The law on workplace pensions has changed. Every employer with at least one member of staff has new duties - enrolling those who are eligible into a workplace pension and to contribute towards it. This is called Auto Enrolment. Auto Enrolment has been introduced by...
Business Planning
How To Turn A Hobby Into A Business Process
How do you take a hobby or interest and turn it into a business? In this blog, I’d like to share a simple but effective process I use with my clients to take their hobby or interest and turn it into a viable business plan. This process can be used for any start up...
What Are The Essential Elements Of A Good Funding Business Plan?
It is generally accepted that a business plan is essential for business owners who are seeking to raise money to help fund their businesses. However, a business plan written by the management team can easily fall into the trap of being inward focussed, i.e. centred...
10 Top Tips on How to Penetrate a New Industrial Sector
If you’re in a certain industry, or looking to get into a new industrial sector, you need to learn all you can about the industry. Questions you might want to ask include who are the key players? Who are the up-and-coming and on the ‘watch this space’ players? Who has...
Ensuring UK economic growth can survive the next global downturn….
Employment in the UK at a record high. The UK economy seen as a shining star. Confidence in Germany, one of our main competitors under question. So, what could go wrong? Quite a lot really. International commentators are warning of another credit squeeze and business...
Acquiring a Business – Issues to consider – Part 4
Before you make the offer to acquire a business – Consider what happens next Post-Acquisition Strategies Prior to making an offer, the acquirer should consider the purpose of the acquisition and re-visit the reasons for making the acquisition and how well the target...
Acquiring a Business – Issues to consider – Part 3
WHY DO ACQUISITIONS FAIL AND HOW DO YOU AVOID A BAD OUTCOME? It is an unfortunate fact that Acquisitions have a very high failure rate. This may seem a powerful statement but it is borne out by the statistics. "If one were to define 'failure' as failure to increase...
Acquiring a Business – Issues to consider – Part 1
WHAT IS THE MAIN STRATEGIC REASONING FOR ACQUIRERS OF A BUSINESS? Acquirers do not buy the past performance of business. They buy the future performance of the business, but use the past performance as a guide (along with other things) to establish the likelihood of...
Dealing with an under-performing family member
This is one of those predictable problems which takes on additional angst because it involves a family member. As a predictable problem, its’ resolution can be proceduralised by specifically mentioning this situation in a family constitution so that there are no...