Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on Business Handbook are affiliate links. This page explains what that means, how it works, and — most importantly — how it does and doesn't affect the content we publish.
Last updated: June 2026
The Short Version
Some links on this site are affiliate links — if you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products and services we believe are genuinely useful to UK business owners. Affiliate relationships never influence our editorial content or recommendations. Our editorial team is independent of our commercial team.
Understanding Affiliate Links
An affiliate link is a specially tracked web link. When you click an affiliate link on Business Handbook and go on to make a purchase or sign up for a service, the company you've purchased from pays us a small commission or referral fee. This is how affiliate marketing works across most of the internet.
The link itself works in exactly the same way as any other link — it takes you to the same page, the same product, and the same price. The only difference is that the URL contains a tracking code that tells the company you arrived via Business Handbook, so they know to credit us with the referral.
Affiliate links are a standard and widely used way for content websites to earn revenue. They are used by national newspapers, consumer advice organisations, comparison websites and thousands of independent publishers across the UK.
Business Handbook is required by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to disclose when content contains affiliate links. We take this obligation seriously, and we go further than the minimum requirement by explaining clearly how our affiliate relationships work and how they do — and don't — affect our content.
How Our Affiliate Partnerships Work
When Business Handbook has an affiliate relationship with a company, we include a tracked link to that company's website in relevant content. If a reader clicks that link and completes a qualifying action — typically making a purchase or signing up for a service — we receive a commission from the company.
Commission rates vary by company and product type. Some affiliate programmes pay a flat fee per referral; others pay a percentage of the sale value; others pay a recurring commission for subscription products. The specific terms of each affiliate relationship are between Business Handbook and the relevant company.
We join affiliate programmes through direct relationships with companies and through affiliate networks — platforms that connect publishers like Business Handbook with companies that run affiliate programmes. Common affiliate networks include Awin, CJ Affiliate, Impact and Partnerstack.
Not all links on Business Handbook are affiliate links. Many links — including links to HMRC, Companies House, legislation.gov.uk, ACAS and other government or regulatory sources — are standard links with no commercial relationship attached. We link to these sources because they are authoritative and useful, not because we earn anything from them.
It Costs You Nothing Extra
Using an affiliate link on Business Handbook does not cost you anything extra. The price you pay for a product or service is exactly the same whether you arrive via an affiliate link or by typing the company's web address directly into your browser.
In some cases, affiliate links may actually save you money. Companies occasionally offer exclusive discounts or promotional rates to visitors who arrive via specific affiliate partners. Where this is the case, we will say so clearly.
The commission we receive comes from the company's marketing budget — it is a cost to them, not to you. It is the equivalent of a company paying for advertising, except that instead of paying for an advert that may or may not reach the right audience, they pay only when a referral actually results in a sale or sign-up.
You are never under any obligation to use an affiliate link. If you prefer to go directly to a company's website, that is entirely your choice and we respect it. Our goal is to help you find the right product or service for your business — not to push you towards a particular provider because of the commission it pays.
We Recommend What We Believe In
Our recommendations are based on relevance and usefulness to UK small business owners — not on commission rates. We would rather recommend a product that pays a lower commission and is genuinely the best option for our readers than recommend a higher-paying alternative that isn't as good.
Before we recommend any product or service, we assess it against a set of editorial criteria: Is it genuinely useful to UK small business owners? Is it competitively priced? Is the provider reputable? Does it do what it claims to do? Only products and services that meet these criteria are recommended in our content.
We do not accept payment to write positive reviews. If we have concerns about a product or service, we say so — regardless of whether we have an affiliate relationship with the provider. A positive affiliate relationship does not guarantee a positive editorial assessment.
We also do not suppress information about competitors simply because we have an affiliate relationship with a rival. If a competitor offers a better product for a particular use case, we will say so. Our readers' interests come first.
We regularly review the products and services we recommend to make sure they remain the best options available. If a product deteriorates in quality, increases its prices significantly, or receives consistently poor user reviews, we will update our recommendations accordingly — even if this means losing affiliate income.
Commercial Relationships Do Not Influence Our Content
Business Handbook's editorial team operates independently of our commercial relationships. The people who write and review our content are not involved in negotiating or managing affiliate partnerships, and our commercial team does not have editorial control over what we publish.
Affiliate income does not determine which topics we cover, how we structure our content, or what conclusions we reach. We cover topics because they are useful to our readers — not because covering them creates an opportunity to earn affiliate commission.
We do not allow affiliate partners to review, approve or amend our content before publication. Partners may provide factual information about their products and services, but they do not have editorial input into how that information is presented or what context surrounds it.
Occasionally we publish sponsored content — articles or guides that are paid for by a third party. Sponsored content is always clearly labelled as "Sponsored" or "In partnership with [Company Name]" at the top of the page. Sponsors do not have editorial control over the content of sponsored articles, and sponsored content is subject to the same accuracy and plain-English standards as all other Business Handbook content.
If you ever feel that our editorial independence has been compromised, or if you have concerns about a specific recommendation, please contact us at [email protected]. We take these concerns seriously.
How Affiliate Income Keeps Business Handbook Free
Producing accurate, up-to-date, plain-English business guidance is expensive. It requires writers with relevant expertise, qualified professional reviewers, ongoing research to track changes in legislation and HMRC guidance, and the technical infrastructure to deliver content reliably.
Affiliate income — alongside membership subscriptions — is one of the ways Business Handbook funds this work. Without it, we would not be able to offer the volume of free content we currently provide, keep it as current as we do, or invest in the quality of professional review that our accuracy standards require.
We are transparent about this because we believe our readers deserve to understand the economics of the content they rely on. We are not embarrassed about earning affiliate income — we think it is a fair and reasonable way to fund a resource that genuinely helps people. But we also think it is important that you know about it so you can factor it into how you use our recommendations.
Our goal is to be a resource you can trust. That means being honest about how we make money, being clear about when links are affiliate links, and never letting commercial considerations compromise the quality or integrity of our content.
The Types Of Products We May Have Affiliate Relationships With
Business Handbook covers a wide range of topics relevant to UK business owners. Across these topics, we may have affiliate relationships with providers in the following categories. This is not an exhaustive list — it reflects the areas where affiliate relationships are most common in UK business content.
In all cases, our editorial assessment of a product or service is independent of whether we have an affiliate relationship with the provider. We may recommend products in these categories that we do not have affiliate relationships with, and we may have affiliate relationships with providers we do not actively recommend in our content.
Accounting & Bookkeeping Software
Cloud-based accounting tools that help sole traders and small businesses manage invoicing, expenses and tax returns.
Business Banking
UK business bank accounts and challenger banks designed for sole traders, freelancers and limited companies.
Legal Document Services
Online platforms that provide UK-specific business contracts, employment agreements, terms and conditions and other legal documents.
Business Insurance
Providers of public liability, professional indemnity, employers' liability and other business insurance products relevant to UK small businesses.
Payroll & HR Software
Tools that help small employers manage payroll, auto-enrolment, employee records and HR compliance.
Website & E-commerce Platforms
Website builders, e-commerce platforms and domain registrars suitable for UK small businesses setting up online.
Business Finance & Funding
Business loan comparison services, invoice finance providers and other funding platforms relevant to UK SMEs.
Professional Services
Accountant and solicitor directories, company formation agents and other professional services used by UK business owners.
Our Affiliate Commitments At A Glance
A summary of how we handle affiliate relationships and what that means for you.
Affiliate links are clearly labelled in our content
Affiliate links never cost you more — the price is always the same
Recommendations are based on usefulness, not commission rates
Editorial content is independent of commercial relationships
We do not accept payment to write positive reviews
We recommend competitors even when we have affiliate relationships with rivals
Sponsored content is always clearly labelled as such
Affiliate income helps fund free content for UK business owners
Questions or concerns? Contact [email protected]
See also: Editorial Standards · Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · About Us
[email protected]Questions About Our Commercial Relationships?
If you have a question about a specific recommendation, want to understand whether a particular link is an affiliate link, or have concerns about our editorial independence, please get in touch. We're happy to explain.