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A promising venture

Previously, we’ve looked at the reasons why many describe the...
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Guides & Tips

The benefits of a joint venture

Even Simon Cowell and Sir Philip Green are seeing the benefits of a joint venture.

SMEs fight back against recession

With insolvencies so high, businesses are undoubtedly up against a challenging environement. David Wei, CEO of Alibaba.com, has every faith that SMEs will recover quickly.

How to find customers

Targeting the right person in a company is critical, but not always easy.

Guide to setting prices

What price you charge is a tricky proposition. Should you go for dirt cheap or reassuringly expensive? This step-by-step guide will help.

What is the difference between the businesses that succeed and the ones that don’t? Quite simply, customers. They’re the lifeblood of any business and without them no company can survive. Read on for top tips for increasing your customer base, written in conjunction with marketing expert Jackie Jarvis of marketingco.biz…

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.

Don't Miss

Searching for sales

Simon Campbell set up online marketing service The Sandpit less than six months ago, but is projecting £1 million in sales for its first year of trading.

David Strang is flying high with his boomerangs

Big returns

David Strang’s boomerang and toy company Wicked Vision has soared since he first launched it ten years ago.

Keep your customers coming back for more

Retaining customers

Keeping customers coming back for more isn't always easy. Here are ten top tips on how to retain a loyal consumer base.

Sales & Marketing News

Quarterly manufacturing performance was gloomy

Manufacturing output slumps on the quarter

Sentiment among the UK’s small and medium-sized manufacturers fell for the third quarter running in the three months to January, finds research.

Manufacturing output slumps on the quarter

Sentiment among the UK’s small and medium-sized manufacturers fell for the third quarter running in the three months to January, finds research.

Retailers 'trying to absorb crunch costs'

British retails are "doing their best" to avoid passing on the increased costs due to rising prices, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Manufacturing 'kick-starts back into life'

The UK manufacturing sector started 2012 on a positive footing with a key sector index rising to an eight-month high.

Glimmer of hope for sales in 2012

Consumer confidence in the UK rose in January.

Retail suffers in 2011

Retail sales fell in the year to January despite modest growth last month, finds the Confederation of British Industry.

SMEs hit by bad weather

Heavy snowfall has again taken small businesses in the UK by surprise.

UK trade deficit expands

The UK trade deficit in goods and services widened to £2.6 billion in November 2011, from a revised £1.9 billion in October, according to Office of National Statistics figures.

Businesses cold on Olympic legacy

The majority of small companies believe the London 2012 Olympic Games will not benefit their business in the long term, research finds.

Good news for services sector

The UK’s services sector expanded at its fastest rate since July, research finds.

Consumer caution worries businesses

Three quarters of small companies are concerned that cautious consumer spending this Christmas will negatively impact their business.

Events Calendar

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FT Guide to Personal Tax

The FT Guide to Personal Tax is published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and John Bloxham, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as over 230 tax-saving tips.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

The FT Guide to Business Start Up 2012, published by Pearson Education, is written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc. This unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.

What Investment

What Investment is the leading and longest-established investment magazine in the UK.

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Philip Wilkinson, Business Link

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Paul Stallard, Berkeley PR

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Misco Offers for small businesses

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Blogs

Apprenticeship dreams

Ben Lobel 07/02/2012

So, another government incentive has been dangled in front of small businesses in the form of a fresh £6 million fund for hiring apprentices. Have your say »