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How to Survive a Credit Crunch

Anyone who has tried to start or run a small business over the last twenty-four months is well aware the the UK is in the midst of an historical credit crisis. In 2005 almost any business that had revenues, or founders with money and good credit rating, could get a credit line that would be almost unimaginable today. Credit cards were relatively easy to acquire, and many startups launched with significant "investments" from Visa and Master Card. read more

 

UK Entrepreneurs & Social Entrepreneurs Should Ignore the “Bum's Rush” in Financial Transactions

Experienced sales professionals know that creating a sense of urgency is a key to closing transactions quickly. A parent with a crying child in a grocery story will buy the lollipop forbidden under any other circumstances. Christmas Eve is the night people will pay almost anything for almost anything. Pressure and a deadline make deals go faster. read more

 

Startups & Social Enterprises Need to Know How to Set Prices Profitably

One of the most delicate operations a business undertakes is setting prices for their offerings. Prices set too high will prevent products and services from being widely adopted. Prices set too low reduce or eliminate profit, can penalize the company with a loss, and may make people doubt the value of the company's brand. After all, no one believes a £2 bottle of champagne is as good as a £200 bottle even if nothing but the price has changed. No one want to buy a £2 bottle of champagne for £200. When one is pricing products and services to be distributed profitably by a social enterprise, which is a sustainable business that works to achieve a social objective, things become even more complex. By definition, social enterprises factor more than monetary costs and compensations into their profit and loss. read more

 

Marketing Is All About Frames, So Put Your Products In the Picture

George Lakoff, a Berkeley cognitive linguist with a particular interest in politics, has made a fairly remarkable discovery. People buy their identities. This is true in two senses, people purchase products, services, policies and politicians that are consistent with their view of themselves and the world they live in, and they build the identities people see and create the environment around them by making economic and political decisions. Lakoff uses the term [i]“frames”[/i] to describe these meaningful pictures we have of ourselves and the world. Frames are metaphorical, emotionally charged, moving images. They are populated with people and objects and they represent interlocking and interdependent stories that govern human behavior. read more

 

A Christmas Gift for UK Entrepreneurs: The Secret of Selling Something You Love

Many of my articles and blogs are about the hard realities of starting a business. read more

 

The Entrepreneur's Board: Interview with Brian Chernett of the Academy for Chief Executives

Brian Chernett of the Academy for Chief Executives explains the benefits of The Entrepreneur's Board. read more

 

Packaging Innovation into Great Products and Services for Social Enterprises

All enterprises, including social enterprises, derive their value from the [i]"innovations"[/i] they package into products and services. For example, MIT's D-Lab has created a sustainable method for manufacturing corn cob charcoal to replace wood, dung or agricultural wasted fuels used in developing countries. Social enterprises are being developed around this product in Zambia, Tanzania and India. read more

 

Doug Richard's School for Startups: PR for Startups

Doug Richard talks about the importance of PR for startup businesses. With contributions from Louise Drabwell of Rare Communications, and Richard Tyler, Enterprise Editor for the Telegraph. read more

 

Doug Richard's School for Startups

A conversation with Doug Richard, founder of 'School for Startups' - the leading provider of business training for entrepreneurs in the UK. read more

 

Leadership: Interview with Brian Chernett of the Academy for Chief Executives

Brian Chernett of the Academy for Chief Executives, shares his ideas on how leadership is changing in the business world. read more