As the co-founder of a small business, I’m often asked for hints and tips when starting up as an entrepreneur. To be a columnist for Business Matters is a real honour and I hope to impart some of what I’ve learnt to fellow entrepreneurs!
Category: Advice
Business advice to help you grow your SME and small & medium sized company and help you grow your company
Using Humour in Presentations
Have you ever had one of those tumbleweed moments in a presentation you’ve given when you’ve told a joke, and nobody laughed? Or have you been in the audience and shuffled uncomfortably, acutely embarrassed for the presenter who is desperately trying to recover the situation? In this article we take a look at how to avoid those situations.
Black and White and Red all Over – Penguin Books go Global, so Get Published Yourself!
July marked 75 years since Penguin books began publishing stories. They became renowned for their originality and innovation, which got this Book Midwife thinking back to when she found out that certain publishers out there still think that some books don’t deserve to be written. But it just goes to show that every book deserves to be written and every book deserves to be read!
A quarter of employees say trust in managers has deteriorated in the last two years
New research has revealed the poor state of trust between employees and managers with a quarter of those surveyed saying that they are feeling that the level of trust they have in their manager has deteriorated. A further one fifth of respondents have reported that they are less engaged.
Email – modern-day welcome home from holiday heaven
Many staff returning to the office from their holiday today will be greeted back with hundreds of emails demanding their attention, which according to research published today, is one of the biggest causes of corporate stress. The problem, says Emailogic, undermines the entire premise of providing paid holidays for employees so they can relax.
Mary Queen of Shops hits the nail on the head: local businesses need to specialise to survive
For years now we’ve been hearing plenty about how our high streets are suffering at the hands of the supermarket giants and how their ‘evil plan’ to take over Britain’s streets is forcing local businesses to shut shop.
I am currently working with Mary Portas’ shop designer, Callum Lumsden, on a refit of one of our studios so I have been watching her brilliant latest series, Mary Queen of Shops.
She talks about how businesses need to improve in order to compete with supermarkets and I couldn’t agree more.
Make the most of your business this summer
With summer having finally arrived – the flowers are in bloom, the BBQs are stoked up and the flip flops are out. However, while most of us look forward to balmier days, many business owners find the summer months a challenge. Not only does business tend to slow down, but employees and owners alike can find it difficult to focus and be productive when warm weather and the beach is beckoning.
Why you should look at taking apprentices into your business
Apprenticeships are vital for our business and an attractive recruitment option for other employers, writes Lesley Bowen, Head of HR Delivery at Sellafield, winners of the Employer of the Year at the National Apprenticeship awards.
Top tips on staying in control of business debt
Jamie Waller is the UK’s best known debt recovery and enforcement specialist. His company, JBW Group, work with businesses and local councils across the UK in debt management and enforcement. Jamie regularly appears on BBC Television and various others stations offering expert advice.
Here he provides his tops tips for businesses to ensure credit and debts are kept under control:
Running a rural business: Did you say bridal jewellery or bridle jewellery?
As the owner and director of a successful rural business employing over 30 people across two locations in the East of England, l was approached recently by Business Matters who asked me if l’d like to become a regular columnist.
‘Localised’ Internet Marketing activity branded a scam
Businesses are being warned to be on their guard following a string of cold calls from suppliers offering ‘off the shelf’ localised internet marketing campaigns which could leave struggling SMEs out of pocket by hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
The road to recovery
Given our natural cynicism, it was easy for us Brits to get the sandbags out and put the defences up as we went into recession, but it has proved far more difficult to come out of it.
Brad’s three top tips for getting the most out of networking
There’s lots of advice I could give you about how to get the most out of networking. If you ever want my help with that come and ask me. But these are the most important things to remember, in my opinion:
Ten tips for establishing a better way of working
Innocent, the distinctively non-corporate drinks company, has achieved international success by adopting a very different approach to business. Martin Addison of Video Arts gives ten tips that other organisations can learn from Innocent’s fresh example.
PRS for Music waive charges for office World Cup viewing
PRS for Music have announced that workplaces who are introducing TVs and radios to let staff watch the World Cup will qualify for a free PRS for Music licence – required for any copyright music played as part of TV or radio broadcast – through a trial scheme.
