<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>SME Brief</title><description>SME Brief is an independent publication for UK small and medium businesses — original demand data, practical operations and marketing guidance, and analysis you can act on.</description><link>https://www.smebrief.co.uk/</link><language>en-gb</language><item><title>How much should a sole trader set aside for tax?</title><link>https://www.smebrief.co.uk/sole-trader-tax-set-aside/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.smebrief.co.uk/sole-trader-tax-set-aside/</guid><description>A worked 2026/27 guide for the newly self-employed: roughly what share of profit to pot each month, the exact HMRC dates, and the first-year payment trap that catches people out.</description><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><category>cashflow-finance</category><category>tax</category><category>sole traders</category><category>self-employment</category><category>cashflow</category></item><item><title>Price the job, not the day rate</title><link>https://www.smebrief.co.uk/price-the-job-not-the-day-rate/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.smebrief.co.uk/price-the-job-not-the-day-rate/</guid><description>Day rates quietly cap what you earn. Build a price up from materials, your real billable hours, and a margin that survives tax — with the one number most trades get wrong.</description><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><category>trades-services</category><category>pricing</category><category>quoting</category><category>trades</category><category>margin</category></item><item><title>UK SME Service Demand Index — May 2026</title><link>https://www.smebrief.co.uk/uk-sme-service-demand-index-may-2026/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.smebrief.co.uk/uk-sme-service-demand-index-may-2026/</guid><description>Our monthly read on where UK small-business service demand is heading, drawn from live enquiry data across drainage, waste, cleaning and trades.</description><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><category>data-reports</category><category>demand index</category><category>uk economy</category><category>trades</category><category>data</category></item><item><title>Quoting jobs: why your win rate has less to do with price than you think</title><link>https://www.smebrief.co.uk/quoting-jobs-win-rate-price/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.smebrief.co.uk/quoting-jobs-win-rate-price/</guid><description>Fast, clear quotes win more work than cheap ones. A practical look at what actually moves quote-to-job conversion for UK service firms.</description><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><category>trades-services</category><category>quoting</category><category>conversion</category><category>field service</category></item><item><title>The local SEO basics most UK small firms still get wrong</title><link>https://www.smebrief.co.uk/local-seo-basics-uk-small-firms/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.smebrief.co.uk/local-seo-basics-uk-small-firms/</guid><description>A no-nonsense checklist for getting found in local search — the handful of things that actually move the needle for small UK businesses.</description><pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><category>marketing-growth</category><category>local seo</category><category>google business profile</category><category>marketing</category></item></channel></rss>