Perhaps you could have a chat with the business gateway?
They run classes in all different subjects with regards to running a business such as basic accounting, etc and, if I recall correctly, they're free to attend. Their website is good to have a look at, there's lots of different info.
The employment of staff is something that one should not enter lightly, you should ensure that you know as much as possible about both the hiring and what you expect, etc as it can be very difficult to fire an employee. Directgov is a good website to look at re employment terms and conditions and the rights of both you and your staff.
My biggest tip? Don't get into anything without knowing exactly what is expected of you and what you should expect of your business. People think being self employed is amazing - you can plan your own day, you don't answer to anyone, you do what you want, you take whatever holidays you want, every day's a holiday but the reality could not be more different. Yes, being self employed can give the the sense of achievement but on the other side of the coin, you only have yourself to blame if it doesn't work, you have no one else to help/pick up your slack and if you don't work, you don't get paid. It can also take a good few years to go from start-up to profitable business.
Good luck if you decide to progess with your new project, but please do your research first.
