's a local networking group, an online community, or just connecting with people in the same boat on social media, talking to someone who genuinely understands what your day looks like makes a real difference.

You don't need hundreds of connections, just a few people who get it.

Some things worth trying if you're feeling it:
Find a local business networking group, most areas have free or low cost meetups and the people there are usually in exactly the same position as you.

Look for online communities, there are some brilliant Facebook groups and forums for UK small business owners where people share advice, wins, and the hard days too.

Reach out to someone you admire, drop a genuine message to another business owner whose work you respect. Most people are far more open to a conversation than you'd think.

If that sounds familiar, you're not alone, even though it really can feel that way sometimes.

Drop a 💙 below if you've felt this. And if you're having one of those days, feel free to say so in the comments. Sometimes just saying it out loud helps.

If you run a small business, GDPR applies to you, and it doesn't matter how small you are.A lot of sole traders and sma...
10/06/2026

If you run a small business, GDPR applies to you, and it doesn't matter how small you are.

A lot of sole traders and small business owners think GDPR is something only big companies need to worry about. It isn't. If you collect, store, or use anyone's personal data in any way, the rules apply to you.

That could be as simple as keeping a spreadsheet of client details, sending a newsletter, taking bookings that include names and email addresses, or having a contact form on your website. All of that counts.

The good news is that getting it right for a small business usually comes down to a few simple basics.

Comment CHECKLIST below and I'll share a free checklist to help you work through it 👇

Does GDPR feel like a headache or have you already got it sorted?

Most limited company directors pay themselves through a combination of a small salary and dividends.It’s not a loophole....
05/06/2026

Most limited company directors pay themselves through a combination of a small salary and dividends.

It’s not a loophole. It’s not a grey area. It’s a perfectly legal and widely used way of taking income from your company.

Typically, the salary is kept at a level that helps maintain your National Insurance record for benefits such as the State Pension, without creating unnecessary tax or National Insurance costs.

The rest is taken as dividends. Unlike salary, dividends are usually taxed at lower rates and are not subject to National Insurance, which can make a significant difference to how much of your profits you actually keep.

That said, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The most tax-efficient salary and dividend split depends on your personal circumstances, any other income you receive, and your company's profits.

If you've recently started a limited company and nobody has explained this to you, it's worth finding out whether you're paying yourself in the most efficient way possible. A quick conversation with an accountant could save you far more than it costs.

Did you already know about the salary and dividend strategy, or was this news to you? Let us know in the comments 👇

Happy Global Parents Day to every small business owner who's ever said "just five more minutes", and meant it at least t...
01/06/2026

Happy Global Parents Day to every small business owner who's ever said "just five more minutes", and meant it at least ten times before actually stopping.

Your kids have heard it. Your dog has definitely heard it. Probably the cat too if you have one.

Whether your family is a house full of children, a very patient partner, a dog glued to your side while you work, or all of the above, today is for you.

Building something of your own while showing up for the people (and pets) who matter most isn't easy. But you're doing it, and that's worth celebrating.

Happy Global Parents Day from all of us at Duport 💙

Drop a comment and tell us, who's your biggest supporter at home? Two legs or four?

Yes, sole traders pay National Insurance, and there are two types that work very differently from each other.Class 2 is ...
29/05/2026

Yes, sole traders pay National Insurance, and there are two types that work very differently from each other.

Class 2 is a flat rate of £3.65 a week for 2026/27.
If your profits are £7,105 or more a year, Class 2 is automatically treated as paid, so your State Pension record is protected without you having to do or pay anything.

If your profits are below £7,105 you don't have to pay it, but you can choose to pay the £3.65 a week voluntarily if you want to protect your State Pension record.

Class 4 is based on your profits and works on a tiered system.
You pay nothing up to £12,570, then 6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% on anything above that. It gets calculated automatically through your Self Assessment return alongside your Income Tax so there's nothing separate to file.

Both get sorted when you file your Self Assessment so HMRC does the maths for you.

Did you know there were two different types when you first started out? Drop a comment below 👇

Here's something that catches a lot of small business owners out, and it's an easy mistake to make.Just because you have...
27/05/2026

Here's something that catches a lot of small business owners out, and it's an easy mistake to make.

Just because you have someone's email address doesn't mean you can add them to your mailing list.

Got their business card at a networking event? You can't add them. Found their email on LinkedIn? You can't add them. They're an existing customer? It's not quite that simple either.

Under UK GDPR and PECR (the rules that cover marketing emails specifically), sending marketing emails to private individuals without their permission is illegal.
The ICO can fine businesses up to £500,000 for getting this wrong.

Here's how it actually works:
For private individuals, including sole traders, you need clear consent before sending marketing emails. That means they've actively opted in, ticked an unticked box, filled in a signup form, that sort of thing.

There is one exception called the soft opt-in. If someone has bought from you before or enquired about a similar product or service, you can email them about similar things, as long as you gave them a clear chance to opt out when you first collected their details.

For limited companies and PLCs it's slightly different. You can email a corporate email address under legitimate interest, but you must always make it easy for them to unsubscribe.

And whatever you're sending, every single marketing email must include who you are and a clear unsubscribe option. No exceptions.

If you're not sure whether your list is compliant, the safest thing to do is ask people to opt in again. A simple "we'd love to keep in touch, click here to stay on our list" is all it takes.

Share this with a business owner who needs to see it.

25/05/2026

It's hot and it's a bank holiday! Work can wait.

If you're self-employed, give yourself permission to actually switch off today.

Rest now. Back to it tomorrow 💙

Address

2nd Floor, 5 High Street, Westbury On Trym
Bristol
BS93BY

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441179502667

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Duport posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Duport:

Shortcuts

Share

Category