Tag Archives: Business Plan

Dumb Money v Smart Money for Business Investments

You finished your Business Plan. Looks good. Checked the Business Case. Close the gaps and made the adjustments. Started to write the Marketing Plan. What next? Like all small businesses you need to make that step from the drawing board (business plan) to the high street and the only way to do this is to get funding.

Do ‘Aggressive’ Sales Tactics Work?

While we teach our kids to be respectable when in school, we then encourage them to tear the opposition asunder when they play sports. Getting the right balance between competition and aggression is very difficult. I see this with team leads who try to bully others into working harder (ironically, these targets are usually the workhorses) and with sales people who try to intimidate others into buying products.

10 Step Guide to Better Business Writing

Look at how Hemingway does it. His writing style is crisp, direct and engaging. All the signs of a great writer. Look at how he makes long sentences short, mundane subjects interesting, and clips along at a nice pace. And without ever losing the thread. Business writers can use these techniques to improve business plans, […]

How to Write the Executive Summary for Business Plans – Part 2

First impressions count. For this reason, you need to pay special attention to the Executive Summary. If your clients or investors don’t get past the Executive Summary, then the rest of your document will go unread. This also raises the question: Should you write your Executive Summary before or after you’ve written your Business Plan? […]

12 Steps To Becoming a Business Consultant

The BBC quotes research from Barclays Bank which shows that semi-retired workers are responsible for 50% more start-ups than 10 years ago. In the UK, 67% of small business owners are over 45, while a mere 8.7% are under 34. Such data suggests that running a business actually plays to the strengths of older people. […]

How to Give Your Boss ‘Upward’ Feedback

I never give advice. Let me rephrase that. I never give unsolicited advice. If you don’t ask for my opinion, I don’t give it. It’s not because I don’t want to help you. I do. It’s because people value what they pay for. And the ‘ask’ in asking for an opinion is a type of payment… and Trust is the currency. This brings us to the tricky subject to giving feedback to your boss. When do I give my opinion? How do I phrase things to avoid offense? What happens if I get it wrong? Here are a few ideas.

How to Create Your First Social Media Marketing Campaign

When implementing any type of marketing campaign it is wise to first take a step back and decide how to develop your campaign. Many companies are have made the executive decision to go forward with social media—they just aren’t so sure what to do.