Not a week seems to go by without some sort of nonsense being reported going on in the corporate world. A few years back we saw the banks implode and need bailing out, many reported this was due to greed to make bonuses and the desire to make money at any cost. Often, it is…
Today saw the publication of a report by Lord Young entitled ‘Growing Your Business’- one of a series of pieces by ‘The Dude’ (still don’t know why he has that nickname) to help Small Businesses in the UK. I have a lot of time for Lord Young, I’ve met him, and discussed a few ideas…
I heard on the radio recently something about the number of Young Entrepreneurs rocketing since the recession started. This triggered off a few little things in my head that were bugging me. For one, the phrase ‘Young Entrepreneurs’. Now, I am no stranger to this phrase as for many years I ran one of the…
Recently I was looking to open a business bank account for a new venture I’m looking to start- so I thought I would do the rounds with the banks to see what was on offer. I’m not going to name names here, but I was actually quite shocked at what I found. I went in…
A walk down to Borough Market in London on a Saturday before Christmas confirmed two things to me. The first, great quality artisan food businesses are alive and well, and the second, people are interested in buying their goods, and ‘food culture’ is alive and well, safe to say- it was heaving. I have always…
The art of articulation I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- being able to articulate what you do personally or in business is just about the most important skill you can develop. Sounds obvious huh? Well I am constantly being shocked just how bad people are at it. The age of the ‘Shrinking…
We’ve all heard it before. Try and keep the best people, and surround yourself with people better than you. This is the secret of success, and apparently people like Branson are masters at it. However, many people have reported that small businesses suffer from ‘resource poverty’ when it comes to people management and business owners…
How did it get to November? Already I am being inundated with pictures of friends of mine growing their ‘Movember‘ moustache for charity, a sure sign that the year is marching on! November is a key time in the calendar of those involved in supporting small businesses and start ups in the UK, and there…
I spend a huge amount of my working life supporting micro firms, many of them start ups. Specifically through my work with Shell LiveWIRE, I look at a huge number of funding applications for our monthly awards- this is a great privilege and gives me an insight to the ‘state of the entrepreneurial nation’! I…
