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Performance

12 Tips to protect your business against volatility in 2012

2011 was a tough year for many businesses, and even if there's a glimmer of hope that 2012 will be better, it might not all be plain sailing. Sue Hirst helps you prepare to cope with the ups and downs.
February 1st, 2012 by Sue Hirst

Beestings: What will you do differently next year?

New years bring new beginnings, so now is a great time to plan some changes that will bring great results in 2012. This week’s guaranteed-under-two-minute-read has some ideas to get you started.
November 22nd, 2011 by Bizbuzz Team

10 Small changes to make a big improvement to your business

Sometimes, it's little things that count. Debbie Mayo-Smith suggests ten things you can tweak in your business, which together should add up to a significant overall improvement. The trick is to get started, and keep honing away at them.
November 18th, 2011 by  Debbie Mayo-Smith 

What are ERP systems and how they can help your business

Enterprise Resource Planning is increasingly being used by businesses - large and small - and whether you are using it (or considering using it) in your business, or are supplying businesses using ERP, Nicholas Birch gives you an overview of how it works.
November 17th, 2011 by Nicholas Birch

How to make incentives pay in your business

Whether you have sales people on your staff, an outsourced or contracted salesperson or salesforce, or pay associates for lead generation, incentivising sales can be tricky. Sue Hirst has some fantastic advice on how to get it right.
October 21st, 2011 by Sue Hirst

The coffee’s a grind ... and how this hurt one business

You may be working hard at bringing in the income and keeping down expenses - but somehow things just aren't going the way they should. Sometimes it's not obvious what changes can be made, until you dig a little deeper.
September 22nd, 2011 by Jackie Bourne
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Making your service business perform better

Service based business can be the most difficult in which to measure profitability. All kinds of issues can impact the difference between what is charged to a client and the cost of delivering the service. Sue Hirst has some tips to help you enhance the profitability of yours.
September 21st, 2011 by Sue Hirst

Beestings: Being your best

Being your best can be difficult and daunting and often what holds us back is fear of success rather than, or at least as much as, fear of failure. This week’s guaranteed-under-two-minute-read has tips and tools to help you bring out the best in yourself and business.
August 30th, 2011 by Bizbuzz Team

How to get paid what you're worth

If you’ve ever spent hours trying to work out what price or rate to charge, or come away from a negotiation thinking ‘I’ve undersold myself – again!’ you’re not alone. Hannah Samuel has some great advice to help you charge what you know you are worth.
August 29th, 2011 by Hannah Samuel

Beestings: Add dollars to your bottom line

A lot of business owners dive right into the “doing” part of their business without understanding how the numbers work. Knowing how to increase profitability and productivity helps you work smarter rather than harder and today’s guaranteed-under-two-minute read points you in the right direction.
August 16th, 2011 by Bizbuzz Team

The value of getting your costing right

Understanding costing is vital if you want your business to grow. Sue Hirst says many small and home business owners are working hard without seeing the results, and she has some tips to help you make your business more profitable.
August 15th, 2011 by Sue Hirst
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How to be sure you are making money - and keeping some for yourself

The orders are coming in, the customers are happy, and business seems to be, well, maybe not booming but pretty darn good. So how come it's so hard to pay the bills or take some drawings? Sue Hirst explains.
July 13th, 2011 by Sue Hirst

Selecting the best bank for your business

Dealing with your own financial affairs can be a daunting prospect and often business owners don't so much choose where they will go as end up with a particular bank by default. Stuart Wills suggests some things you might take into consideration when choosing where to keep your hard-earned money.
June 22nd, 2011 by Stuart Wills

How to word the second email reminder of an overdue account

In a previous article Michael Todd explained how to word your first email to a client who has not paid an account. Now, he steps you through the process if a further reminder is needed.
May 30th, 2011 by Michael Todd

Beestings: Stop waiting for the upturn and make it happen

If, like us, you’re getting tired of waiting for the economy to pick up, and want to take recovery into your own hands, we’ve got some tips and tools for you in this week’s guaranteed-under-two-minute-read.
May 17th, 2011 by Bizbuzz Team
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How to word the first email reminder of an overdue account

Debt collection can be tricky. You want the money you are owed, but you don't want to alienate a client. Michael Todd says the trick is to start softly and toughen up later in the process. He shows you exactly how to go about your first reminder.
May 12th, 2011 by Michael Todd
5 Comments

How to be successful with tenders and quotes

Many businesses rely on tenders and quotes to bring in business - but it can be a time-consuming process and you don't always win the business. Sue Hirst has some tips to make your tendering and quoting more successful - and to ensure the project is actually profitable when you land the job.
May 6th, 2011 by Sue Hirst

Which talent trends will impact small and medium businesses in 2011?

There are numerous articles about what to expect from the Employment market and talent management trends for 2011 however many aren’t relevant to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). We will be affected differently than bigger businesses that have candidate ‘pulling power’ and greater resources. I’ve looked at the talent trends most likely to affect small and medium businesses and highlighted them here.
March 18th, 2011 by Tania Howard

What part of your business should you be focusing on?

As Sue Hirst points out, there are several important aspects to any business - and knowing where to focus your efforts can make all the difference between mediocrity and significant success.
March 14th, 2011 by Sue Hirst
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Avoid the post "New Year Hype" blues in your business

Has reality started to set in after the holidays and are you finding business more sluggish than you would like? Eric Billoud explains why it's happening and what you can do to overcome the issue.
January 25th, 2011 by Eric Billoud