Some of the UKs leading business leaders and opinion formers share their insight and ideas for growth
As a new trading year approaches, it is going to be more important than ever for you and your business to be remembered by your customers for as long as possible. If you want to survive the coming months, remember that the key to REAL thought leadership is about how long you stay in people’s minds.
In my last article we explored the ways in which possible sales are being lost due to salespeople accepting the usual call me back after Christmas line. In this article, I will explore this further with my second tip on ways to avoid the Christmas objections.
After a difficult year for many top brands, from ongoing strike disputes at British Airways and Royal Mail to the latest Eurostar snow crisis, businesses are being reminded that rebuilding customer trust and loyalty should be their top priority in the New Year.
From 28th December 2009, a new regulation affecting almost every small service business in the country, from accountants to gardeners, will come into force, but many don’t even know about it yet…
Lord Sugar has hit back at the critics who claim that he is “out of touch with SMEs”, insisting that he is “passionately committed” to helping small firms and that SMEs who complained about being refused loans were “moaners” who were living in “Disneyland”.
As businesses tighten their belt in a recession, the need for properly documented contracts is even more important than usual– it is well known that disputes increase when money is tight, and if you are doing business without proper contracts, you are at risk.
One reoccurring topic which always seems to crop up when speaking to business owners is ‘when is the right time to bite the bullet and take the business to the next level’? When do we stop the bootstrapping and say hello to investment? I am a firm believer that all businesses can (and in most cases, should be) boot-strapped from day one. This not only saves costs, it keeps your business lean and avoids the unnecessary ‘fat’ that one could be tempted to add if investment is gained early on.
The season to be merry is upon us as we rush to prepare for a few days off work. Then comes the strain of too much food, drink or financial worries and Christmas is anything but relaxing. Hoping to promote Christmas cheer in tough economic times, Apprentice star, Claire Young has launched the ‘Balancing Britain Campaign’, working with Chinese health and wellbeing organisation Lishi in a bid to encourage the nation to switch off over Christmas.
Entrepreneur Rik Hellewell, owner of the UK’s largest oven-valeting franchise network, Ovenu, has slammed the Government for acting like a ’sat nav with no postcode’ saying they would do well to follow the lead of their counterparts in the southern hemisphere.
Charlie Mullins has hit out at the ‘excessive’ boardroom habits of UK businesses, saying firms need to adopt a ‘less talk more work’ attitude if they are to survive the downturn.
Charlie Mullins, managing director of leading independent plumbing firm, Pimlico Plumbers, has slammed controversial plans by British banks, which could see cheques abolished by 2018.
As December approaches, I’m sure you’re already sick and tired of getting the ‘call me back after Christmas’ line only to find that come January, you can’t get hold of the person ever again! As the festive season roles in, I’m going to take a look at how to overcome these objections and make the most of the festive period.
Gone are the days when we could all set our watches by the clatter of the letterbox. The reality now is that despite the rising cost of mail, the service that was once at the core of British industry is now a thing of the past. The recent postal strikes have cost UK businesses an estimated £1.25 billion, money that companies can ill afford during the country’s longest recession. Whether you are a sole trader, an SME or a company who employs hundreds of staff, each and every one of us has been affected by it.
The number of people starting their own business from a spare room or the garden shed has risen dramatically as the recession bites, reveals a research report – The 2009 Home Business Report released by Enterprise Nation and supported by BT – saw almost a third of a million people made the decision to go alone in the last 12 months, with 5,500 every week leaving behind commuting and the office for the chance to be their own boss.
A group of young technology entrepreneurs have joined together for charity to create the first Nude London Tech calendar features 24 tasteful portraits of London’s IT pioneers. The photos show the men and women posing with strategically-placed laptops or wrapped in computer cables.
