A good many of these people may well have never considered a plan of action as part of their daily marketing activities. Others may think they are too busy to spare any time for planning. Still others may feel they do need to plan, can see the benefits to be gained from planning, but don't think their skills or personality are suited to this task.

It seems perfectly clear to me that without planning, the long term success of any business,large or small, is unlikely to be realised!

A plan need not be elaborate. It need not be detailed, but you should at least commit something to paper.

Start off by taking a po ... Read more »

Most companies generally hire employees based on their essential qualifications and experience. However it holds wise to remember that there are a multitude of factors that need to be kept in mind, while hiring a new incumbent. No matter how long it takes to find the perfect person for the job, it pays to wait for the right candidate to walk in than hurry and choose an ineffectual.

Sadly in spite of a growing awareness about these factors, a lot of companies still go wrong in the hiring process and end up placing the wrong person for the job. A wrong hire does not only add to the cost burden but also to the work and time burden of a company. As is often said, 'wrong hiring is worse than no hiring'. ... Read more »

Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business, only they can do. They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else, they mess it up. And then they spend twice as long fixing things. But this is not what Brain Surgeons do. When they operate on a patient, they are not in charge of the theatre- the theatre nurse is. They don't open up the patient, or close. They leave that to a junior surgeon. Everything is prepared for them, and someone else mops up the blood later. All they do is the brain surgery. And some market ... Read more »

If some invention is already patented how the researchers who are specialists in their chosen fields do not know this is a good question that can be easily answered. The world has about forty-five Million Patent Documents and not all are available in the same language and not all are available online. And most importantly only two per cent of the patents granted go in to commercial exploitation and so the very knowledge that some thing is patented will not be available unless a through and intensive patent search that covers all ... Read more »

This article will cover five major areas you might look at or have someone look for you to increase your ability to better know where you really are financially, to be able to sleep better at night. The more of these areas that may be a concern at your company, the more urgent a corporate physical may be.

1. Most companies do not accurately know their top ten customers.

2. Many companies have capitalized some item in the past, whose realizable value will become questionable.

3. Most companies do not know how they will be affected by profitability changes at their top ten custome ... Read more »

After 20 years of self employment and the last 4 as a small business consultant and coach helping people to start or grow their businesses, I can say with no shame I used to feel that business plans were only for wimps. That was until I did one.

It is easy to knock something you've never tried. After many years of not only starting businesses but actually succeeding in them it would have been easy to think that business plans aren't necessary. Part of that lies in the fact most entrepreneurs are actually working a job not growing a business. That is certainly where my maturity as a self employed person was until I hit my mid 30's. Sure I had earned an income and eeked out a life in a business of my own but I really didn't see the business of the business. What I saw was that I got what I wanted which was to not have to work for someone else. Woo h ... Read more »

While the old adage "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" still holds true, business clients and colleagues who are visiting this country should be treated with sensitivity and with an awareness of their unique culture. Not to do your homework and put your best international foot forward can cost you relationships and future business. One small misstep such as using first names inappropriately, not observing the rules of timing or sending t ... Read more »