The general election campaign has kicked off to widespread voter apathy. The three main parties have launched their campaigns and the electorate is none the wiser.
Category: Columns
Columns, blogs and opinion from some of the UKs leading business opinion makers and entrepreneurs and small business owners
How i see things…
To be totally honest I would like to hear more from both parties and what their policies are, not only for businesses but for the environment. I would like to take the opportunity to sit down with both parties, look into their eyes and ask some serious questions.
How useful is an MBA?
Some people think that the more qualifications you have, the more valuable you are. And in business circles, the MBA is a highly valued qualification. I’m just not sure that it is a guarantee of quality management, good decision making or judgement, or anything at all.
Why People Don’t Buy From You – Part 1
Andy Preston explains why people don’t buy from you …..and what you can change right now to get their business in the future……..
How to increase sales through digital marketing
Developing an effective digital strategy isn’t easy. Once you’ve got your website right, how do you begin to increase the traffic to your site, convert these visitors into customers and generate more sales?
The Business GP Appointment Two
The question I get asked most, by business owners and entrepreneurs, is ‘When do I get help?’ How do I know when my business needs some kind of support?
Duncan Bannatyne: Why Non-Doms have an ‘unfair’ advantage in business
Would you give your customers your products if they paid one of your competitors for them? Then why do we allow people to live in the UK, receive public sector services from the government, but pay for them in the form of taxes to another country?
The brand in front is a Toyota, oh, and there goes a £20M Pepsi…
Social media has been with us for a while now, but until recently it seemed that many in the business world had failed to grasp the true power of the social medium and were largely confused as to how best to embrace the phenomenon in any meaningful or useful fashion.
The Business GP Appointment One
Thank you for stepping in to this, my first surgery with Business Matters. Each week I will answer questions either, from those posted you, the reader, or from my own surgery sessions.
Green Shoots of Recovery and REAL Thought Leadership
There has been a lot of talk over the past few months about ‘the green shots of recovery’ that are emerging, as the recession apparently begins to ease. This doesn’t just have to be limited to the housing market and the commercial side of business – it can also apply to REAL Thought Leadership.
REAL thought leadership is based upon the idea that Reach, Engagement, Authority and Longevity are the key to being the best in your field.
Why now might be the time to unplan your business
Like most of us, I’ve had the culture of long term business planning drummed into me throughout my career. Plotting a three or five year plan for a new venture; hours pouring over spreadsheets, forecasting and re-forecasting. I have to confess it’s been the least useful tool in my entrepreneurial tool box.
5 Tips For Selling On The Upturn – Part 2
In this article, leading Sales Expert Andy Preston explains the last two of the top 5 things you need to consider right now, to give yourself and your team the best chance of taking advantage of the upturn….
A guide to buying PR services
The economy is starting to see signs of recovery, but are you best placed to capitalise on this in your business or will your competitors beat you to it by gaining valuable media coverage for their goods and services? Taking a quick look at your marketing plans, if you have any, might reveal a gaping hole in publicity, and more important, how you intend to get some.
Do entrepreneurs & enterprise get a rough deal in the media?
In the late 1980’s, Clive Woodcock was about the only journalist reporting on small business issues through his column in Friday’s Guardian. His solitary status reflected the lack of media interest in the subject; the term entrepreneur hadn’t been widely adopted, nor had our work culture embraced the positive options of self-employment.
So, how do i choose a trainer?
Training is a great investment to make in your staff and the efficiency of your business, but choosing a training provider you can work well with can be a bit of a minefield. What is it you are looking for in a training company, and what do you hope to gain from the training? A few questions can set you on the right track to a successful long term relationship with your provider.
