Guide to writing a winning business proposal
If you’re starting-up or running a small business the ability to put together a persuasive business proposal will really help you to succeed. If you have impressed a prospective client or partner after...
View ArticleGuide to successful business planning
There is a lot to be gained from business planning but many businesses will search for a million reasons to avoid it. However large or small your business is, planning for the future is critical to its...
View ArticleTop 10 business planning tips for start-ups
Writing a business plan is an important step in the business start-up process. And, if you want to raise funding for your new business, you simply must produce an up-to-date business plan to show...
View ArticleA beginner’s guide to financial reports, and what they reveal about your...
Financial reports are standardised measures of a business’ financial health. They are a necessity for publicly traded companies, but this does not mean that they are only useful for large...
View ArticleA beginner’s guide to testing your financial plan
According to Bloomberg’s infamous, mythical study, 8 out of 10 businesses fail in their first 18 months. The Bloomberg figure has been shown to be nonsense, but business failure statistics given by...
View ArticlePlanning short term and planning long term
Planning ahead is important. It helps you to understand where you want to get to and how you’re going to get there. However, financial planning can be a bit of a mystery for many small business owners....
View ArticleHow you think about your business affects how you plan
Thinking about your business in different ways affects how you plan for the future, opening up some new avenues, but making others potentially harder. By being aware of how you view your business...
View ArticleFinancial planning – 6 steps to a successful plan
Good planning is important for both startups and established businesses, and a financial plan is no exception. As a new business owner, you have probably never had to produce a financial plan, so it...
View ArticleShort term planning – how to balance your time and detail when planning
In a previous article, I described the differences between short term and long term planning. A challenge to both types of planning is how much detail to go into. I’ve seen accountants trying to create...
View ArticleWhy Your Startup Needs a Good Plan and a Flexible Strategy
Every start-up company needs a good business plan and an effective business strategy. They’re distinct but equally necessary and you shouldn’t confuse one with the other. You can’t expect to get past...
View ArticleLong term planning – how far into the future can you look
Long term planning is an oft-ignored aspect of running a business. Why is it so ignored? Because people think… It’s not useful. It’s not possible. In this article, I’m going to explain why long term...
View ArticleMarket research – what do you need to find out about your customers?
Market research is often assumed or anecdotal. A few good words here and there, enthusiastic leads, handshakes and happily resolved issues from existing customers can lead to the pleasant feeling that...
View ArticlePlanning a shakeup – How to plan for big changes in your business
The only thing you can be certain of in business is that things will change. This might be a slow change or a sudden sharp one, but either way, it’s important to prepare for the future. These changes...
View Article3 Plain and simple steps to build a winning start up strategy
You have a great business concept. Now you just need to sell it – not to customers, well, not yet. But to your backer. Your top sales tool is a business plan. But take care. Potential investors banish...
View ArticleHow Good Planning Will Make You a Better Leader
Most people have some opinions on what makes a good leader. High on the list in one form or another are “resolve” and “vision” – but these are pretty nebulous terms. How are aspiring leaders meant to...
View ArticleHow to Make a Cash Flow Forecast for a StartUp
How can I forecast my cash flow when the business doesn’t even exist yet? That’s a question most new startups wrestle with as they are planning their new business. It may seem to some to be an...
View ArticleHow to make realistic sales forecasts
So, how do you do forecast sales realistically? Every startup benefits greatly from making a cash flow forecast. But if your business hasn’t opened its doors yet, how is it possible to estimate the...
View Article10 Do’s and Don’ts of Writing a Business Plan
When it comes to writing a business plan, there is one single golden rule that dwarfs all others – your business plan must address each of the key concerns of your potential backer. If you fail on this...
View ArticleWhat I Learned from Going Bust
Every business owner can learn valuable lessons from studying how successful businesses are born and grow. Looking out for, and replicating, key drivers of success in other businesses, can help to...
View ArticleIf Your Start-Up Doesn’t Need Funding, Your Business Plan Only Needs These 4...
When you decide it’s time to get your business started, you’ll find the first piece of advice given by most experts is to “get a business plan written”. And they’re right; that is the first step to...
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