Business guides – Managing your business

This guide looks at developing your management skills and managing change - two areas that are critical for any business owner to master.

This guide provides a general introduction to marketing and selling in your business.

One of the keys to the success of your business is to maximise the time you spend on activities which add the most value.

How can stress affect you and what can you do to overcome it?

Growth is a sign of success and ambition, but with it comes responsibility, potentially greater liability and as yet unseen pressures.

This guide will help you determine whether you and your business are ready for growth.

Significant change may be planned or forced upon you. This guide provides information to help you cope with change.

There is always a competitor lurking in the wings ready to try and entice your customers away with a special offer, lower price or promise of better service.

Competitive advantage does not necessarily mean lower prices; the key is to find other ways to make customers want to buy from you.

Businesses face many hazards but getting the right insurance could help protect you against many of them.

For any business, large or small, the worst thing that can happen is an unexpected event that stops you trading or drives your customers away.

Regular reviews of your long-term goals and business strategy are vital to the overall running of your business.

It's easy to thrive in business when the economy is booming. However, you can find yourself facing hard times with a business which isn't properly prepared for survival.

This guide identifies how you should go about planning for the day when you decide enough is enough.

There are many ways you can acheive cost reduction, from supplier selection to better negotiation.

Many prices in business are not fixed, either for buying or selling. There are also countless arrangements, terms and conditions that are negotiable.

Whether you're starting your business from scratch or moving to new premises you'll need to organise the supply of basic utilities.

A professional adviser may be key to the success of your business so you need to ensure you will be able to work well with them and trust their advice.

This guide looks at the benefits of importing, then takes you through the various requirements, processes and customs practices you need to consider.

Companies always face a degree of risk when they decide to start exporting, but the rewards for those who compete successfully are considerable.