Why the second year in business is dangerous

The initial success and excitement of the first year of trading is often unrepresentative of a 'normal' year in business. For instance, there's far more cash outlay, and usually more consumer interest in the first year than subsequently. Whereas many people find the first year exhilarating, the second can be tougher, with hidden costs and debts lingering from the previous year. Here's how to plan for the second year.

Growing your business without exploiting your staff

Your business is going well and you want to expand. This means taking on more work. However, you can't afford to hire more staff until you have generated the extra business and income it will bring. It's a classic chicken and egg situation, so how do you resolve it?

How to reinvent yourself to stand out from the competition

How do you differentiate your service business from those of your rivals? If you operate in a competitive market selling much the same services, you have two main avenues to develop. Here's how to stand head and shoulders above your competitors.

Improve your mission statement

How you define the purpose of your business sends a clear message to everybody connected to it, from customers and employees to shareholders. Find out how to do it.

Why you should have regular 'health' checks

If you are sensible, the chances are you will see your doctor for a regular health check. But does your business get one? These are the vital areas you need to keep tabs on to ensure your business is fit and healthy.

How to create a vision that propels your business forward

Are you so busy you haven't even got time to think about next week, let alone next month or next year? However, unless you stand back and dare to dream, then communicate that dream to the people around you, it's never going to get better. This inspriational guide will help you create a vision that propels you forward. It includes a case study of how one business made it work for them.

How to create your own business niche

It's not always easy finding the right niche in business. You think you have it, work at it long and hard - then find you're on the wrong track. The secret is to find the right unique selling proposition. This case study of a small business struggling to find its niche includes the key questions to ask of yourself and your customers before settling on a niche.

Benchmark for success

Are you ahead of your rivals or falling behind them? By how far? What should you be doing to catch up and stay ahead? Here's a brief overview of how benchmarking can give you a vastly competitive edge. The guide includes a case study revealing benchmarking in action.

How to increase profits by over 60% in a year

Increasing your profits dramatically is easily within your grasp, and all for not that much more effort. It's all a case of a little here and there.

How to position yourself to conquer the world

I came, I saw, I conquered. So Julius Caesar is said to have declared after his victory at Zela in Asia Minor. But can you say the same of your niche? How to use positioning to give yourself a more competitive edge.

Strategies for survival in a shrinking market

If your market is declining, all may not be lost. Profitable niches remain for many businesses. Here are six questions to help you focus your thinking, and nine strategic solutions.

Think outside the box to become more successful

If we want to be true entrepreneurs, we would do well to adopt the slogan of Apple's recent advertising campaign and 'think different'. How to think outside the box and become innovative. Alternatives to 'dumbing down'. How to defining your new role. Plus there's an innovation checklist to help you on the road.

Clinching deals with supermarkets

Learn how one small-business woman started making handmade soap in her Welsh farmhouse and ended up selling her products to Tesco and Safeway. What she learned about selling to the multiples.

How to adapt, survive - and thrive...

How effective are you at keeping pace with a constantly changing world? Learn how to ride that change and make it work for you.

Why it may be worth remaining small

'Keep the business small and live a long and healthy life,' maintain the advocates of the 'small is beautiful' philosophy. But is staying small really is such a good idea?

Using strategic alliances to pitch for larger contracts

There is much to be gained by forming an alliance with other organisations to pitch for large contracts. Such virtual teams can form briefly or regularly but fall short of a formal merger. However, while there are benefits there are also pitfalls, and some clients may be wary of dealing with such a hydra. Here is a case study of an alliance and the lessons they learned.

How to get great ideas

We take a look at simple techniques to help you develop new ideas and become a more dynamic and creative thinker. Discover how to solve problems, and innovate new products and services and ways of doing things

Kick out the clutter and revamp your office!

It's hard running a business... You never have enough time, and the paperwork just keeps piling up - but a cluttered office will slow you down and create stress. Find out about an interesting approach to dealing with blocked energy in offices; discover what you desk top says about you; and take a few tips for the Feng Shui manual to improve your working area.

How even small firms can go benefit from offshoring

Think off-shoring is just for the big boys? Think again. Outsourcing projects overseas is already proving successful for small businesses, thanks in part to special package deals. Find out how it could transform your business. Includes a case study of off-shoring in practice.

Are you ready to party?

Hospitality events are not just the preserve of the big corporates. Nor do they have to be expensive. You may not be able to afford a box at Twickers, but you could stage a modest party, even if it's only in the function room of your local pub. Here's what's involved in making a corporate event such as a party a success.

Are you fit - or sexy?

If you want to survive as a business, you need to know what kind of market you are operating in. It isn't as obvious as you might think, as the management of Parker Pens found out.

Don't become a dinosaur

Stand still, and your business will soon become fossilised. Discover how to keep reinventing yourself using the Why, Where, Who, How, When, What method.

How to find new markets for existing services and products

Marketing can, and does, take up books by the cartload. But I want to introduce you to a little concept that changed the way I think. The thought process transformed my business. And it can transform yours. It is deceptively simply and will lead to new avenues you never thought existed.

How to keep coming up with new business ideas

Brainstorming needs to be done right, however. It can be fun, fulfilling and fruitful or damp, dismal and de-motivating. So much depends on how the meetings are run.

Enter the dragon!

Would you have the courage to pitch your business to the Dragons' Den? We talk to Deborah Meaden of Dragons' Den fame, to discover what she thinks are the key ingredients for business success.

Don't ever stop learning!

Like any other area of expertise, it's vital to keep learning to stay on top in sales. The fact is, if you wanted a good result, you needed to push yourself to do the work. Here's why we need to be continually honing our skills.

Only you can make the dream happen

If you want your business to succeed, you need to imagine where you want to be five years from now. We show you how to do it.

How to grow without the risks

It's every entrepreneur's dream - turning their small business into a growth business; taking those steps that move them business into the fast lane. However, growth must be carefully managed - it can be a very short step from being a rising star to falling to earth as a shooting star. It's essential to do your homework and have the right infrastructure in place. As business recovery experts, we explain how.

What can a coach really do for you?

With a little help from a friend, you can make your business the success you always dreamed of. We look at what a coach can offer - and how to choose the right person for you.