Category: Advice

The new James Bond film Skyfall parachutes 007 into a chilling cyberspace of computer hacking and cyber terrorism in which malicious software – known as malware which infects and damages computers – is more dangerous than exploding pens.

As leaders of ambitious SMEs you and your brand will be searched for online by potential customers, so it is vital that what they find helps secure a sale. Whether you are targeting a global or local audience, customers need to find the right information as easily as possible, and get a positive impression from what they find.

Like most of the rugby loving public, the seemingly endless saga surrounding the mismanagement of England’s Rugby Football Union has lead me to conclude that if an entrepreneur ran their business the way the RFU runs it’s boardroom then they’d have gone bust a long time ago!

Are you providing a product or service, or are you providing a benefit to a customer? A new way to think about value–and get the most for your company.

Public relations is one of the most attractive marketing strands to fuel awareness of your business, and as entrepreneurial business leaders you are perfectly positioned to drive this utilizing your network and business story.

If you can’t sell, your business will die. Whatever line of work you’re in, at some stage you’re going to have to stand in front of someone and convince them that your product is worth buying or your proposition worth investing in.

Getting paid by your customers is one of the most important things that a business needs in order to flourish. But simply sending out your invoices isn’t enough – you need to remember that a sale isn’t a sale until the money’s in your bank account!

It’s tempting for many new business owners to concentrate on the more exciting parts of running their company during these early days, but you also need to ensure you don’t put the less interesting bits – such as your accounts and record keeping – at the bottom of your to-do list.

New top tips to avoid unnecessary spend on bills

In this article, Jamie Thorpe of Grass Roots, reflects on the impact that social media and mobile technologies are having on the popularity of online surveys.

Accessing an appropriate amount of finance is a key requirement for UK businesses as the economic recovery becomes more firmly established and businesses seek to resume their growth trajectory. But the environment for debt finance has changed. Here, Clive Lewis, head of enterprise at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, advises on how to manage your debt finance facilities.