As the new year approaches, I feel it is worth reflecting on 2012. It has been a difficult year for so many small and medium size organisations. The economic climate, and the UK government’s reaction to it, has hit hard this year. Recent data shows things aren’t going to be getting better very quickly so […]
Business funding update: will things be better in 2013?
For many of our clients and readers, access to business finance remains one of their biggest concerns going into 2013. As we have mentioned in previous blogs, the paradox of banks not lending and SMEs not borrowing leads to an increasingly downward spiral of funding. The government is trying to do something about it with […]
Starbucks, Amazon and Google: Who’s in the wrong?
This is a great story. The government has suddenly decided to come down hard on company’s not paying tax – shock horror. Have any laws been broken? The amazing thing here is that nobody has broken the law (allegedly). We have some offshoring and some transfer pricing, and some nice tax havens, but these companies […]
Autumn Statement 2012 – No room to move?
The Chancellor finds himself in a very difficult position, not just because he is scrabbling around to create an environment in which the economy can grow, but more importantly – in my opinion – he actually has very little power to make meaningful and sustainable changes. In the ultimate democracies (one of which we thankfully […]
Economic update: what does it mean for your business strategy?
This post will be the first of what I hope will become a regular series that looks at the latest economic data. It will attempt to interpret the various indicators and put them into some perspective so that you can read the tea leaves about how to plan and implement your business strategy. Today, we’re […]
Creating a Turnaround strategy that keeps the value in your business
In previous blogs, we have talked about how to recognise the warning signs that your business might be heading into rough waters, and also about the importance of examining the wider business environment to determine the best positioning for your business. The third element of creating a Turnaround strategy that preserves value and ensures you stay in […]
Turnaround strategy: taking the first steps towards a stronger business
Over the years I have developed a number of Turnaround strategies, both for my own businesses and when supporting and advising others. What I learnt fairly early on was that it makes a significant difference to the success of the plan if you put in some ground work first. Of course, it’s tempting to skip […]
Business strategy 101: Empowering employees, building business
Employee empowerment has become an increasingly popular business strategy over the past 20 years – in direct contrast to the control and command strategies in play for the last two centuries. However, a recent report shows that the UK comes ninth in a ranking of engagement levels among the world’s 12 largest economies. The organisation […]
Business strategy 101: Right place, right time
Everything in life is contingent upon its position in the world. The personal, political, scientific and natural worlds all depend on their location and the other elements operating around them. The same could be said about the corporate world, which is dependent upon the external environment within which it operates. This includes everything from local […]
The bank lending paradox and its effect on demand for business finance
Bank funding is still proving elusive, particularly for the SME market. The consequences of the 2008 credit crisis and the effects of the ongoing Eurozone situation continue to be felt in our domestic lending markets: the banking sector remains deeply unpopular and under attack from all sides. A never ending string of operational and cultural […]