Posted on February 16, 2009 by Nick
One of the things you get used to when you start your own business is living on fresh air. It’s an acquired taste, but if there’s one thing I hear all the time when I speak to new entrepreneurs, it’s their shock at how fast money can disappear.
Unless you’re very rich, or very clever, the [...]
Filed under: current affairs, finance | Tagged: finance, business, money, startup, entrepreneurship, small business, start a business, starting a business, running a business, small companies, start your own business, entrepreneur, business finance, business advice, company, revenue, personal finance, cashflow | 1 Comment »
Posted on December 1, 2008 by Nick
I’ve held off ranting about the VAT cut until now, because I wanted to speak to a few other entrepreneurs, to see what they think. So: the results are in, and here is the news…
Firstly, I was on my way home at 11.45 last night, and couldn’t fill the car up with petrol because all [...]
Filed under: finance, retail, sales, technology | Tagged: 15%, business, finance, price policy, prices, retail, running a business, start a business, VAT, VAT change | 1 Comment »
Posted on November 27, 2008 by Nick
Do you run a shop? Read on, then…
As I write, it appears that Woolworth’s, staple of the high street for 99 years, is to be put into administration.
For fans of slightly soggy pick’n’mix- or sweets with a strange rubbery patina from the fingers of 50 other small children, this is bad news.
I genuinely sympathise with [...]
Filed under: current affairs, retail, sales, service | Tagged: bank, business, finance, Hilco, pick'n'mix, recession, retail, risk, running a business, sales, shopfitting, start a business, start your own business, store, Woolies, Woolworths | 1 Comment »
Posted on October 13, 2008 by Nick
I recently asked whether there was any protection for business customers if a bank were to go bust.
It turns out, there is.
Small, and indeed not so small limited company businesses receive the same protection as savers (i.e. £50,000), provided that:
Your turnover is below £6.5m
Your balance sheet does not exceed 3.26m
You employ under 50 people
That covers [...]
Filed under: finance, tips | Tagged: business finance, credit crunch, finance, money, running a business, start a business | 1 Comment »
Posted on August 21, 2008 by Nick
One of the best pieces of business advice I’ve received is also one I personally find really hard to follow; namely, don’t do it all yourself.
I’m one of those people who wants to have my nose in every aspect of the business. It’s not that I think I could do everything better myself, rather, I [...]
Filed under: people skills, service, tips | Tagged: business, delegation, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, run a business, running a business, work | Leave a Comment »
Posted on July 31, 2008 by Nick
Don’t be surprised if I disappear for a few weeks.
I’d love to say I was on holiday, but I’m not. No- for some reason, recession and whatnot aside, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. In the space of three weeks, I have gone from having “a reasonable amount of work” to “so-much-that-I-might-as-well-keep-a-sleeping-bag-in-the-office”.
Now, all work and no play [...]
Filed under: people skills, tips | Tagged: business growth, entrepreneurship, expansion, growth, running a business, sales, start a business, stress, time management, work | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 29, 2008 by Nick
The top story in the business press today is about Tesco’s latest assault on the high street: Britain’s No. 1 retailer wants to massively increase its financial services offering.
This is one of those announcements that makes so much sense, you wonder why we didn’t all expect it.
Firstly, Tesco is no newcomer to finance- it’s offered [...]
Filed under: current affairs, finance, marketing, retail, sales, service, technology | Tagged: bank, banking, credit crunch, CRM, current account, customer relationship management, customer service, financial services, motor insurance, profiling, retail, running a business, segmentation, small business, tesco | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 21, 2008 by Nick
There’s an old saying: “If you want to get a job done properly, you’ve got to do it yourself”.
I have to admit, I have always been the sort of person who agreed with that. Like many entrepreneurs, I want everything done my way. And when other people do the job, it’s never quite how I [...]
Filed under: people skills, tips | Tagged: business, employees, entrepreneur, freelance, HR, people, run a business, running a business, teamwork | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 8, 2008 by Nick
Soothsayers and sleight-of-hand merchants, magicians and Victorian side-show owners. They’re as good a bet in understanding the current economic climate as anyone in the press.
I mean, what sort of misguided fool would proffer their opinion on this recession? Who’d be daft enough to stick their head above the parapet?
Er… me. I can’t help it. So, [...]
Filed under: current affairs, finance, retail, sales | Tagged: advertising, banking, banks, business, construction, Currys, economics, employment, food prices, GDP, jobs, john lewis, M&S, mortgages, Persimmon, recession, retail, running a business, self-employed, small business, small companies, start a business, Trinity Mirror, unemployment | 2 Comments »
