Category Archives: Uncategorized

There are more than 310,000 retail businesses in the UK, which is 5.7% of all businesses, with SMEs accounting for more than 99% of them. Many UK retail businesses, especially those in the high street, have had a very tough time in recent years, having battled Covid and a record inflation-fuelled cost-of-living crisis that’s leftContinue reading “How to start a successful small retail business”

Creating a great customer experience is crucial, especially for new and established businesses operating in retail and hospitality. If you don’t create a great experience, many customers will avoid your business or head for the exit not long after entering your premises. There are many ways to encourage a great customer experience, but the potentialContinue reading “How to use music to create a great customer experience”

Dawn White battled eczema while growing up and when her own struggles showed just how sensitive human skin can be to normal detergents, she decided to do something about it. Dawn set out to create a detergent that was kinder to skin and contained no nasty chemicals. Soon she invented her own pioneering, eco-friendly detergentContinue reading “Start-up Story – Dawn White of Ecoegg”

If you don’t have a well researched business plan, you may still be able to start and grow a reasonably successful business – but it may never achieve its full potential. To do that, you need goals and a successful strategy that enables you to achieve them. So, what are the key components of aContinue reading “How to create a brilliant business plan for your small business”

What does the future hold for small businesses in the UK in the next five to ten years? What are the small business trends and which businesses are most likely to survive and succeed? How will customer wants and needs change and how might small businesses market their products and services to them? Will onlineContinue reading “How to future-proof your small business”

Many new small independent retailers buy their stock wholesale, often from small suppliers, makers and craft businesses. It can really set you apart by providing you with high quality, exclusive stock that’s superior to the mass-produced options sold by others. But where do you find such suppliers and how do you negotiate good deals? ConsultantContinue reading “How to buy and sell wholesale”

Starting your own business is challenging. If you haven’t done it before, you’ll inevitably lack know-how, while there are common pitfalls to avoid. So, what key tasks do you need to complete when setting up your own business, if you’re to get off to the best possible start? Start-up and small-business content expert, journalist MarkContinue reading “Key tasks you need to complete when starting your own business”

In 2019, tired of their daily commutes and living for weekends, Charlie Low, then head of analytics for an adventure travel company, and design consultancy engineer Dale Comely decided to leave the nine-to-five behind by converting an old DHL delivery van into an off-grid mobile home, so they could live a simpler life and travelContinue reading “Start-up story – Charlie Low and Dale Comley of Nohma”

Running a small business can leave you feeling isolated and lonely at times. Often you have no one to share your thoughts and feelings with. That’s when reaching out to other small-business owners can really help. Great value can be gained from seeking their independent opinions (and giving them yours). Many formal peer networking optionsContinue reading “How small-business owners can gain from peer group support”

There are more than five million family businesses in the UK. They employ 14.2 million people and generate a quarter of UK GDP. Many people who start a business do so with a family member, whether their spouse, partner, sibling, son or daughter or other relation. And although there can be many pros to goingContinue reading “How to start and run a business with a family member”