GB | Growing Business

Why a blend of prudence and adaptability is as important as a willingness to take a risk when growing a business. Peter Cullum recently attacked the cult of the entrepreneur which eulogises qualities such as “passion, determination and commitment” while ignoring the core skills that are required to do the job. He probably could have added “risk taking” to that list; while an appreciation of risk is an enviable quality, it’s not the same thing as a proclivity for taking audaciou...
more »

By James Hurley in blog
11/03/10 10:45

Social media: Digital dialogue, not brand broadcast

Will King, founder of King of Shaves, on why social media is changing the rules of engagement for marketers Social media is enjoying explosive growth, and as brands and companies struggle to embrace what this means to them (and how they use it to grow their business) I’ll give you an idea of what we’re doing at King of Shaves. I’ve been ‘blogging’ since 2001. Back then, not many did, but it seemed an easy way to give people an insight into King of Shaves: what we’re doing, why we...
more »

By Will King in blog
08/03/10 15:40

Diversify your business in 2010

How business expert René Carayol and Barclays’ Business MD Steve Cooper can help you drive your business into exciting new areas. Caution might still be the watchword for many small businesses in 2010, but plenty of entrepreneurs are starting to feel more bullish too; a recent survey found that 60% of small business owners are optimistic about opportunities for their firms over the next quarter, compared to less than 50% when the same poll was last conducted six months ago. For those w...
more »

in blog
25/02/10 17:15

Is there an entrepreneurial glass ceiling?

Julie Hall, founder of Women Unlimited, asks why women are less likely to set up fast-growth businesses Much is written about the glass ceiling that exists for women in the boardroom, but no one is talking about the 'entrepreneurial glass ceiling' that exists in business ownership. Only 14% of UK companies are majority owned by women. The average turnover for male-owned businesses is £360,000 yet for female-owned businesses this figure stands at £150,000 – depressing statistics ...
more »

By Julie Hall in blog
11/02/10 12:43

Why the word entrepreneur is losing its value

Those who subscribe to a traditional definition of 'entrepreneur' will become uncomfortable with the word's ubiquity, says James Hurley. Sunday Times news editor turned entrepreneur Greg Hadfield, who sold Soccernet to ESPN for £15m in 1999, and until last month worked as head of digital development at The Telegraph , recently suggested the word ‘entrepreneur’ faces an imminent fall from grace. Speaking to an audience of journalists and publishers, he recalled his early career...
more »

By James Hurley in blog
20/01/10 17:15

How to make your website the route to new customers

Richard Stobart, managing director of web consultancy Unboxed Consulting, explains why taking an established website to the next level needn’t require hefty investment. Your company’s website is more important than ever before. Many companies are opening up their site as a portal for customers to engage with the company and each other, to buy, browse, comment and criticise. In the current climate it’s an easy way to extend your reach to new customers, encourage existing customers to s...
more »

By Richard Stobart in blog
15/01/10 11:42

Quotes of 2009

It's been a tough year for businesses large and small, but that hasn't stopped owner-managers talking a good game. Of the hundreds of entrepreneurs we've spoken to over the past year, here’s a small selection of some of the memorable pearls of wisdom the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs gave us in 2009: Philip Green, Acadia Group Charles Dunstone, Carphone Warehouse Deborah Meaden, Dragon Simon Calver, Lovefilm ...
more »

in blog
18/12/09 17:00

Pre-Budget report: The small business verdict

This week’s Pre-Budget Report (PBR) has received a mixed response. Some called it electioneering. On last night's Question Time , for instance, former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown described the one-off tax on bankers’ bonuses worth more than £25,000 “a piece of gesture politics that will never work”. Suggesting that banks will be able to sidestep the levy fairly easily, he added that it was “more riddled with holes that a cheese grater”. Meanwhile, John Wright, national ch...
more »

in blog
11/12/09 17:00

Managing your online reputation

A strong online reputation is something that you build in the good times. Unfortunately that’s a bit like saying the best way to cure a hangover is to drink a little bit less the night before, but the best time to do this is certainly not when you’re in a crisis situation. News is increasingly breaking online, and the immediacy of things like Twitter and Facebook means that it can spread very quickly. If your website is revenue-generating, monitoring what’s being said about you online ...
more »

By Will Critchlow in blog
11/12/09 15:45

Bridging the gender gap in business financing

Julie Hall, founder of Women Unlimited, on why women need to start learning the language of equity finance According to a recent report by the Women’s Enterprise Forum, the average amount of money needed to start-up a high-growth business is £120,000. However, what we find is that while male and female-owned businesses both need the same amount of money to get off the ground, where they get that money from differs greatly. Like it or not, the gender divide exists in financing bus...
more »

By Julie Hall in blog
02/12/09 10:33

How to manage working capital

Martin Mitchell, head of operations at financial training firm CTG, explains why entrepreneurs should put working capital management at the core of the business’ operations. Many entrepreneurs think their business is financially sound if it’s making profits, but that isn’t always true. The demands of working capital mean that even profitable companies can run out of the cash that’s needed to meet current expenses such as payroll, benefits, rent, and other liabilities, particularly duri...
more »

By Martin Mitchell in blog
25/11/09 10:55

What I've learned about entrepreneurship

I have been exposed to entrepreneurialism throughout my working career. In 2000, I left university to join Espotting, which was the first paid for search placement player in Europe. I was part of a hugely entrepreneurial and exceptional but small team of people, who together created a large and successful company that was to sell for millions of pounds. Being involved in this cycle of aggressive growth was hugely exhilarating and instilled in me the desire to build my own business.
more »

By Satish Jayakumar in blog
10/11/09 09:30

Previous Page1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 Next Page

Editor's Picks

Call Britannia: a new chapter for social enterprise?

Karen Darby on her ambitious growth plans for Call Britannia and why you can't have a social impact without profit

in Raising Finance

The future of leadership

The collapse of the financial system gave us pause for thought about how we choose our leaders. Malcolm Gladwell and Daniel Goleman suggest an alternative way forward

in Leadership Skills