Whether you’re running a business selling products to customers or delivering services to clients there will be a number of aspects of the way you operate that are key to your ability to function.

Now is the Winter of our discontent” proclaimed Richard III in his opening speeach of the Shakespeare play but what do you think? Are you looking at a winter of content or discontent for your business?

To develop a business from scratch or to help an established one grow it’s vitally important that owners keep their time, effort, resources and own personal energy in balance.

I have written three business plans for my own businesses. Two were for existing businesses and one for a Start up business (BOOST Business Coaching). The two plans written for existing businesses were written entirely on the prompting of Bank Managers as I was borrowing resources to invest in these enterprises.

There are Seven Stages in the Maturity of a business. Today we’ll focus on the first four, because they tell us what happened that screwed up our understanding of how to grow a business and why we can’t get off the treadmill.

Yes it’s that time again: the big BP is looming. True it was already looming last year and I had done one version and started a second.

Your trade mark is your brand. It’s the way people remember you and your product – think Whittaker’s, 42 Below, Swanndri.

A good business plan is absolutely necessary before you start your new business. It will aid you in getting needed finances, cooperating, vendors, loyal and knowledgeable employees, and even a mentor, should you desire and need one.

A good business plan is absolutely necessary before you start your new business. It will aid you in getting needed finances, cooperating, vendors, loyal and knowledgeable employees …

If you are considering taking in a partner, make sure you are able to deal with a different set of possible problems. But there are tips that can help you when you are working with a business partner.

If you have decided to go into business for yourself, do not jump in without some careful thought. You need to come up with a plan, and then you need to present it; either to a loan officer, potential partners, or to the buying public.

The #1 indicator of success is speed of execution. Period. Want to be successful? As Larry the Cable Guy says, “Get ‘er done.”

I asked 8 of our article contributors to provide a helpful tip on how to reduce business expenses. The tips are provided below.

Do Your Customers Care About Your Name? Well they certainly don’t care about your brand name or product names as much as you do.

Why do we network? To increase business, relations and get to know people ‘like us’. Steve Pavlina: “First and foremost, I look for shared values.

Guiding Principles of a business are necessary (honesty, integrity, customer service, etc.), but there is another set of principles that help the Business Owner in particular – decision-making principles.

Reason #1 why your marketing doesn’t work – You are using Big Business marketing rules. If you’re playing by their rules, you’re going to lose just about every time.

Occam’s Razor says that given two possible answers to a problem, the simpler one is usually right. If we applied this ancient idea to business, we’d make a lot more money.

The biggest problem in trying to grow a business is that we’re too busy making money. It’s not a play on words – it’s a serious problem. You’re too busy making money.

No-one goes into business planning to fail – do they? I was reading some quotations yesterday and one from Michael Gerber really got me thinking,