How to inject new life into your business

When sales are flagging, how can you inject some new life into your business? Here are three techniques to help you look at your business from another angle which will highlight new areas for growth.

Working with creative agencies

How do you find a good creative writer or designer? One who will interpret your idea in an imaginative and original way such that your sales will rocket? First you must find the right person; second, you must brief them properly so you get a great result. Here's how to do it.

How to find the right consultant for you

Possibly the most intimate professional relationship is the one between a business and its accountant. Yet a particular business may also need to work just as closely with its lawyers, or with a management consultant, or with any one of a range of service providers and professional advisers. Any one of these people is in a position to wreck the business. So how do you find a good one that you can afford?

Cutting costs - are you spending more than you need?

So you want to make more money? Then don't go throwing it away! Easy ways to cut costs and boost your bottom line.

The three-point strategy for a leading organisation

Business success in the next decade will revolve around your ability to introduce new customer-led products and services, to offer more choice in specifications and availability, and to deliver at a price seen to be good value for money. The key to achieving this will lie in how your business operates.

Eight ways to get better deals from your suppliers

When you deal with most suppliers, you are usually talking to sales executives trained to get the best deal... for them! So how can you put yourself in a better position to call the shots? Here are eight negotiating tips to get a better deal.

How to outsource successfully

Paradoxically, you can often achieve more and work more profitably, if you do less! If something is not a core task (something you get billed by clients for) consider outsourcing. Discover the keys to success and the pitfalls to avoid. But what do you need to know of potential suppliers. Each type of outsourcing has its own requirements, however, we look at questions you might ask of a telephone answering service.

What to do when you are ready to consider exporting

A step-by-step guide to the decisions you will need to make before you start exporting.

Make planning a project plain sailing

When you are planning a new business project, make sure you don't let it run out of control. Follow our guide to making planning your new project plain sailing.

Business continuity checklist

Creating a disaster recovery plan is important for your business, though rarely considered essential. This guide makes it easy to start your contingency planning.

Note: unlike our other guides, which are in pdf format, this is provided as a zipped .rtf file to enable you to edit and modify the checklist as most appropriate for your personal situation. Most word processors, including 'Word', are able to load and edit .rtf files.

Finding the right consultant

If you don't have the skills you need for the job, sometimes it's best to call in a consultant. Here's how to get the best results from them.