As much as £9 billion pounds could be added to the British economy if SMEs that aspire to grow were able to do so. Key barriers to growth, which need to be overcome, include economic uncertainly, regulation and market demand.
Category: Columns
Columns, blogs and opinion from some of the UKs leading business opinion makers and entrepreneurs and small business owners
Rising Fuel Duty will put plumbers out of work not on the bus
The Government has to look seriously at the knock-on effects of the planned 3p rise in fuel duty. Of course, they have to find ways to increase the income of the public purse to chip away at the country’s huge debts, but they could be shooting themselves in the foot with this one.
Women are Better Speakers
Women are better speakers… than they are often given credit for. I have always been a supporter of women and want to see more of them achieve the status of recognized thought leaders in their fields.
Pay & benefits worries leaves small businesses missing out on talent
Small businesses may be losing out on the most talented employees due to concerns among jobseekers around pay and benefits, according to a new survey.
The tweet smell of customer service victory: Advice for businesses
Social media has transformed the customer service landscape beyond recognition. Two recent experiences have brought the scale of that change home. Here I explore some of the valuable lessons for any business that takes customer service seriously. Actually that should that just read ‘for any business’.
Kids Bee Happy offers opportunity to win free franchise during GEW
As part of Global Enterprise Week, the children’s party company, Kids Bee Happy is giving away a free Franchise to someone that wants to start their own business but who has previously been held back by lack of resources, or other obstacles in life.
Do moves to help protect intellectual property go far enough?
Recent data has shown an alarming number of small businesses in the UK routinely fail to safeguard their intellectual property.
The Value of Public Speaking
I have just recently taken on the role of President of the Professional Speaking Association London Chapter, and it has been a great time to reflect on the value of speaking in public.
LIKE IT? You’ll need to love it as Facebook gets tough on lazy brands…
Facebook has become a staple part of marketers diets. Many brands thrive on the thrill of boosting their likes and, in theory, their popularity, with social media hungry consumers.
However, the recent platform changes have really mixed it up and brands are going to have to work much harder to be seen on individuals’ facebook newsfeeds.
In search of the ultimate job security
The concept of a job for life, of course, disappeared a long time before the current economic meltdown struck. But my dear departed father’s obsession with ‘job security’ sprung to mind the other day, when I bumped into an old work contact….
Dreams, goals and sparkly shoes
Each year I set myself some little goals and some rather larger (unrealistic) goals with the aim of motivating myself. On January 1st 2011 I stuck my latest list to my office wall containing six things I would like to achieve this year.
Don’t wait for business to take on staff – Take them on now to grow your business
The most effective way to boost the growth of your business is to not wait for the business to come to you before taking on new staff, but instead, take on more workers to grow your business.
Deliver results for your business; step six
How to deliver results for your business. There are six steps you need to take, this week we look at the last step, number six – review your progress regularly.
“Building a Social Enterprise” – Blending Social Media and the Cloud for Business Success
Recently, I have shifted the focus of this blog series away from my personal perspective on cloud computing in order to give some of our customers the chance to present their views on the technology.
Cameron puts foundations in place to get Britain’s economic house in order
I have praise for the Prime Minister’s ambition to rebuild the UK economy from the ground-up. Cameron’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference set out a clear agenda to rescue the economy with business at its heart.
