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Business Confidence - up or down?
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) publish a quarterly UK Business Confidence Monitor and Q4 2019...
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Have you Found your Core Purpose?
Find Your Purpose Your Core Purpose should come from a mix of what you love, what you are good at,...
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Three Business Resolutions for the New Year
Three resolutions that you can make to improve your business in the New Year by Planning, Formalising, and Reviewing all...
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Business owner and want to increase the saleability of your business?
Business owner and want to increase the saleability of your business? Using an analogy of buying a big-ticket item, which...
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A business owner and just become a grandparent?
A new grandparent…what next? If you have just become a grandparent, you will be excited by the development. Probably you...
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Take a step back to obtain an insight into overcoming your family business challenges
Running your own business comes with many challenges, being part of a family-run businesses brings further underlying obstacles and more...
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Talking Tactics
The reality is most SME businesses feel the pain at some point because of a lack of sales or...
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Managing change (Business improvement 3/3)
“If change is inevitable, can you afford to ignore it?â€
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KPI frameworks to consider (Business Improvement 2/3)
“Where can I look for suitable KPI’s?â€
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How do I keep my business on track? (Business improvement 1/3)
“What gets measured gets done, but are you measuring the right things?â€
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Any road will do - if you don't know where you are going...(Lewis Carroll)
With the summer holiday season swiftly drawing to conclusion I thought I would take a little time to reflect on...
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The Proof of the Pudding
Can you think of a problem one of your current prospects has that you can address with a carefully...
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Bidding and tendering for work
How can I tender work effectively?
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I need more customers than 'word of mouth' provides
How can I increase my potential customer numbers?
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Logic, Emotion and the Power of Stories
Wrap your logic and rational arguments into a Story if you want to be remembered, without a bit of emotion...
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3 things to think about before going into business with family
Before jumping head first into a new family venture, here's three useful tips!
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Prepare to Partner
Challenge yourself to start communicating with your clients and sharing information on a deeper level that they might find useful
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EU GDPR and Cookies
What are cookies and why it is important to consider if your website is compliant to the new Data Privacy...
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Are you ready to take your business to the next level in 2020?
If you are just starting up or looking to launch a new product or service then you can get ahead...
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Are you spending all your time working in the business? (Your Business. Part 3/5)
Business owners, are you spending all your time working IN your business? Reset by working ON it.
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What does GDPR mean for the recruitment industry?
Though data breaches may grab the most headlines, becoming GDPR compliant goes much broader than just taking them more seriously....
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GDPR, PECD and Cookies - Who Is Right?
The discussion of cookies, pixel tags, web beacons falls under GDPR or PECD or both is ravaging and is worth...
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Survival, where is my next customer coming from? (Your Business. Part 2/5)
Business owners, is your main worry survival?
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Is your business GDPR compliant?
Every business needs to consider how the GDPR will affect them and to start planning for it now
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GDPR: In Simple Terms!
10 Key Changes You Need To Know Before The Deadline
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Business owners, are you holding your business back? (Your Business. Part 1/5)
Business owners, are you stopping the growth of your business?
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Business owners, break the cycle & get a sounding board.
Business owners, is your vision getting more difficult to achieve? Find out how to reset your business with some business...
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"The staff are not as good as me! I'm the only one who knows what is going on".
Business owners, do you think nobody can replace you? Find out how to reset your business with delegation and creating...
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Do you need new methods for marketing in the digital age?
Find out out the fundamentals of marketing in the digital age
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The Potentially Positive Effects of GDPR for SME's
How can the new regulations be used as a positive for businesses holding data
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How can I increase what my business is worth?
Business owners, do you want your business to be worth more? Step 1 is to find out what impacts the...
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My labour and subcontractors are earning more than me
Good tradesmen, e.g. kitchen fitters,who install kitchens which look good soon decide that they can make more money by setting...
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GDPR - A Different Perspective
An overhaul of our antiquated data protection laws is long overdue but how will GDPR affect our businesses?
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Feed Your Business...With Feedback!
The Net Promotor Score has become known as a more important measure than customer satisfaction
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Common problems growing a business and the best way to start out
Extract from Business Bunker Xtra show on 19th January 2018 when Peter Searle was interviewed by Amanda Flanders and Jemma...
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How can SMEs keep start up costs down?
For those considering launching a business in 2018, here are a few things to consider to help you stay on...
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Are you too busy to improve?
Whether it is engaging with ourselves, or grasping a significant challenge around changing something fundamental within the business one of...
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Ask not what your millennial can do for you, but what you can do for your millennial
In this article, we will look at how to better engage with millennials to the benefit of everyone.
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Why are millennials different to previous generations?
What are the challenges business owners face when it comes to millennials?
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Small Business Saturday: why it should be on every SMEs calendar
By working together all the businesses get a chance to raise their profile and gain some new customers – and...
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If you want to be more successful in business you need to know where you're going
Business growth (part 1/3)
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A simple prescription for creative agencies
The best way to ensure this profitability is to manage your projects with a commercial mind using 5 guiding principles:
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How to gain access to business funding
There is a massive amount of support for businesses of all sizes to help them get established or grow.
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Things to consider when looking at selling to an MBO
When it is time for you to move on and sell your business and you are contemplating an MBO here...
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The benefits of networking
In this internet age, the old phrase ‘people buy from people’ is still as true as ever.
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Is your business ready for GDPR?
GDPR for SMEs in simple terms
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Are Business owners who sleep well at night sitting on a goldmine?
A business owner sleeps well at night has no worries, neither would a buyer. It follows that a business that...
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Business Owners, "Be Selfish!" to be kind to your business
The personal aspirations of business owners changes over time, so the appropiate organisation changes can be made in good time.
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3 factors to successful business growth
I am often asked "What's the one key thing that would make a difference to my business?" Disappointingly, the answer...
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Bricks and mortar retailers: how to keep your business relevant in a digital world
There are busy months ahead and Christmas is a critical trading period for many. But it's the long term where...
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Do you have all eggs in one basket? A guide to bidding public sector works.
An explanation of how to bid public sector work and how frameworks can add value to a business.
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Business Doctor talks Business Basics
Kevin Cook offers insight into pitching for funding and how to get it right.
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Business Doctor talks Business Basics
Kevin Cook offers insight into pitching for funding and how to get it right.
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Business Doctor talks Business Basics
Kevin Cook offers insight into pitching for funding and how to get it right.
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Business Doctor talks Business Basics
Kevin Cook offers insight into pitching for funding and how to get it right.
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Next Steps for Baby Boomers (b1946-1964)
Looking to retire from your business? Do you have a plan for your business when you retire? Here's our top...
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Top 5 tips to avoid working for free
We've all been there at some time - here's my advice on how to stop working for free!
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It is reflection time! 10 steps on how to get off the hamster wheel!
With the summer holidays in full swing it's your chance to relax, recharge and reflect. So ensure you reset your...
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A roadmap on how to obtain Business Growth through effective communication with your customers (Infographic)
No matter how good or unique your product or service, a fundamental success factor is how to get to market...
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Are your staff REALLY engaged?
Boost your performance-related business outcomes with motivated staff
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Brexit: How to keep your business in STEP
Have you considered what external factors may impact your business?
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Why purpose is important to business owners
Improve employee satisfaction and increase profit
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Sporting Events - Boost to Welsh Economy
As a nation we need to appreciate our size and in some way understand where we sit in an increasingly...
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GDPR - 'Game Changing' Legislation. Is your Business Ready?
GDPR - is this a game changer?
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Risky Business
Local Business Doctor supports local children's charity Rocking Horse.
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Business Doctors has made its first move into mainland Europe with the launch of a Brussels office
"I am looking forward to bringing the Business Doctor's unique brand of jargon-free, hands on SME support to Brussels and...
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What can Welsh Businesses do to stay ahead of the Tech Curve?
http://businessnewswales.com/business-news-wales-exclusive-can-businesses-ensure-future-proof-company-tech-systems-including-cyber-security/
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The future of video marketing
For every business in every sector, digitalisation is creating the biggest change that business owners have faced since the Industrial...
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Is your business in good health
The latest news roundup from Business Doctors Slough and Maidenhead
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The first 5 steps to business growth
Business Doctors have devised a 10-step plan for developing a strategy, Chris Sowerby takes us through the first 5
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Do you have an effective returns policy?
Do you have a clearly communicated returns policy?
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Recognising when your business could do just that bit better
When does a business need external advice? Does business culture stop owners from seeking support? Surround yourself with experts in...
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Exit and Succession Planning
Creating a successful business one thing, generating maximum value upon exit and leaving the business in a good condition are...
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Escape from the Owners' Trap
Business Doctors roundtable event in Maidstone about how business owners can Escape from the Owners' Trap.
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Top tips for hiring and firing in a growing business
If your 2017 goal is to grow your business – looking at your current employee structure can dramatically change which...
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Three most common myths about employee engagement
Employee Engagement has become one of the most frequently used buzzwords but its purpose and place are often misunderstood.
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Maintaining motivation as we head into spring
Keep up the work place motivation in your business
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Making the most of psychometric tools for recruiting in your business
Psychometric tests have become an integral part of the recruitment process. What are the advantages to your business?
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Why businesses don't have to be at the mercy of market trends
Is your business market led, or customer led? If so, why don’t you take the reins yourself!
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How can SME owners become better leaders
There is an ongoing academic debate as to whether leaders are born or made. I am firmly in the camp...
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Business Coach or Business Consultant?
Business Coaches and Consultants provide valuable support and guidance for business owners wishing to take their businesses to the next...
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Re thinking your marketing to supply a larger business
What should you consider if you want to supply bigger businesses?
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3 key steps to business succession planning
If you could not work for several months, could your business continue to run smoothly without you?
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Organisational effectiveness for Small to Medium Enterprises
How a strategy is implemented can have a significant impact on whether it will be successful.
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Getting through your first networking event
If you're considering networking for the first time, don’t be nervous. Networking can be fun if you approach it in...
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Creating differentiation in your recruitment business, is Agile Recruitment the answer?
The recruitment industry has become highly commoditised except for a handful of niche areas. Can Agile Recruitment create differentiation
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Letting go as a business leader
Relinquishing control is one of the biggest barriers to scalability for any business
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Finding and connecting with new clients and customers
A basic approach to matching your advertising, marketing and business development in the internet age with your customers and clients....
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Being brilliant at the basics in your business
Keep the momentum going in your business with these small steps that can dramatically improve your performance. Take a look...
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Are you having a black Friday? Will it be a saviour or a scandal to your business?
With American styled marketing strategies and a business sales push over Thanks Giving weekend, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. What...
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5 tips on managing your business in political turbulence
5 ways you can support your business and it's growth in this time of political turbulence
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Can your business afford to stand still?
Staying Small or Breaking Big? No business can afford to stand still but do you know how to plan for...
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6. Tips for Welsh SMEs following Brexit
"Brexit is, in my view, a great opportunity to ‘put foot on ball’ understand where you want to be and...
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How To Get The Best Financial Return As You Exit Your Business
When Business Owners decide to sell up it is important they start their exit planning early to maximise their options...
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10 ways to kick off your start-up business effectively
Whether your sights are set on running a marathon, decorating your home or growing a business, preparation is key. ...
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Top tips to get your business working for you
We’ve put together some tips to help you get your business working for you to achieve your vision
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6 tips for managing stock levels in your business
Managing stock correctly and effectively is imperative to the running of any business, take a look at these best practices...
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Business Doctors talk to the media about helping small and medium-sized businesses to grow
Read more business advice from our Business Doctors
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How to Nourish Future Female Company Leaders
To attract talented young women to a workplace and support them in pursuing their careers to higher levels, we have...
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10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Any Networking Event
Summer's over, it's back to work! Take a look at these 10 top tips for making the most out of...
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7 Things to Consider When Turning a Hobby Into a Business
How do you know if your passion would work as a business and when is the right time to hand...
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How Engaged Is Your Organisation and Why Does It Matter?
We have just witnessed the power of engagement with Team GB at the Rio Olympics. Learn how do you improve...
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Succession Planning In A Family Business
Succession planning is an issue no family business can afford to ignore,and a willingness to look beyond the family circle...
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Five Steps to Running a Successful Family Busines
These 5 simple steps will help to make sure your family run business maintains a good working relationship whilst also...
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What is Auto-Enrolment and What Does it Mean to SMEs?
There has been widespread confusion amongst UK businesses following the recent Auto Enrolment announcements
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Why evolving will keep your business ahead of the game
Reinvention is the key to sustaining a profitable and market-leading business.
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Five Benefits of Staff Engagement
Staff engagement can have many facets but in order for it to be successful it needs a progressive strategy
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Culture and Engagement, Why engagement is critical to the success of your business
Culture : How things are done around here Engagement : How employees feel about how things are done around...
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What is employee engagement and why is it important to your business?
Ensuring that employees are fully engaged will work to any company's advantage
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Finding the right type of business support
Business support comes in different forms. This viewpoint explains the differences to help you choose which you would prefer to...
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Four myths about small businesses and auto-enrolment
The top four myths regarding auto enrolment dispelled
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Balancing on and offline brands
Find out how to get the balance right for online and offline brands
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Building sustainable supply chains
Companies are often reliant upon their supply chain yet few really embrace choosing to develop them this viewpoint explains the...
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How can the original energy and passion for a business be reignited every year?
A structured review of internal and external goals looking at the short and long term keeps the review process fresh...
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Which business development service best suits your SME?
3 popular business development services that may best suit you and your business
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Change is the law of life
With technology and market forces changing at lightning speed, it's more important than ever to have a robust strategy in...
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Moving forward in your business post Brexit
The next few months will be challenging, take a look at my guidelines for reaching acceptance
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8 things you need to know when starting your own company
Looking to start your own business, 8 things you need to know.
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SME Funding: Which suits your business best?
Knowing which funding option is best for your fast growing SME can be a bit of minefield!
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Lost your business mojo?
In the early days, every day was business go-go - now it's more like business no-no. So how do you...
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Look after your customers and they will stay with you for life.
How to acheive customer satisfaction
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Do you find yourself in the owners trap?
Business Doctors Norwich recently held a seminar regarding the owners trap and particularly how to avoid this business threat.
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Effective leadership within SMEs
If you are looking to build the value in your business, effective leadership of your team is critical.
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Making the transition from being the business owner to being the business leader
The skills required to be a business leader are often very different to those the business owner used to grow...
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Do you know the business you are really in?
If you're not 100% sure what business you are really in, then it is unlikely that your customers will know...
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Giving and receiving feedback
Conducting feedback is going to be more critical as by 2020 50% of the workforce will be millennials who crave...
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Closing the Skills Gap
Why retraining rather than hiring can be the way forward for your business
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Spring Clean : Your Business Development Strategy : May 2017
Sometimes having an independent assessment of what you are currently doing can make a big difference
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Taken stock, surprised you have achieved your long term goals? What next?
Business owners work hard and grow their business. After a period of time something often happens which causes them to...
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Professional or tradesperson v entrepreneur, the implications for your business.
The implication of what you would like your role to be in your business has an impact on how you...
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The Purpose of a Business
What a business does and how it delivers can be described. But the purpose of the business underpins everything about...
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Thinking of Starting a Business
Many people love the idea of running their own business, being in control, earning money for themselves, but few actually...
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How to communicate organisational change within your business
The average life of a business in 2013 was 18 years and it continues to fall, communicating organisational change effectively...
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Is there a direct relationship between profits and your business's value?
A couple of weeks ago a client told me that they always assumed their business's value was based largely on...
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Aim High and Realise your Dreams
If you "Dream Big" in business, the chances are you will challenge yourself to work smarter and put concerted effort...
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Don't ignore the workplace pension
Everyone needs to know that they are entitled to a workplace pension
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Have you fallen into the business owner's trap?
For many people, the top reason for setting up their own business is freedom. Freedom from bosses, from routine and...
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Google, Government and the art of compromise - Getting the balance right?
"If it is not a Win:Win do not stay in."
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Business Owners - Do you have too many eggs in one basket?
Beyond the immediate pain for the workforce there will be SME business owners that have supported the Steel Industry over...
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5 signs your business is ready to grow
How do we know when a business is ready to grow? Check out these 5 indicators we use when...
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Want to be successful in 2016?, be "Brilliant at the Basics!"
There is no such thing as a silver bullet in business, however being good at the basics will add value...
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The 8 worst pieces of business jargon 2015 - Management Today
Over 900 business leaders have been surveyed to find out what they feel are the most overused corporate words.
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If you want to create a more valuable business - chase Margin not Turnover!
Increase sales effectively by spending some time to understand how to generate more sales of the products and services with...
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Managing risk is about anticipating change
Preparing your business to cope with an evolving environment and the risks associated with those changing circumstances is the key...
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If you don't ask, you don't get!
You've tried handing out flyers, emails and social media, however just picking up the phone and asking for the business...
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Looking for more business? Step out the front door and get networking.
Finding new business opportunities and contacts is not easy, networking is an activity which can be successful if done properly...
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Can you get your business over the 5-year hurdle without a strategy or a plan?
With over 50% of businesses failing in the first 5 years what can be done to help?
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Is your Business fit for growth
A Government study was reported in the press last week indicating that 46% of SME’s who started up in 2011...
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Five Steps to Motivate your Team
Understanding what motivates people means understanding their needs.
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Government funding available to support business development within the science sector
The Science Industry Partnership (SIP) 'Skills for Growth' scheme offers companies investment from Government to fund 50% of the cost...
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OnSite Support and BAM Nuttall build PPE range specifically for women in Construction
OnSite support have written and delivered to clients a client development plan to its top 12 customers who will be...
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What does it mean work ON not IN your business?
I often hear and read the phrase work ON not IN your business. I use it when I am mentoring...
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Even Einstein Asked Questions
I was just reading my daughters school report last weekend which had a common theme running through it...
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Strategy For Growth? Just Need to Increase the Sales Force, Surely!!
For many business owners the desire to grow their business is unmistakable. Is scaling the sales team the obvious answer?
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Team Building & Leadership Development: Horses for Courses
Nothing is as apt in business as You can LEAD a horse water...but you can't make it drink...
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Personal philosophy of leadership
Most people in business have their own opinion on the important skills, values and characteristics that make a good leader.
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Creating lasting change - it's all about a Sense of Urgency and Getting Started!
As a firm advocate of change ... I suffer, you see, from a common tendency of humans to resist...
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Corporate Social Responsibility and your Business : building on Core Values
A recent discussion about businesses in the community, and the role of corporate responsibility (CR) for smaller businesses...
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Struggling to grow your business - 9 symptoms that you are in the owners trap, and 9 suggestions to break out!
Are you key to the success of your business but feel that there are not enough hours in the day...
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Condition Monitoring and your Business : evaluating performance
Recently, whilst talking about the success or otherwise of Facilities Management (FM) strategies to maintain business-critical infrastructure
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Seller beware: the WHY of the buyer!
Selling a business can be very emotional. It is natural for business owners to feel reticent about the loss or...
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10 tips for start up businesses
Some useful hints and tips for business owners in the early days of getting their business off the ground.
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Does not having an active and visible business mission and vision a barrier to growing your business and your people?
Mission or Purpose with a vision powers everything in your business
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Business Values and "The Why"
Why do so few businesses create an emotional bond with their customers?
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Deming's 14 Points For Management
We have summarised the points raised by Dr W. Edward Deming and his 14 point philosophy, see if they can...
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The advantages of early morning networking
I struggle to be a morning person. Early morning networking presents a challenge for me. However, I'm finding...
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Do you have a marketing plan in place?
An increasing number of small and medium sized businesses are seeing the value of marketing in terms of a healthy...
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Ask not what your customer can do for you, ask what you can do for your customer
Giving good customer service shouldn't be difficult. But getting it right it is quite a challenge for many companies.
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They are just not that into you.
For many business people the whole essence of being in business is to work with others and get them to...
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How to sell the way your customers want to buy
Finding out how your customers like to be sold to and where to find them can be as much of...
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Five top tips for managing change
With 70% of change programmes failing, it's important to understand how to implement change effectively
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Do you know how much more business you could get from your customers?
Given it costs six to seven times more to find a new customer than it does to keep an existing...
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Freedom Manifesto
You started your business for the freedom to do what you want when you want. The freedom to live anywhere,...
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Five good reasons why business women should not undersell themselves
Over the last few months, I have come across a few female business owners who undercharge for their services. This...
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Five great on-line articles to help you get started with social media
These days social media is such an important part of our marketing strategy - we ignore it at our peril
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Business Networking - what's that all about then?
If you're new to networking, it can be quite bewildering. There's so much choice - different groups, different formats and...
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Does Your Supply Chain Match Your Business Vision?
Odd question you may be thinking. What does my supply chain have to do with my business vision of, say...
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From business owner to business leader
Often the skills required to get a business off the ground and growing are not necessarily the ones needed to...
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Networking tips - How to make the most of your 60 second pitch
I was at a networking event recently where (as at most events) we were all given an opportunity to do...
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Make it real
So many people in business today are being told that they need to be passionate about their business if they...
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People Engagement is KEY!
In a vacuum, negativity quickly fills the void.
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Is Apathy our Biggest Enemy in Business?
As I go around companies with my work I get a few recurring themes occur:- 1) VAT is too high 2) Decisions...
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Dare to dream.. then make it happen
Studies show that the majority of business people in the UK do not have firm strategic plan for the future....
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The Pareto Principle
Lazy Management Observation or is it the Exception’s that Prove the Rule!