Small Business Growth

New data has revealed that almost three-quarters of UK consumers (71%) think brands, retailers and small businesses are NOT doing enough to make their beauty and personal care* purchases more sustainable. They also identified plastic waste as the main culprit – around half (46%) see it as the biggest sustainability challenge facing the industry.

Friend of the Small Business owner, eBay has posted some impressive figures after Christmas 2020

Boohoo, the online fashion retailer, has bought the Debenhams brand and website for £55m, but will not take on any of the businesses remaining 118 High Street stores or its workforce.

Whether your business has thrived or barely scraped by this year, it’s been a rough ride. We’re all going to need to plan, strategise, and draw on all the resources available to us next year. With that in mind, I wanted to delve into an interesting trend I’ve noticed and ask this question: will 2021 be the year of the freelancer?

Whatever the reason, sooner or later there will likely come a time when you have to break up with a client. But there’s a right and a wrong way to do that. Here are a few things to bear in mind as you navigate the sometimes-messy process of ending a business relationship. 

There’s been a lot of buzz about virtual assistants in the last couple of years. Perhaps you’ve already worked with one, or thought about doing so. But maybe you’re not entirely clear how a virtual assistant (VA) can help your business, or whether you’re at the stage where hiring one would be helpful. 

Today, we’re talking about all things VAs! 

Do you feel like you keep posting and posting on social media but you’re getting little to no response? Have your follower numbers plateaued? If so, your content might be the problem. Too many business owners fall into the bad habit of only posting when they’ve got something to plug, or posting the same types of content again and again.

Here are a few ways to add variety to your content and get your engagement rates soaring:

When people hear “passive income,” it conjures up images of money for doing nothing. It’s a very seductive myth. Who wouldn’t want to have the cash rolling in while they lie on the beach sipping a cocktail?

Have you ever agreed to do a project for a customer or client, only to have them add on “one extra little request” once you’ve started work? You’re kinda annoyed, but you let it slide and do the extra thing. Got to keep the client happy, after all! But they soon come back with just one more tiny little extra… and then another… until, next thing you know, the project is completely out of proportion with what you initially agreed to do…

Have you ever agreed to do a project for a customer or client, only to have them add on “one extra little request” once you’ve started work? You’re kinda annoyed, but you let it slide and do the extra thing. Got to keep the client happy, after all! But they soon come back with just one more tiny little extra… and then another… until, next thing you know, the project is completely out of proportion with what you initially agreed to do…