Simple steps to smart growth in 2026

Running a small business has never required more resilience.

Rising costs, digital compliance deadlines, new expectations from customers and suppliers — it can feel like the ground is constantly shifting beneath your feet.

That’s why on 5 November, from 1–1:45pm, Sage is hosting a free webinar — Small business, big savings: Simple steps to smart growth in 2026 — alongside Smart Energy GB, Allica Bank, and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). It’s designed to give you clear, practical guidance you can act on straight away.

Register now to reserve your seat. This article lays out the core topics we’ll be covering, so you can get ahead of the curve.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Making Tax Digital: What it means for you

From April 2026, Making Tax Digital (MTD) requirements begin to apply to sole traders and landlords with gross income over £50,000, It applies to those with gross income above £30,000 from 2027, and then gross income over £20,000 from 2028.

Even if you’re not directly impacted yet, it may affect how your suppliers invoice you or how you share financial data.

In the webinar we’ll discuss issues like:

• Why manual spreadsheets are problematic when it comes to meeting the new mandatory digital record-keeping requirements, and the requirement to use MTD-ready software.
• How digital submissions at least quarterly are mandatory, along with a new digital tax return — and late filings risk penalties.
• Why teams may need basic digital training to stay compliant without stress.
• How MTD-ready accounting software will bring with it smart bookkeeping that saves more than time — it reduces errors and improves your financial visibility.

If you’re not yet tracking your finances in a digital system, now is the moment to get ready — before deadlines create pressure. You should be looking at upgrading your accounting software, or consulting with your accountant and bookkeeper.

2. AI in accounting: Freeing up time when it matters most

AI is about removing repetitive admin that gets in the way of growth. Tools like Sage Copilot can already help businesses to the following, and it’s only getting better:

• Get paid up to seven days faster with automated invoice chasing.
• Save five or more hours a week by handling manual data entry and reconciliation.
• Begin to automate emerging requirements, such as carbon data classification and digital reporting.

As AI becomes fixed within day-to-day accounting via tools like Copilot, the businesses that benefit most will be the ones who understand where it fits — and where the human eye and expertise still matter. Trust in your financial data will become just as important as speed.

AI can be found in many products, especially agentic AI, in which the AI is proactive and informs you of problems before they’re obvious. Start investigating this technology now, and seek recommendations from professionals. We’ll dig down into more about how you can adopt AI – and its benefits – in the webinar.

3. Smart Energy management: Reducing cost through visibility

Energy is still one of the biggest overlooked overheads for small businesses. Without visibility, it’s nearly impossible to plan, budget, or spot waste.

That’s where smart meters and energy data come in. In our webinar Smart Energy GB will discuss this and how, by tracking real-time usage, you can:

• Identify peak-cost periods and adjust around them.
• Improve cash flow forecasting based on accurate energy trends.
• Spot wastage that builds up quietly over time.

If you’re not yet using energy data to inform business decisions, Smart Energy GB will explain in the webinar how small changes make a measurable difference. You can also read our recent Sage guide on smart energy management for a deeper dive.

In the webinar we’ll discuss issues like using smart meters, seeking flexible tariffs, shifting high-energy tasks to off-peak, and more.

4. Finance and the Growth Guarantee Scheme: Rethinking borrowing

Borrowing doesn’t just fund expansion. It can be used to cut long-term costs. Whether it’s solar installation, electric vehicles or insulation to lower bills, financing upgrades can improve your margins.

Specialist lenders like Allica Bank are reshaping access to finance for established small businesses, and the Growth Guarantee Scheme is designed to make borrowing more accessible.

We discuss more in our webinar but action to take now include exploring funding options outside high street banks and speaking to your accountant or a specialist broker about preparing your financials for lending.

Finance is becoming a strategic tool, not just a last resort.

5. Carbon reporting: From optional to expected

37% of SMBs have already been asked to provide carbon data when bidding for work, and this number is rising across both private and public procurement.

That means even small suppliers are being assessed not just on price and delivery, but on impact transparency.

Carbon reporting doesn’t need to be complex. With the right approach, it can be automated alongside your financial processes. If you bid for contracts — or plan to — starting now will put you ahead, rather than blocking opportunities in 2026.

We discuss in our webinar how the right software for carbon accounting is essential, and can build on top of existing accounting data you already have. So, a first step is to start investigating this kind of software, and the benefits it can bring, as well as the methodologies that you can use.

Final thoughts

This is one of the most uncertain times for businesses we’ve seen in recent times. While there’s no way to control world events, it is possible to try and be prepared for whatever the future brings. That’s what our webinar is about – and you’re invited.