A reader asks: How do I start a small business? There is no one way to start a business. If you ask a dozen entrepreneurs for advice on how to start a business you’ll get a dozen different sets of advice on starting  a business and they’ll all be equally valid. So don’t feel that [...]

When it comes to businesses the proverb: Failing to plan is planning to fail is true, however if you look at many of the books or guides on how to write a business plan it can seem like a daunting prospect. You’ll be advised that a good business plan contains most if not all of [...]

When I was let go at age 46 from the firm I was with, I calculated that at my age and income level any new employer would expect me to deliver new business to the firm quickly. If I didn’t I wouldn’t last long. If I did bring in a lot of business, however, the [...]

Venture capitalist Robin Klein recently blogged that: Funding business plans from first time entrepreneurs just won’t happen anymore! and went on to suggest that to get funding from a venture capital fund entrepreneurs are going to have to: Be founded by 2nd and 3rd time tech entrepreneurs Aspiring to build global businesses with scale With [...]

11% of consumers will not use a company if they don’t like the name? Yet 26% of businesses select the first name they think of – don’t make that mistake! So how do you choose a name for your business? There are four simple rules that your name should obey: Identifies what you do. Distinguishes [...]

Enterprise Capital Funds (ECFs) are part of the UK Governments continued efforts in its crusade to address the “Equity Gap” for growth companies seeking up to £2m in equity capital. The “Equity Gap” is a market failure based on entirely rational economics – the monetary returns that professionals have made from early stage investments have [...]

If you want to start a business but don’t have the skills to do it all by yourself or you just love the startup experience then a Startup Weekend might be of interest. The concept behind Startup Weekend is simple: Have you ever wondered what a group of highly talented and motivated people could accomplish [...]

UK businesses are failing to take advantage of legislation (Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998) that protects them against slow paying clients, according to new research by commercial credit agency Graydon UK. Only 4% of businesses surveyed charged interest on late payments according to a poll. A further 44% of UK businesses said [...]

I finally watched Syed Ahmed’s Hot Air last night. It was an interesting program, but frustratingly they didn’t stick with it to the end, we were left wondering if Syed has managed to make it work or not. I have my doubts. Overall I really couldn’t see the point of his dryer, gym towels, as [...]

Business Angels and Venture Capitalists are crucial to many startups, but they are a picky bunch. They want your business to grow, but they are looking for a good return on their investment, as such they aren’t necessarily willing to pay for everything that the company needs. So what are the top three things investors [...]