Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Ian Merricks began his career as a record promoter in 1996, specialising in youth media. In 2007, he raised private equity for the MBO of media and marketing company Itchy Group, for whom he has overseen five acquisitions and several million pounds of private investment. SmallBusiness.co.uk sat down for a cup of tea with him to find out the secret to his success.
Business management
Advice
Many companies don't want to buy freehold premises, preferring to take a lease for a set number of years or 'term'. Nicola Heaney of Sherrards Solicitors explains what to look out for when taking a leasehold premises.
Business management
Ian Merricks began his career as a record promoter in 1996, specialising in youth media. In 2007, he raised private equity for the MBO of media and marketing company Itchy Group, for whom he has overseen five acquisitions and several million pounds of private investment. SmallBusiness.co.uk sat down for a cup of tea with him to find out the secret to his success.
Advice
Many companies don't want to buy freehold premises, preferring to take a lease for a set number of years or 'term'. Nicola Heaney of Sherrards Solicitors explains what to look out for when taking a leasehold premises.
Legal advice
Entrepreneurial businesses can make their fortunes through intellectual property. If they can hang onto it long enough, that is. Robert Tyerman investigates the murky world of IP protection
News
Ten franchisees have reached the National Finals of the 2006 bfa Franchisee of the Year Awards and will now battle it out for the top prize of £5,000 at the Awards Dinner before the National Franchise Exhibition in October.
Marketing
Even in the fad-friendly world of the internet, podcasting has become something of a phenomenon of late. But is podcasting simply the latest craze being toyed with by creative media types or is there more commercial substance behind it? Opinion is divided.
News
The majority of small business owners are opting for snappy, memorable names for their start-up operations, rather than the traditional choice of family names in a bid to simultaneously reflect their product and appeal to customers.
Finding and selling to customers
When consumers are considering which product or service to spend their money on, an obvious consideration is price. Christian Nellemann offers some advice to small businesses looking to compete on price.
Investing in a franchise
Wouldn't it be great if there was a way you could start a business of your own with a much greater chance of survival than the average start-up? Well, there is and that method is called business format franchising and here's how it works...
Legal advice
If you have thought of an idea on which to base your business, then it is certainly worth trying to protect it with the law, in case someone tries to copy your idea.
Partner content
HSBC - Advertising feature
Business Technology
Here's how Security Service Edge from Vodafone can help to protect your SME from ever-increasing cyber threats