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Short-term finance

Rory Earley, CEO of Capital for Enterprise, explores the options...
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Guides & Tips

Retaining and developing existing customers

In the effort to win new business, it's often easy to forget what a significant revenue stream existing customers can be. Here are five tips on customer retention:

A motivated sales team is a productive one

Secrets of sales

Four seasoned sales experts tell SmallBusiness.co.uk what their experiences have taught them.

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.

Healthy margins for speciality food

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 findiing new ways to stimulate taste buds and be affordable?

Gift voucher power

With a million unwanted Christmas presents sold on ebay last year, gift vouchers are becoming a popular way to avoid upsetting a loved one with an ill-chosen purchase. Here’s how they can benefit your business

Keep posted about mailing in the strikes

Don’t get hit by the postal strikes

With reports that the Royal Mail industrial action could cost the economy £1.5 billion, SmallBusiness.co.uk and Business Link have teamed up to help you minimise the damage.

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.

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

Customer service is heralded as a strong point in small businesses

Small businesses best at customer service

Four fifths of consumers in the UK believe that small, independently or locally-owned businesses provide the best customer service experience.

Small businesses best at customer service

Four fifths of consumers in the UK believe that small, independently or locally-owned businesses provide the best customer service experience.

Little change in high street sales

High street sales were slightly down in the year to April, but in line with expectations for the time of year, according to the Confederation of British Industry.

Promising export news for SMEs

UK businesses have seen increases in exporting activity over the first quarter of the year, with many businesses expecting the trend to continue in Q2 2012.

SMEs struggle with public sector tenders

Small businesses are still struggling to win public sector contracts despite the government's efforts to make it easier, research finds.

Consumers plump for e-commerce

Almost a quarter of shoppers say they do more than half of all their shopping online.

Encouraging start to 2012 for businesses

Q1 of 2012 was the best-performing quarter year-on-year since the start of the economic downturn in 2007, research finds.

SME confidence shows promise

Business confidence has bounced back to the highest level in two years, a study finds.

Human interaction favoured by businesses

Owners of small and medium-sized enterprises would still prefer to do business face-to-face rather than online, research finds.

Shop price inflation up

Overall shop price inflation increased to 1.5 per cent in March from 1.2 per cent in February.

Promising manufacturing outlook for SMEs

The UK's manufacturing sector grew at its fastest pace for ten months in March, a study finds.

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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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Sales and customer loyalty Questions & Answers

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PR and marketing

Paul Green, Publicity Heaven

Start-up tips

Philip Wilkinson, Business Link

Public Relations

Paul Stallard, Berkeley PR

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Latest questions answered

Q: This is my first Christmas as a retailer. How should I prepare? Q: Which type of CRM system to buy Q: Coping with sales peaks and troughs Q: Setting prices and VAT Q: Find the most profitable customers Q: Sales and marketing defined Q: Managing stock levels

Mentoring – Now there’s a bright idea for business

Whether you're starting up, taking your business to the next level or just need a sounding board, Lloyds TSB understands that a business mentor can offer you the support and guidance you need to develop your business. Find out more today.

Win with UK2’s Business Hosting

Win tickets to the British GP with UK2’s Business Hosting. Find out more today.

Sales and marketing

Learn the best ways to win new customers, advertise online and do your own PR with our weekly updates. Find out more or sign up today.

Blogs

On your plane

Ben Lobel 15/05/2012

Foreign Secretary William Hague’s call for business owners to ‘stop complaining about the economy and work harder’ is pretty unfounded in light of recent statistics. (1 comments) Have your say »

Short-term finance

Small Business Finance 12/04/2012

Rory Earley, CEO of Capital for Enterprise, explores the options for borrowing for working capital, including bank overdrafts and invoice finance. Have your say »