Blog
The voice of NW4
We try to share topics we think may interest you or even benefit you.
We’d like to think we succeed some of the time.
We’re a Family Business too!
Family businesses make up a significant proportion of ‘UK Limited’, including the manufacturing sector where, contrary to popular belief, we are producing more goods than 30 years ago. According to the latest stats: There are more than 4.8 million family businesses in...
A taxing issue: why tax ‘planning’ isn’t always a dirty word.
Helping clients to be as tax efficient as possible was once seen by accountants and business advisers as a creative challenge. An interesting – and dare I say enjoyable – part of the job. Finding a legal and effective path through the maze of tax law to the benefit of...
More than words: How business leaders can make their plans a reality
Good leadership. A mercurial set of skills and values. Qualities that give those who wield them the ability to plan for success. But what happens when a leader gets bogged down in the detail? How can leaders recognise the bad behaviours that adversely affects their...
Do you really need a business plan?
Clients often say they don’t need a business plan because: They don’t need to raise finance. We say, but what about setting your targets for the next financial period? They have all their plans in their heads. We say, by committing your thoughts to paper, you can...
4 pricing mistakes to avoid
In our work we have found that the reviewing of pricing methods and strategies provide the quickest improvement to the profitability of a business. Many businesses are unknowingly giving away profit. Price can be adjusted immediately and the effect flows straight...
Cashflow is king. How to keep a better grip on small business finances
There’s been an 8% increase in the amount of money owed to London based SMEs due to late payment of invoices. It’s nothing new. SMEs have always had issues collecting outstanding sums of money from their clients. But that’s a big increase! And, when set against...
A changing environment
Changes in lifestyles, the economy, globalization and developments in technology are affecting the way businesses and their customers interact. Within the last few years there have been dramatic changes in the areas of • Communication – Personal Media • Customers –...
10 tips to get the most from social media in your business
What is Social Media? In simple terms, social media describes the tools people are using to share text, video, images and information online and the networks they are using to connect with each other. It’s the evolution of the internet from a broadcast medium to a...
Any merit in a personal balance sheet?
If family is more important than business, then how come so few business owners have a personal balance sheet? Is it because they feel that they intrinsically know the value of their personal assets and liabilities? Or could it be that they’re fearful of what it may...
10 step process to maximising the value of a business on exit
The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has delayed the exit plans of the baby-boomer business owners but their need to exit has not gone away. The value of the average business has been limited for a few key reasons. Most businesses have been structured and operated with...
10 steps to improve your sales
Profile your customers.Most business can tell you how many products they sold and what the products do. Very few of them actually know who their customers are. Segment your customers.This is a difficult process in most businesses because the information has not been...
Are you too busy to plan for success?
Our experience tells us that highly successful businesses are adequate in all three of the following areas, but excel in at least one, depending on their chosen strategic focus in delivering outstanding customer value. Product excellence – strategies that deliver the...
See how we can help
We’re here to help. If we can’t help directly, we probably know someone who can. All you have to do is ask….