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One of the big lessons of 2020 has been the need to have a robust business continuity plan in place. This learning has become all the more pertinent in light of the fast-moving nature of lockdown restrictions, which can change from one week to the next. For many business owners, the impact of a succession of multiple shocks has made for anxious times. A global pandemic and economic shutdown have taught us that businesses need the capacity to withstand a range of challenging s

Keeping customers happy once you have them board is vital for small businesses. This maintains your income, your position as expert or 'go to' with customers and provides opportunities for referrals and extra services. So what about attracting new customers? Failing to attract enough customers is concerning - but if you know why it’s happening, you might be able to turn things around. Here are six reasons why customers could be going elsewhere and what to do about it. 1. Your

Small Business Discretionary Grant (SBDG) There is new funding recently announced for discretionary grants to be made available to businesses who missed out on the Small Business Grant and Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grant. Grants issued by Warrington Borough Council within this scheme will be capped at £10,000. This new scheme will once again be looking to prioritise businesses who fall within the eligibility criteria set by Government as follows: Small businesses in share

As business owners we have a tendency to try to do everything. This works to a degree in the short term but then the bigger picture begins

You will probably have heard the phrase “Fail to plan…plan to fail”. This key area of a business is often overlooked by business owners. No matter what stage your business, you need a plan to gauge whether you are heading in the right direction. For start-up businesses, planning thoroughly before you start the business could save you thousands of pounds and the headache of a failed venture. Planning your business may uncover opportunities which you may not have previously tho

A hotly contested question at present is ‘Should l take out a business loan?’ There are two distinct groups, those who do not want a loan and will only resort to a loan as the action of last resort, i.e. when the cash is about to run out. And there are those who access debt finance in case they need it. This has become particularly prevalent in the current circumstances, we have all heard about CBIL’s by now and there is a high degree of uncertainty amongst many businesses co

This article was written and published by The Federation Of Small Businesses For small businesses and the self-employed, it’s an anxious time. Perhaps, as a self-employed person, you’re familiar with home and work being the same place. Or perhaps you’re a small business owner experiencing it for the first time. Either way, your home/workplace probably feels like a different place to be than it did before the days of self-isolation. And that’s just one side of it. How will you