Category: Advice

Making warm and fuzzy promises to yourself doesn’t work. Here’s what does.

The start of a New Year is often the push aspiring business owners need to set up a new company. With the number of new company registrations typically higher in the first quarter of each year than any other. 2013 may see even more companies started than the record 484,224 in 2012 as the economy slowly crawls out of recession.

As we head into 2013, it is a good time to stand still and not only review what the last year has achieved, but plan for the year ahead. 2012 was a rollercoaster of a year for many small business owners, and Tracy Ewen, managing director at IGF Invoice Finance urges business owners to have as clear a picture of what the coming year may bring.

We know the headlines; we are working harder and longer, often in the face of our younger and somewhat idealistic dreams of an early retirement. We are an ageing nation living healthier, longer lives. So the profile of the workforce is changing.

The spectre of an Employment Tribunal is often used as a threat by employees who disagree with the way they are being managed. Certain employees view any form of criticism, whether in an appraisal, or as part of day to day supervision, as being an unjustified intrusion from management and worthy of a censure from the Employment Tribunal.

The growing trend to ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) into the workplace poses the biggest threat to web security this decade, international internet protection expert Smoothwall has warned.

The topic of money is huge and impacts every aspect of our lives and every decision we make. It’s something we think about all of the time, whether we’re conscious of it or not. Your present habits represent your past and until you change those patterns and habits the drama, fear and anxiety most people recognise around money will remain.

The process of turning an initial idea into a successful business is a challenging one. Deciding whether your idea is worth pursuing, exploring funds and researching the market are all key in the development of your business. But where do you start? Andre Senyk, Founder of SpeckyFourEyes.com tells us how to do it!

Employers are facing a conflict between the employee skills and changing workforce needs. Research among over 20,000 employees from member-based advisory company, CEB, suggests that managers need 20 per cent more productivity from their employees at a time when the instability of the current economy is impacting the corporate bottom line.

Have you noticed that some people just seem to accomplish tons and still appear happy and relaxed? Here are six tips for becoming more productive.

People approaching retirement should consider staying in employment longer to age more healthily according to Cognitive Neuroscientist and Business Improvement Strategist, Dr Lynda Shaw.

With the end of 2012 rapidly approaching our thoughts now turn to how we can grow our businesses in 2013. To help with that planning we asked Stephen Archer, Business Analyst and Director of Spring Partnerships, a business consultancy specialising in leadership development shares his tips on what he thinks businesses need to do to grow business in the year ahead.

Most of the time your company is likely to be making money, but if your customers are paying you late then it could have a negative effect on your cash flow. Even if your company is looking strong on paper, if there’s no money in the bank to pay staff or your suppliers you’ll need to look more closely at your finance management system.

Steve Hammell, director of Grant Thornton’s Yorkshire corporate finance team, explains how to make the most of acquiring a financially troubled business – or its assets.