Business Advice

While more people are taking up franchising as a way to buy a job, a communications expert is warning franchisors to think carefully about who they sell a franchise to, rather than focussing on simply selling a licence to anyone keen to buy it. Mike Irving of Advanced Business Abilities says some franchisees lack the right personality profile and disposition to make their...

Considering what your business is worth is essential for any business owner in making decisions. But it’s not just good for identifying the purchase price in the event of a sale or acquisition; it can also be used to establish partnership agreements or dissolution, resolve disputes relating to estate and gift taxation or even assist in something as left-field as divo...

The Internet is the most powerful force behind making traditional work practices and ‘the office’ less relevant. High speed connectivity and powerful software have the potential to render bus rides, train crushes and coffee queues in order to arrive at the office a thing of the past. Much of this is happening now. Today’s workforce could be the generation...

Product publicity is the "secret pathway" to business success everyone wants. In simple terms, product publicity is a kind of advertising that costs you nothing, yet brings in the orders for you. Regardless of what kind of business you are operating, you should want, and strive for, as much publicity for your business and your products or services, as possible. After all...

Selling can be defined as everything that happens from the first contact with the prospective customer to the satisfactory delivery of the product or service. If your advertising is effective, it will attract prospective customers to your business. If you’re engaged in direct selling, where you telephone and make appointments and then go and see the customer persona...

The single most important strategy you can use to maximize the value of all the other strategies is to communicate regularly with anyone that contributes or will contribute in any way to your business success. You need to do this in order to maintain strong, positive relationships that can benefit all involved. It’s a simple strategy. It’s powerful, it’s ...

Buying a business offers you the potential to create, and control your future. You can make your own decisions, there’s no one to tell you what to do, and you get to reap the benefits. This is the joy of being your own boss. I’m sure you’re aware however that unless you take charge, your business will. Too many people end up being in a self- made prison ...

1. PRIDE You think your business is worth a lot of money because you have had it for 15 years. Unfortunately it doesn't matter how long you've run your business. Its the value proposition that you're offering to the buyer that matters. You could have a business that you ran for 20 years and it could be worth nothing or you could have just started up a business and it coul...

Why are some people more successful than others? Frequently it’s due to them having a better philosophical strategy. They approach everyone they deal with in a totally different and more effective way than anyone else does. And while their competitors are usually unable to figure out this strategy, it is one that anyone in business can successfully employ by simply c...

Every relationship is an asset—in the beginning. Deciding to join forces with another human being is filled with promise and high expectations of what’s possible. You are filled with optimism and have a sense that you can take on the world. And, this isn’t limited only to your life partner. This same feeling comes when you employ your first team member, ...