Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
This section provides helpful guides and tips on how to find and sell to customers as a small business. Find expert advice on a variety of strategies to attract customers plus ideas on client retention and selling techniques. If you are looking to acquire new business or expand your existing customer base, these pages provide invaluable information to help you on your way. Want to know how to get more clients? Read on…!
Splashing out on organic and home-grown foods is something we have developed a taste for, but with sales of fast food on the rise how are speciality and niche providers finding new ways to stimulate taste buds and be affordable?
Finding and selling to customers
Finding and selling to customers
In the effort to win new business, it's often easy to forget what a significant revenue stream existing customers can be.
Finding and selling to customers
Setting the right price is crucial, but using it to win business often demands a subtle touch.
Finding and selling to customers
If you've hit a ceiling in terms of your rate of sales and number of customers, it may be time to find pastures new. Three owner-managers explain how it can be done.
Finding and selling to customers
A well-designed brand identity can boost sales, ensuring your customers remember your business in a favourable light and come back time and again.
Finding and selling to customers
SmallBusiness.co.uk spoke to Grant Leboff, self-titled ‘most pessimistic salesperson in Britain’ and author of Sales Therapy: Effective Selling for the Small Business Owner, for some tips on generating sales.
Finding and selling to customers
As a small business owner in a competitive market, you need to differentiate your business from your competitors. It is what makes you different, your unique selling point or USP, that motivates people to choose you over anyone else. This guide from SmallBusiness.co.uk should give you some useful tips.
Finding and selling to customers
Reader's question: I am very new at this and have just started my own bookkeeping business working from home. I am finding it very hard to find clients. Do you have any advice?
Finding and selling to customers
As a small business owner in a competitive market, you need to differentiate your business from your competitors. It is what makes you different, your unique selling point or USP, that motivates people to choose you over anyone else. This guide from SmallBusiness.co.uk should give you some useful tips.
Finding and selling to customers
Reader's question: I am very new at this and have just started my own bookkeeping business working from home. I am finding it very hard to find clients. Do you have any advice?
Finding and selling to customers
Getting your product onto the shelves of a major retailer is no mean feat. SmallBusiness.co.uk speaks to Maria Hellyer, co-founder of The British Curry Company, about how she managed to turn a few jars of curry sauce at a summer fête into Bombay Authentics, a brand that is now sold throughout the UK and exported to 12 countries throughout North America, the Middle East and Europe.
Finding and selling to customers
Having a strong, easily recognisable brand can make all the difference in raising your profile and setting you apart from your competitors. SmallBusiness.co.uk offers some answers to commonly asked questions on effective branding.
Finding and selling to customers
SmallBusiness.co.uk caught up with Tim Slatter, co-founder of speciality cake-maker www.thecakestore.co.uk, a company that took on the larger stores and, in the face of strong competition, has now achieved sales of around £1.5 million.
Finding and selling to customers
Writing clear marketing text or 'copy' helps to attract more customers, so it's worth honing your skills in this area. This article from SmallBusiness.co.uk and Nigel Temple, author of How to Get Clients to Come to You, will help.
Business Loans
Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.
Business Technology
To run an optimal business, you must have optimal tech. We explain why you must upgrade your business technology on a regular basis
Investing in a franchise
Starting a new business is an exciting venture. But – especially in well-established industry sectors – a key question is whether it would be better to buy a franchise or go solo.