Writing a Simple Business Plan ? Planning is a key element to running a successful business. To get where you want to go, writing a simple business plan will help you think about what you are doing and why and if you are looking at raising finance from a bank or...
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Forecasts
Forecasts? What forecasts? TV and Radio stations always have weather forecasts at the end of their news slot. And for most of us these have little more impact than whether we will need a coat in the morning or perhaps choosing to plan outside activities at the...
Unique Selling Point
Unique Selling Point A useful tool for deciding how to ‘position’ your products and services is the Porter Generic Strategy Model (developed by Michael E. Porter (1998), Harvard Business School Professor and author of numerous texts on strategy). The model suggests...
Focusing on your goals
Focusing on your goals? Are you focusing on your goals? If you sit down at the end of today and review the actions and decisions that you have made during the day, would you say that they have taken you towards or away from your goals? You might find that this is a...
Raising Money Through Crowdfunding
Raising money through crowdfunding - does it actually work? Crowdfunding is a way of raising money for a business venture, personal endeavour, or charitable cause, where a large number of people invest in or donate money to the cause. Crowdfunding is becoming more...
Closing the deal
Closing a deal is arguably the most important part of the sales cycle. So are you and your sales team getting it right? Your firm might have a database full of potential leads, your products and services could be the best in your market sector but if you are no good...
How to develop a strategy for success
How to develop a strategy for success? What is a SWOT Analysis? One of the key questions we get asked is "how to develop a strategy for success?" For business managers, SWOT analysis is an extremely valuable business tool that can help you assess situations and your...
Are you making the most of CRM?
Are you making the most of CRM? Are you making the most of CRM? In order to develop valuable, long term relationships with your customers you need to move the interaction from being purely transactional in nature to something longer term. Winning new customers when...
It may be time to pivot your strategy
In order to pivot your strategy, you will need to start by doing your research, reassessing your current business model and building a new approach from there. Pivoting your strategy may involve targeting a different customer base, new routes to market or even a new range of products and services. If pivoting your strategy pushes you into a new market, you will likely need to re-evaluate your approach to sales, marketing and day to day business processes.