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Small business owners know that to find a loyal customer base, you have to stand out from your competitors. One of the best, and easiest, ways to do that is to have outstanding customer service. How you treat your customers reflects on your entire business. Your customers deserve to be treated well. They are supporting your business. Many small business owners focus a lot of attention on their products and…  Read more

Advice from the desk of Simon Terry I have been helping clients recently with commercial leases they can’t afford, in premises they don’t need, for leases we didn’t discuss, locked in place by personal guarantees. So I have put together 10 tips of dos and don’ts: 1. Personal guarantees – don’t do it.  Accountants create business structures to minimise personal risk so don’t undo our hard work. 2. How well…  Read more

Every manager has habits that make them incredibly effective as well as issues that their employees wish they would change. The problem is that many employees won’t tell their manager what those weaknesses are, often out of fear of retaliation. So while managers conduct employee performance reviews pointing out areas for staff improvement, sometimes the manager’s own weaknesses go unaddressed. Porters Director Simon Terry recently acknowledged a staff member for…  Read more

To many people, financial planning sounds like something for the very rich. The wealthiest people take their piles of money to someone who tells them where to invest it so they can make even more money. The rest of us just focus on saving what we can while paying off debt and hoping we don’t lose our jobs before we’re financially stable. In fact, financial planning is about having long-term…  Read more

You’ve got a great idea for a business, and now you want to get it off the ground and take it to market. This is a very exciting time, but there’s quite a bit you need to think about before you can launch. We offer resources to help you get started. Follow our seven day program to:  Determine if you can make any money Prove you can beat the competition…  Read more

Taking steps to ensure your customers pay promptly should be a key priority for your business. When clients consistently pay on time, you are able to pay your vendors, suppliers, and employees on time and you’ll have an up to date view on the profitability of your business. This requires that you also implementing strategies to support prompt payment and make it easy for customers to pay as soon as the bill comes in. Provide…  Read more

Knowing how to price your services can be a real struggle. Charging an hourly rate can feel less scary than quoting a fixed rate package because you have confidence you’ll be compensated for every hour you spend on a project. But there are drawbacks to trading time for money – not the least of which is that it limits your earning potential. Charging by the hour can also lead to…  Read more

Having an online business presence with an effective website and social media pages is essential for today’s consumers. You won’t build a loyal customer base if you can’t earn your visitors’ trust, which is why companies value social proof so highly. Social proof isn’t a new concept, or one that only applies to social media. It’s a psychological phenomenon. In online terms social proof is how others view your business based on…  Read more

It takes time, energy, and continuous effort to build a brand that attracts loyal customers. This effort is  rewarded by word of mouth referrals and repeat business. Without a doubt, the good name you worked so hard to earn is one of your most valuable business assets. This solid customer base and positive employee relations is known in business as “goodwill.” Most small business owners understand that a company’s goodwill…  Read more

Planning and knowledge will help you achieve your business goals.  Business finances need insight to be under your control rather than controlling you.

Do you have a strategic plan which is going nowhere fast, revolving in your head or waiting for the right staff member or business conditions?  It’s time to get started at brilliant.  Even quite good with a passion for continuous improvement will see you progress at startling speed. Perfect is the enemy of progress. Waiting for the perfect plan and conditions will guarantee missed opportunities and stagnation. Will it work…  Read more

Employee fraud is a real risk for small businesses that can’t afford an internal control function.  Do you have a plan to deliver strong internal controls in your business? Billing schemes. Skimming. Payment tampering.   In fact, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners 30% of fraud cases take place in small businesses. This article will help you identify the most common signs of fraudulent activity before an unscrupulous employee destroys…  Read more

So many opportunities and limited resources to take them on? This is the plight of many business owners wishing to embrace opportunity and grow their potential. The most difficult decision is knowing which opportunities to embrace and which to set aside. Not every opportunity will be right for your business. Equally, an opportunity may be right but the timing is all wrong. Over-commitment, especially when taking on projects that don’t actually…  Read more