Top Tips

Every company would like to be more creative, which is why there is no shortage of books offering advice on the topic. Yet too many managing directors aren’t sure how to ignite the creative spark in their businesses. But in a rapidly changing, digitally driven, economy we need to get used to the idea that ‘no normal’ is the ‘new normal’ and behave accordingly. 

There’s no denying it - selling has become more difficult. Suddenly the marketing term ABM (account based marketing) has replaced ‘content marketing’ as the most effective outreach. No doubt a new term will be coined over the next 18-24 months, but the principles will effectively remain the same. So here’s how to get the most out of it according to Charlotte Graham-Cumming, MD at marketing agency Ice Blue Sky.

How much is your company worth? In the 1970s and 1980s, valuing a business was relatively straightforward. You estimated the worth of your key tangible assets, totted these figures up and, if the company was being sold as a going concern, added in a little something for goodwill. That traditional yardstick is still reflected in most PSP’s financial statements. It is still the way most accountants like to work. But there are there other considerations.

Employee engagement and morale are frequently dismissed as functions of HR and dealt with via team building days or by putting a ping pong table onsite. But is that the best way of getting the best from you people? Apparently not. Here are some pointers to achieving more beneficial results.

Most business failures are the result of inexperience or poor management, or reasons beyond the directors’ control. But some end up in receivership because of owners taking too much money out of the company or otherwise displaying what Companies House would define as ‘unfit conduct’. So how do you safeguard your business from companies seemingly come back from the dead?

So you’ve stopped recruiting ‘print reps’ and are instead seeking ‘business builders’ to promote your diversified services offering. But how do you find the right people - those conversant with printing, consulting, design, installation and everything else that your business does?  Brandon Stapper has ten questions you can use to vet potential candidates.

Opponents are playing tough, daring businesses to issue court proceedings and risk substantial court fees, meaning many disputes that have a good chance of winning are going unheard. But, with the right support, you can do better than just chalk it down to experience as lawyer Gemma Carson outlines.

Have you got a healthy attitude to employee wellbeing? Justine Clarabut at Wellbeing People explains why proper consideration now can prevent problems later on.