Recent research shows that owner-managers of small and medium sized businesses have doubled the amount of time they spend growing their businesses compared with six months ago. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘sole trader’
Are you managing for growth?
Saturday, June 19th, 2010Local heroes
Friday, June 18th, 2010Small business leaders elevated entrepreneurship to almost heroic proportions through the dedication and sacrifice they made to keep their businesses afloat during 2009.
According to a recent report by Hiscox:
- One in five SME bosses invested on average £17,000 of their own savings in their business last year
- Over a third cut their own salaries to reduce operating costs and improve cashflow, while only a tenth cut the salaries of their senior staff
- And a third increased their working hours by on average 12.5 hours a week, with one in ten working over 50 hours a week to keep their businesses afloat
And for many there was a personal cost as well:
- 38% have suffered from stress
- 24% had times when they were unable to sleep through worry
- 13% have seen their marriages suffer
Let’s hope that this year will prove to be kinder and reward these business leaders for their commitment and sacrifice.
How to present a request for finance to your bank
Thursday, June 17th, 2010A new recent business guide on our website contains details of how to present a request for finance to your bank. (more…)
Reducing the cost of business finance
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010Despite reports that bank lending to small businesses is still failing to meet targets, there is increased demand for credit from small businesses seeking among other things to refinance existing loans and to fund a growing amount of takeover activity.
Whether your business is in either of these categories or you are seeking finance (more…)
Monitoring performance
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010These days it is more important than ever for businesses to monitor performance on a regular basis. Not only does this help to avoid nasty unforeseen surprises, it also gives your business more flexibility and agility – a definite plus in today’s unpredictable economic climate.
