The New Year is always a good time for reflection. We touched on this point in last month's newsletter. It's usually when we look back and wonder where the time went.

The question that regularly comes to the mind of the business owner centres on what has really been accomplished over the year. Read More

Running a successful business means learning how to do things more efficiently than your competition.

The traditional 9 to 5 workday is a distant memory for many of us as we conduct our business on the go. One of the strongest strategies (at no cost!) to embrace is using good old Skype, a technology that has been around for a while now and continues to improve.  Read More

Small business owners often find themselves discouraged with their websites and their inability to attract a large amount of clientele.

According to my business coaching book there are two main things to remember when creating your website: to attract and engage. Without both of these features working for you, your site will not be working to your advantage. Read More

There’s an old rule of business that if you treat your customers well, they will reciprocate.

What you are not supposed to do is to pummel your customers into the dust. Yet that’s exactly the impact that the big retailing giants like David Jones and Myers seem intent on doing. Read More

 
A mobile phone is a powerful device these days. More than just taking and receiving phone calls and text messages, a mobile phone can run your calendar, receive and send emails, browse the internet and play movies and music. And these are just some of the more basic functions. Some people love this idea; and other people fear how much technology is encroaching on their lives. But the fact remains that if you are running a company it can be very useful to have access to all forms of communication in a single, portable device. Read More

The internet has made it much easier to keep on top of your competitors’ activities with the spread of social media. Even if your competitors don't use social media, you can bet their customers and suppliers do. Read More

Buying a business is easier than building one yourself but it has its own challenges. Despite the fact that buying is a more expensive proposition than building (or should be if it's any good!), banks will see it as a safer option because they can look at the business's track record as a guarantee for future earnings to pay them back their interest and capital.  Read More

One of the first things a retail business considers is its front window display. It is the visual hook that will entice potential customers to walk into the shop, browse through stock on the shelves and make a purchase.  Read More

The desire to start your own company can have several motivations. A desire to make money or to change the world, the urge to be in control of your employment, or the ambition to test out a great idea.

Unfortunately, becoming an entrepreneur takes more than a single good idea. Motivational speakers come up with favourite lists of essential qualities of successful entrepreneurs but within those there are some basic requirements.  Read More

Despite surrounding themselves with computers and gadgets, businesses still can’t break their love affair with an ancient technology - paper.

Printing is one of the surprisingly large expense areas in many businesses, often with little oversight as to what is being printed or by whom. Business owners tend to prefer buying the cheapest printers without realising that the price of the unit is not as important as the cost of the ink or toner that it consumes. Read More