Developing brand awareness in the market is one of the most challenging barriers that small businesses face. SMEs can easily miss out on potential sales opportunities if they don’t market themselves effectively as customers, buyers and suppliers won’t know where to find them or what’s on offer. It doesn’t take a Lord Sugar to know […]
The aftermath of Brexit has presented both unprecedented challenges and unique opportunities for businesses in the UK. Areas causing the biggest impact include increased costs, labour and skill issues and supply shortages, with many businesses having to reassess and adapt to thrive in a post-Brexit era. The effects of 2020 Before 31st January 2020, when […]
One of the most common questions I get asked by other business owners is whether getting investment from Dragons through Dragons’ Den guarantees success, and whether the experience is as daunting as it appears. So, here’s my experience. Honestly, I never applied to the show, and I never would have done, for several reasons. Firstly, […]
By 2023, TikTok boasted an astonishing 1.7 billion users worldwide, comprising nearly a quarter of the global population. In the United States alone, the app had 150 million active users, while the UK counted over 23 million. This exponential growth solidifies TikTok’s position as one of the leading social media platforms globally. Notably, almost half […]
The phrase ‘purpose-driven’ is thrown around in business parlance, but what does it mean and can it go hand-in-hand with growth and profitability? The two may sound mutually exclusive, with ‘profit’ in moral conflict with ‘purpose’. But they can, in fact, make a lucrative combination. A profitable business will be able to do more to […]
Getting a business off the ground brings with it many challenges. And, when it then comes to scaling up, leaders will have to contend with a whole other set of matters. But the hard work is worth it and rewards plentiful. Only 1% of UK’s SMEs are scale-ups, or firms with high-growth potential, and yet […]
Over the past two decades I have been lucky enough to work with dozens of business and political leaders. The best leaders are those that are able to make professional decisions quickly based on the information available to them. But this does not mean they are immune to procrastination. They are just using tools to […]
Most of us aspire to be remembered fondly and reverently, having left a positive mark on the world, or the business you have been at the helm of. ‘Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.’ (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) As useful as it would be, none of us have a […]
When considering possible exit routes for your business, selling to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) can have several benefits, but a word of caution, this is not an exit route that can just be unilaterally imposed on your management team. I recently met with a business owner who had decided that sale to an EOT […]
Business process outsourcing has skyrocketed since covid, with 48% of companies now outsourcing their work. Whilst saving time and resources, outsourcing your marketing is an effective way to pool real expertise, gain access to advanced marketing tools, minimise overhead and improve return on investment (ROI). With outsourcing, businesses can focus on core activity and provide […]