As you will be well aware, business rates – often referred to as non-domestic rates – are a tax on businesses and other organisations that occupy commercial premises. They are an annual contribution to the cost of services provided by local authorities and the emergency services, which is based upon the rateable value of your […]
Cash flow problems – 6 Paradoxes that can cause them
Paradox seems to play an increasing role in our day to day lives. Once we recognise the paradox in a particular situation we can very often learn from it. Here are 6 that relate to cash flow problems: 1. Unrealistic Sales forecasts Why, when looking at putting down a cash flow forecast, does sales growth […]
Cash flow must haves – from someone who has made all the mistakes
I have been in business for over 30 years and have made many mistakes. Whilst some of these errors have been in relation to timing and when to develop a particular idea or product, a large number have been in relation to cash flow and have been very costly at the time. We all make […]
Can the Enterprise Finance Guarantee help with your funding problems?
Following on from our recent article on the new Business Bank, this is the first in a series explaining the various government funding schemes available to businesses in the UK. The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is a loan guarantee scheme to facilitate lending to viable businesses that have been turned […]
How to save your company when the Bank says NO to business finance
When the bank says NO it isn’t the end of the line! Whether it is a refusal for a new loan, or you feel that they are making things very difficult and the relationship has broken down with your existing facility – THERE ARE ALWAYS OPTIONS!!! Here are five valuable tips that have worked for […]
6 quick steps to planning a turnaround strategy
The hardest part of planning a company turnaround is recognising that you have problems, and that action needs to be taken to avoid a terminal decline. Once you have done this, anything is possible, however bad you believe the situation is. I fully recognise that time is of the essence in these situations, so here […]
5 self survey questions: Need a Turnaround strategy or new finance?
5 big picture questions to help you decide if you need to look at a Turnaround Strategy or business finance support and advice. It’s often difficult when you are in the middle of a situation every day to see the big picture. What I’m suggesting here is that you take yourself outside the day job […]
How to stay Flexible when planning your business Turnaround Strategy
Flexibility is vital to the success of any business turnaround strategy One of the biggest problems in business is that just when you think you have a settled business model in a stable market, things change. This is particularly the case in these times of austerity and turbulent Global markets. There are two ways in […]
6 easy ways to make sure you get paid on time and BOOST your cashflow
It seems to me that it is often the easy things we miss in business. The actions you take as a given, or expect someone else to be handling, are very often the ones that get missed. This is never more so than in debt collection! As we all know poor credit control is a […]
How to ensure your strategy is aligned for great employee engagement
Strategic fit – Make sure the turnaround strategy is in line with the business purpose I am always surprised to see turnaround strategies that have at their core a complete reduction, let’s say in Marketing and Service departments, supporting a purpose that is based on increasing sales penetration and the provision of first class customer […]