So you have a great business idea which you believe will be successful. The only drawback is that you need to borrow money to purchase supplies or simply to buy time for the business to generate sales and become self-financing. Whatever the reason for borrowing money, it’s likely that you will be asked for a […]
The announcement in October 2018 of major losses and proposed significant reduction in the number of stores by Debenhams is a huge blow to high street retailing. The terrible news follows the recent administration of House of Fraser which has subsequently been purchased by the Sports Direct Group. The closure of these two high street […]
It seems only yesterday that one of my clients called me in a panic, having received a letter from HM Customs & Excise introducing a new online VAT system and a date for their business to be live. Following this, all quarterly VAT returns would be submitted online. Nobody wanted change. Nobody wanted to climb […]
The recent adverse weather conditions hit some UK businesses hard. Lost revenues were experienced by many through lost customer focus, difficult trading conditions, staff shortages, and the inability to collect/deliver products. With climate change continuing to dominate headlines and the expectation of further “freak” weather conditions, should business owners seriously consider how to weatherproof their […]
In light of the recent announcement that Toys R Us in the USA are filing for bankruptcy, this article is written to cajole, challenge, and hopefully act as a cattle prod to strategically re-think your business. The speed of change in the business world is increasing. Global markets and borders, despite Brexit, are opening. There […]
With Brexit negotiations underway, we are all bracing ourselves and hoping for positive news. Negotiations are taking place to discuss complex issues. Both parties entered these negotiations from different view points. Somewhere within this two year process, it is hoped a settlement can be reached. There has to be give and take on both sides. […]
In the first part of this article, the focus was primarily on marketing. Marketing is the engine that drives a business. Whilst there may be numerous reasons why a slow down in sales has occurred, it is important to review your marketing strategies and tactics, measuring their efficiency and effectiveness whenever possible. Most industries are […]
There may be a time in your business when sales are slow. For many, this can be during the holiday season, but whenever it happens, it can be a time when concern, frustration, tension can creep in. A good manager/owner will use the time wisely. The slow down could be a hiccup in the year, […]
As I write this article, the 2017 Wimbledon Tennis Championships are about to come to an end. The greatest players from around the world have competed for the most coveted title of Wimbledon Champion. Whoever wins a title this weekend will have earned it, both on and off the court. The winning is carried out […]
On June 8th, the country went to the polls. The people voted and the results were different to those predicted only a few short months ago. Something changed. This article will be looking at the business lessons learned from the election and has no political agenda or bias. 1) Never Assume You Know What Your […]