Latest News And Blogs
7 Things Every Business Owner Should Know
There were 835,494 new businesses launched in the UK in 2020, a 41% increase on 2019, when 591,924 were registered. Great news on the face of it, however according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, around 80 per cent of UK companies fail within their first year. So, how do you…
The Only Two Reasons People Will Buy From You.
When I first started my career in Commercial Radio, I learned that there are only two reasons why people will advertise; they want something better, or they fear something worse. Everything falls under one of these headings. In the thirty something years since I learned this, I have come to realise that this doesn’t just…
My Mission To Help SMEs
On this day in 2011, I made good on my decision to set up my own business by registering Geeforce Ltd with Companies House. After three decades of working in the media industry for newspapers, magazines, radio and television, I wanted to prove that I could build a business that did the things I’d always…
What Doesn’t Kill You May Make You Stronger
As we head towards the second lockdown for England of 2020, many people will be fearful of losing the businesses they’ve built, some over many years. I want to share some of the things you might think about doing during the next five weeks to ensure your business comes out the other side in good…
Deliver Big Results Every Quarter
This last weekend turned up some very unusual results in the Premier League. Manchester United let in six, whilst Liverpool, the reigning champions, shipped seven. What does that have to do with business you may ask? Well, since you’ve asked, it has a lot to do with business and the way organisations tend to plan…
Know Where You’re Going And How You’re Going To Get There
I read an interesting interview with Sir Keir Starmer in The Sunday Times last weekend in which he said that he wouldn’t shy away from the fact that The Labour Party’s 2019 manifesto had far too much in it. He also made clear his vision that Britain should be the “best place to grow up…
How much thought has gone into your business idea?
If you’re a viewer of Dragons Den, you’ll be familiar with the fact that from time to time a contestant is caught out by some quite basic questions relating to how much thought has actually gone into the business idea that is being presented. Once the Dragons smell a lack of homework they adopt a…
Five things to make your rainy days less miserable
Its a great feeling when the economy starts to pick up and business starts to be a little easier to come by, but it dismays me when a business owner says they don’t need any more business. You may not need any more business but do you want any more business? How far could your…
Manage the risk, create the opportunity
Last week I went to two business events that were focusing on the 100 days since the Brexit vote, the potential impact of Brexit and what businesses can do to mitigate the risks.You would think that most of what was discussed would have been pretty negative, however there emerged some real pearls of wisdom which…
Don’t just talk the talk – walk the walk
I like to think I’m a decent human being. I open doors for people, help people where I can, treat my friends and acquaintances with respect and courtesy, pay my way when I’m out with people and do what I can to make sure I can look at myself in the mirror when I shave…