Q.
The listed-company that wants to buy my business is keen to offer shares rather than cash. But the stock market has been depressed and I am unsure how easy it would be to sell my shares. Is there any way to mitigate the risk of a paper-for-paper deal or should I just insist on cash? Also, as the vendor, can I really do a thorough due diligence exercise on my potential acquirer?
Q.
I am about to launch a new service that I believe could save my customers a lot of money. However, the market where I see the biggest uptake is the public sector, which is new to me. Can you offer me tips and advice on how to take a new product into this market?
Q.
I often get knocked back by clients, though I feel this has nothing to do with my company or its service. I am a 20-year-old female entrepreneur and I have the added disadvantage of looking younger than my years. However, I often fi nd that when I walk into a room some of those present, both women and men, seem to be making their minds up before I have even uttered a word. How can I ensure I am taken seriously by potential clients?
Q.
I have heard a lot in the press recently about ‘non-geographic phone numbers’. However, I’m not really sure how they work and how they could be of benefit to my business. Will an 0800 or an 0845 number actually contribute towards boosting my business?
Q.
I’m currently thinking of taking on board an institutional backer, but want to know more about handling the post-deal relationship. Having run a business for several years, the last thing I want is to be told what to do by someone else all the time. So where do I draw the line? When should I take their advice and when should I not? In short, what’s the best way to handle a venture capitalist?
Q.
I’m recruiting for a new sales director. I’ve got one strong candidate I could appoint from within who desperately wants the job and is more than capable of doing it. However, he’s also my best sales person and I’m concerned about the trade I’ll lose if I take him off direct sales duties. What should I do?
Q.
We provide marketing services to a very wellknown company but make little profit for the amount of time the work takes up. However, having such a respected customer on our books has helped me win numerous other deals. Should I ditch the big customer and spend time chasing business where the real profit lies or accept it as a ‘loss leader’ to win other contracts?
Q.
We’re a relatively small company less than three years old and employing 32 people, but we’ve recently started to target large corporations. Have you got any tips to help ensure we’re taken seriously and deliver on their expectations?
Q.
We are a successful growing business and are in the top five companies servicing our market. While our products are tried and tested, staff turnover among my sales team is very high. Apart from the sales director we have no one who has been with the business for more than 12 months. How can I go about improving retention?
Q.
We are a 100-strong company with a sales force of 40. I want our office network to be available to all of these remote workers, while they are out on the road. What’s holding me back is the security aspect and the prospect of overpaying for something which is too sophisticated for my needs. How would you recommend I go forward with this?
