Business Profiles & News

We generally think that growth is good – but it may bring with it the need to hire more staff, find bigger premises and upgrade your machinery. But these are all risky investments – so how do you know when the time is right? I can’t make that decision for you – that’s your job […]

Procrastination: that dreadful curse of putting off important things until later. It never helps, but we all do it, even when we know it’s wrong. And we keep trying to justify it to ourselves. Sometimes we do it because the task appears difficult or scary. Maybe we’re hoping that, by putting it off, someone braver

How do you start in business? Let’s look at three well-known successful entrepreneurs. • Alan Sugar started by selling car aerials out of the back of a van. Less than 20 years after starting Amstrad, he sold it for £125 million! • Teenage Richard Branson started a student magazine, with a loan from his mum.

Business contacts are important – networking should be a key part of any SME’s marketing. If like me you find it hard to begin conversations in a room of strangers, here are some useful opening lines I’ve gathered. “Have you been here before?” • Useful at regular weekly/monthly meetings – if they haven’t, you can

Decades ago, I spent a holiday based in a granite farmhouse on the edge of Dartmoor, with nothing to read except old copies of the Readers’ Digest. I still remember one of the reader’s letters – and it went something like this: At an army base, the day before the big Passing Out Parade, everyone

At work, I’ve been asked to create a newsletter – so here are my thoughts on how to write a brilliant one! It boils down to four things; what it says, how it says it, who is going to read it and how it is being delivered. What does it say? • Content is king

Here are nine tips if you are thinking of starting a new business this year. 1. Evaluate yourself – honestly Why do you want to do it? Are you the right sort of driven person? Could you cope with the lack of security? Can you afford to do it? 2. What is your business idea?

One of the most critical aspects of growing any business is employing the right people. Regard employing a new member of staff as an investment – and the best way to achieve a quick ROI is by spending time on a thorough recruitment process. Firstly, develop a job specification by asking yourself why you need