Category

Running a Business

This section takes you through every important aspect of how to run a successful business. It offers expert guides and advice articles on the key elements of business management such as employing staff, finding customers, marketing and sales, pricing, people management, office and home working, business technology and everything else an entrepreneur must tackle in order to succeed.

Redefine your market – Three case-studies

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

Marketing

Turn business leads into sales

British businesses spend millions of pounds every year on various marketing tools including advertising, direct mail, exhibitions and PR, but it’s just as important to follow up the enquiries and know where they came from, as it is to obtain them in the first place.

Business management

Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, on the role of the CEO

Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, has lifted the company and the Cobra brand to achieve annual turnover of £96 million, selling across more than 45 countries worldwide. He has recently published a guide to entrepreneurship, drawing on his experiences and offering advice for prospective business owners in his own infectiously enthusiastic style.

Finding and selling to customers

The power of business design

A well-designed brand identity can boost sales, ensuring your customers remember your business in a favourable light and come back time and again.

Office & home working

Work quicker, greener and smarter

When you're running a business, it's easy to lose sight of the little things that can make everyone's lives easier and your company much more efficient.

Business management

Jennifer Irvine, founder of The Pure Package

Jennifer Irvine launched The Pure Package in 2004 as a home-delivery meals service tailored to meet clients' individual dietary requirements and preferences. In its first year, Pure Package delivered 70,000 meals and achieved a turnover of £200,000. The company has since grown into a multi-million pound operation. We asked her for her top tips.

Finding and selling to customers

How to make more sales

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.

Small Business Insurance

Can you afford to ignore flood risk?

Small businesses are more at risk from flooding than fire - and the effects can be 30 times as costly as burglary - yet many businesses still do not have any measures in place to protect their property or staff from flooding, says , the Environment Agency.

Finding and selling to customers

How to make more sales

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.

Small Business Insurance

Can you afford to ignore flood risk?

Small businesses are more at risk from flooding than fire - and the effects can be 30 times as costly as burglary - yet many businesses still do not have any measures in place to protect their property or staff from flooding, says , the Environment Agency.

Business management

Protecting your ideas

As small business owners competing against larger players, one of the biggest challenges you will face is how to protect your ideas or inventions from theft and imitation.

Legal advice

Businesses ‘need to watch out for age discrimination laws’

Awareness of the age discrimination regulation is 'comparatively low' within small firms, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Marketing

Radio advertising as a small business marketing strategy is dead

It's official, radio advertising as a small business marketing strategy is dead. At least that's the opinion of SmallBusiness.co.uk readers in our recent poll.

Finding and selling to customers

How to stand out from the crowd

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.

Business Loans

A guide to getting a small business loan

Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.

Partner content

What are the funding options for hospitality businesses?

Hospitality businesses have faced a number of challenges in the last couple of years. Find out what funding and support is available.

Employing & managing staff

The importance of vocational rehabilitation services for SMEs

In Aviva’s latest SME research*, 57 per cent of employers surveyed agreed that nowadays employees expect benefits to protect against loss of income or earnings. What do you offer your people?

Partner content

What are the benefits of business broadband?

Business broadband offers a host of advantages over standard domestic connections, here’s why you should be considering an upgrade