“How on earth did we run out of blue widgets???”, screamed Freddy, the agitated fictional boss of Widgets-R-Us. Ah, I hear you say. Freddy’s fictional firm needs a dashboard tracking all of the critical numbers to keep his business healthy. To be in control of your business, you need visibility of what’s going on. Too often, as the owner you’re the last person to know when a problem is quietly festering away in the dark recesses of the backrooms. In this article you’ll learn about dashboards, including 10 tools to build your business dashboard. This will give you more visibility, more control ..read more

Business is the heart of the economy. Take out the small and medium businesses and about half of all Gross Domestic Product and half of all employees are gone. It would have a calamitous impact and so government covid support schemes were launched to help. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have closed down millions of shops globally and have pushed far too many businesses into debt and to the brink of failure.  Too many businesses failing, and the rise in unemployment would lead to a massive drop in tax revenues and far more hungry mouths to support. That’s why governments are taking e ..read more

The punches rained down on Mohammad Ali. He was on the ropes from the beginning, taking blow after blow. “Perhaps he’s bitten off more than he can chew”, the commentator wondered. There he was, being pummelled by the undefeated world champion, George Foreman. Was he expecting too much of himself?  Ali explained afterwards that he was deliberately wearing Foreman out. Every punch was absorbed by the ropes he was leaning into. By the eighth round, Foreman was tired out. Ali bounced back and by the end of the round he was world champion. The best COVID lockdown business ideas have the s ..read more

Learn how to increase profit quickly with these 7 tactics.  There’s bound to be something in here that you can apply immediately. The 7 Tactics To Increase Your Profit Increase Prices Compare Quotes To Results For Jobs, Projects & Sales Renegotiate Rent Change Suppliers Sack Expensive Customers Use Processes To Eliminate Costly Mistakes Introduce A Higher-End, Luxury Product or Service How To Increase Profit – Final Thoughts… Increase Prices I know, it sounds ridiculously easy. In fact, it’s so easy that most people in business dismiss a price rise with a thought like, “my cust ..read more

What is the one fear, above all else, that keeps business owners awake at night? The fear of running out of cash and the embarrassment of going bust. The cash flow forecast helps you to sleep in peace by giving you a confident projection and the ability to manage your bank balance by predicting it’s future value. What Is Cash Flow? What Is Meant By Cash Flow Forecast? Why Is A Cash-Flow Forecast Important? Example: From Overdrawn To £60K In The Bank How To Do A Cash Flow Forecast For Your Business Cash Flow Forecast Template Common Causes of Cash Flow Problems Cash Flow Projection For Busine ..read more

what marketing strategy for your business? There are two broad types of marketing and in this article you’ll learn what they are, and why you should always focus on the second type – direct-response marketing – if you run your own business. Don’t Copy Big-Brand Advertising… Small businesses often copy tactics they see being used in ads by big businesses. That’s a great pity, because the vast majority of large corporate advertising is about building a brand which will be attractive to people in an almost imperceptible emotional way. Branding is effective and works great if you’ve got a huge bud ..read more

Why should you be thinking about creating a recession proof business strategy right now? Because according to the World Trade Organisation, the coronavirus… “could spark the deepest economic recession of our lifetimes.”  WTO chief Roberto Azevedo Contents List Infographic: 4 Strategies to a Recession Proof Businesses How Are Businesses Affected By A Recession? Recessions Affect Different Businesses At Different Times How To Win At Business In A Recession or Downturn Strategy 1: Raise Your Sales To Meet Increased Demand Strategy 2: Hold Steady To Survive Strategy 3: Twist Into A New ..read more

It starts in the mind… Business growth in recession starts in your mind, not the numbers, strategies or economy. There’s a motivational postcard I once saw with a soaring eagle. The caption below it read “your attitude determines your altitude”. There is truth in this statement, no matter how twee it may sound. Contents I recently met a man with a manufacturing business. Was There Any Business Growth In Recessions We’ve Already Been Through? But what has this guy done since then?  Smart Vs Slow-Moving (A.K.A. Winners vs Losers) What a cop-out!  Strategies To Use – Instead Of Feel ..read more

You can download this planning tool I prepared for my clients by clicking on it. It is now urgent that you put in place a robust coronavirus business continuity plan to protect yourself in these extremely challenging times. This guide explains how to build your continuity plan. Contents 1. Why You Need A Coronavirus Business Continuity Plan Follow These 4 Steps To Create Your COVID-19 Coronavirus Business Continuity Plan 2. How Serious Is The Threat To Business? 3. How Much Time Do You Have? 4. How To Build Your Continuity Plan 4.1 Tighten Your Cash Controls 4.2 Plan For Staff Absences ..read more

I took this photo of the toilet roll aisle in a local supermarket in early March. Stressful situations mean people respond in unpredictable ways. Be prepared for the unexpected. The harm that the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic will inflict upon the population of the world is becoming painfully clear. The hidden sting in the tail from the pandemic, though, will be the economic consequences of virtually closing 50% or so of major economies around the world. The UK, US, Australia, Germany, France, Italy are just the tip of the iceberg, as economies globally are reeling from the impacts. As a busin ..read more