
Developing Your Business Mission
When you first launch your business, there's a driving force, a vision of what you could achieve.
Your business mission is your raison d'être, your 'reason for being'.
Beyond the money, why are you in business?
This is GAP's business…

Small Business Marketing Strategy
I believe that all small businesses have the ability to market themselves well. Great small business marketing isn't about throwing money at expensive advertising in a bid to try and compete with big businesses.
Less is expected of small…

Efficiency and Effectiveness
Efficiency is being able to create products or offer services at a competitive price.
Effectiveness is creating and offering the right products and services, the products and services that consumers desire and will buy.
An inefficient,…

How To Grow And Prosper In A Crowded Marketplace
"The basic function of marketing is to attract and retain customers at a profit."
Peter Drucker
Marketing should play a central role in your business and should penetrate and affect business decisions in all areas from product design…

Three Steps to a Successful Micro Business
I like the idea of a micro business; a small enterprise that is both and helps you achieve your life goals.
A micro business is officially defined as a business that has five or less employees and a turnover of less than two million euros.
I…

What Small Businesses Can Learn From Zara
Zara have become a fashion powerhouse. I know very little about fashion but I can see how successful their business model is and why it works. The good news is that the model they use is perfect for small businesses like yours and mine.
Zara…

Start Up Tips: Skill Trades
When you're starting up, trading skills makes a lot of sense. You trade your skills for the skills that you require - everyone's a winner. While skill trades are most common among businesses just starting up I think they have a place beyond…

Where's Your Business At?
It's useful to do a periodic audit and figure out where your business is at. An annual look at your business in some depth can help you work out what the next steps might be.
You might find it useful to ask yourself the following questions;
Where…

The Gentle Way to Sell More Effectively
Lots of people don’t like selling, especially if they’re selling themselves or their own products. Perhaps you think it’s being pushy, or maybe you’ve been on the receiving end of an over enthusiastic sales person, but sales doesn’t…

What to do when your competitors drop their price
If your competitors drop their prices what do you do? Do you follow suit or stand firm?
In this post I’ll cover the situations where you too may consider cutting your prices, and when you might not!
Consider dropping your prices if:
1. Your…