GB | Growing Business

If you don’t communicate, guess where your ship is going... Precisely, right on to the rocks! Just like Fabio Capello’s much-trumpeted England squad at the recent World Cup. Could communication possibly have been any worse? The Premiership is the most watched league in the World. But, how do you transfer the energy, effort and commitment that crackles so convincingly in the Premiership to the heart of the National squad, while also getting results? You talk. You work. You c...
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By Ian Mills in blog
17/08/10 12:32

Is trying to get the banks to lend to all small businesses a waste of time?

Following this week’s release of the green paper on bank lending it seems George Osborne and Vince Cable have highlighted their concern to get banks lending to small businesses again. This approach is at best unfocused and at worst a complete waste of time and energy. The coalition government is relying on the private sector to take up the slack in the economy caused by public sector cuts and to drive growth. They also acknowledge that smaller businesses will be the engines of that gr...
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By Gerard Burke in blog
02/08/10 14:28

Budget 2010: Entrepreneurs' reactions

Entrepreneurs cast their verdict on Osborne's austerity Budget It's safe to say that entrepreneurs were bracing themselves for George Osborne's austerity Budget. However, now that the suspense is over, 'it could have been much worse' seems to be the general consensus among the business community. In fact, many business owners have commended the chancellor, whose acknowledgement of the key role that entrepreneurs will play in driving the economic recovery has gone down parti...
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in blog
23/06/10 11:58

The funding barrier holding growth firms back

Alex Macpherson, managing director of investment house Octopus Ventures calls for legislation to ensure ambitious companies get the follow-on funding rounds they need With the emergency Budget fast approaching, changes in policy relating to smaller company investment are high on the agenda. Government endorsed vehicles such as venture capital trusts (VCTs) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) are a key route for investment into this space, and so it’s vital that legislation aroun...
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By Alex Macpherson in blog
21/06/10 15:11

Entrepreneurs assess the new government

Standing side by side in the Downing Street gardens yesterday, new prime minister David Cameron and his deputy, Nick Clegg, appeared at ease in each other's company at what some attendees described as a veritable love-in between the two party leaders. Cameron and Clegg both hailed the dawn of a new era for UK politics after forming the first coalition since the Second World War. The agreement, they insisted, marked not just a new government but a new kind of government, where the...
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in blog
13/05/10 11:00

What sets great business leaders apart?

It’s said that you can accomplish anything you want in the world, as long as you don’t care who gets the credit. I have always believed a firm rule for success is to make your co-operation greater than your status at all times. We’ve all met business owners and senior management who see their status as something which should be regarded and tended to above all else, many of whom could still be viewed as good entrepreneurs and businesspeople. However, this self-centred approach will stop th...
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By Dan Sullivan in blog
12/05/10 11:22

Hung parliament: Entrepreneurs' reactions

The votes are still being counted, and while it’s as yet unclear exactly what colour or shape the next government will be one thing is now certain: no party can achieve the magic 326 seats needed for a majority in the House of Commons. The UK has woken up to a hung parliament. Although the Conservatives have won the most seats, as the current PM, Gordon Brown has the constitutional right to try to form a coalition first. However, even a mooted Lib-Lab pact might not be able to achieve a cl...
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By Steph Welstead in blog
07/05/10 12:51

Budget 2010: The Dragon’s verdict

James Caan evaluates the measures for entrepreneurs in yesterday’s Budget. Alistair Darling attempted to display prudence with his revised down growth forecasts for next year, as he claimed that his Budget was based on the lowest end of Bank of England (BoE) growth estimates. Prudence is necessary in uncertain times, but these growth figures may still be slightly optimistic – the Tories certainly think so. But the Budget outlined a clear set of priorities, even if there wasn’t a ...
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Budget 2010: The professional’s view

Jeremy Beard, partner at accountancy firm haysmacintyre gives his reaction to yesterday’s small business measures. Since it’s an election year, many believe that Alistair Darling’s Budget is the first of a two part episode giving continued uncertainty, as the final tax changes for the forthcoming tax year are still not fully known. However, the new announcements affecting businesses and their owners were uncontroversial, not extensive and some provided a welcome boost to owners and the...
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By James Hurley in blog
25/03/10 09:59

Budget 2010: Entrepreneurs’ reactions

Owner-managers give their verdict on what could be Darling’s final Budget. Alistair Darling has warned us to expect a ‘workmanlike’ speech. Commentators spoke of a ‘phoney Budget’; Nick Robinson, the BBC’s political editor, said he’d overheard chatter in the chancellor's office earlier this week that there was "no need for a Budget" at all since all the important decisions on tax and public borrowing had been made during the pre-Budget report. Despite inevitable pressure to offer some ...
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By James Hurley in blog
24/03/10 16:31

The value of caution for entrepreneurs

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