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How To Secure Investment For Your Business

Raising equity finance is often a lengthy and arduous process that can absorb the management team, so you’ll need to be focused and prepared. Whether you choose a business angel, an institutional investor or even a corporate investor, here are my ‘top ten’ tips for success. read more

 

Equity Funding: Does Your Business Need Or Want It?

It is sometimes assumed that raising external equity is a prerequisite to business success. For many businesses it is an option that is neither desirable nor indeed achievable. Most businesses start with very limited funding, typically provided by the founder, or by family and friends. ‘Keeping it in the family’ is generally preferred. Many entrepreneurs fear any loss of control and strive to retain as much of their shareholding as possible. read more

 

The Eight-Step Guide To Taking Your Business To The Next Level

So, your business is established and growing. How are you going to keep the momentum going and your business on track? You need a focused plan to take your business to the next level. Here are eight key steps for financial performance measurement and improvement. read more

 

Achieving The Unreachable Goal

Cementing lasting customer loyalty is clearly important for any small business but, in many ways, can seem unachievable at times. Markets, competitors and customers are ever-changing, and this constant state of value flux means small business owners must listen, understand and evolve to ensure they meet the needs of the customer. read more

 

A Website Is The Number One Tool For Small Business Growth

A new study of UK small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) has revealed that the humble corporate website is the biggest source for business growth, as almost a quarter (22 per cent) say that it is where most of their sales leads originate. SMEs’ websites as a new business tool beat networking events into second place (19 per cent), and existing contacts (15 per cent) into third. read more

 

Brand: The Value & The Cost

Many businesses often overlook the true value of their brand and the importance of protecting that brand to avoid competitors trading off of their products or services. With the brand recognition of the McDonald’s arches exceeding that of the Christian cross, specialist intellectual property solicitors at Stephens Scown have been highlighting an increasing trend of registering trade marks in order to create a government endorsed monopoly that can last forever. read more

 

The Economic Recovery?

It’s more of a trickle than a gush. It does appear that the UK economy is on the mend, however. But be warned, even as the ink dries on the computer monitor on which this article is being written, two pieces of news break that change the picture. There is news on UK jobs, unemployment and wages. And there is the latest Bank of England inflation report. read more

 

Japan’s Miracle Cure Has Been Tried Before In Britain – And It Worked

Here is your starter for ten points. Who was Chancellor of the Exchequer when the UK re-entered the gold standard? Bzzzz. Yes, that’s right, it was Winston Churchill. Now for your next question, who was chancellor in the 1930s, and adopted economic policies not dissimilar from those being applied in Japan today, and with very impressive results? read more

 

Are The Stock Markets Set To Crash?

Is it all based on a lie? The central banks in the US, the UK and Japan are creating money. They are going out and – via the mechanism known as quantitative easing – are buying government debt. This forces the price of government debt upwards, making other assets look cheap in comparison read more

 

FTSE 100 Moves To Within An Inch Of Passing Millennium High

For the record, the FTSE 100 peaked on December 30 1999 with a score of 6930. It then crashed, almost halving over the next few years. By the middle of the first decade of this century it was back in recovery mode, and by October 2007 hit 6721. Then it crashed again, foreshadowing the economy’s descent into recession. In 2011 it passed 6,000, only to fall back, once again foreshadowing the famous second dip recession. But at the time of writing, the index stands at 6,686, its highest level since 2007. It may – just may – be pointing to recovery. read more