SME's
Against the grain: The couple who made a complete career change
Published: 09 October 2007
Roger Trapp: Success is all about understanding the language of the buyer
Published: 09 October 2007
It is a frequent complaint of entrepreneurs that as their businesses become bigger and more successful they find themselves bogged down in administration and other aspects of management and grow further away from the aspects that they most enjoy and which often inspired them to start businesses in the first place.
Many happy returns: the business aiming to reunite owners with their gadgets
Published: 09 October 2007
The chartered aircraft company that's taking off
Published: 09 October 2007
Book review: Family Business on the Couch, M.F.R Kets de Vries and R.S. Carlock with E. Florent-Treacy
Published: 09 October 2007
Business profile: Commando Fitness Trainers
Published: 09 October 2007
Adventures In Micro-Business: From first aid to keeping your firm afloat
Published: 09 October 2007
Adventures In Micro-Business: Partnerships and how to stay afloat
Published: 03 July 2007
Me And My Partner: 'We make decisions over tea'
Published: 03 July 2007
Disabled entrepreneurs: What support is on offer?
Published: 03 July 2007
Not so long ago, disabled people who wanted to start up their own business were taken less seriously than Billy Connolly on stage, according to disability charity Leonard Cheshire. Today, 3.6 per cent of businesses have one or more disabled owner, representing roughly 10,700 companies, employing around 78,000 people.
Profile: Dr Robert Gravelle, founder of Gravelle's Mobility and Lifestyle
Published: 03 July 2007
Dr Robert Gravelle, 33, knows a lot about artificial legs: he has two of his own. And he also has a PhD in prosthetic limb development. "I started my PhD intending to do materials research," explains Gravelle, "but ended up veering towards patient satisfaction. There's often a gulf between what designers think will benefit patients and what patients actually want."
Sunny side of the street: The right location is vital for every business
Published: 03 July 2007
A large proportion of independent retailers close in their first year of trading. And the mistake of many, perhaps most, is that good ideas are ruined by opening in the wrong place.
Roger Trapp: Responding to a new world order requires some radical thinking
Published: 03 July 2007
Gordon Brown has long emphasised his belief in the importance of competitiveness, so whatever else is on his mind in these first few days as Prime Minister, he should not ignore a new warning from the East.
Knowledge is power for SMEs
Published: 15 June 2007
Me And My Partner: 'We've shared a sense of adventure'
Published: 05 June 2007
The British Library: An excellent business support centre
Published: 05 June 2007
Libraries are not often associated with commercial dynamism and business savvy, but the past 12 months has seen the grandmother of all libraries, the British Library, transform itself into one of the fastest growing business support centres in the country.
The innovative chocolate company with taste for ethical trading
Published: 05 June 2007
Hands-on approach: The building company that offers the feminine touch
Published: 05 June 2007
Biggest isn't always best when it comes to finding a partner to distribute your product
Published: 05 June 2007
Kevin Smith may look like a day-time TV presenter. Well-coiffeured; a smart, informal suit; a crisp open-necked shirt and a beaming smile. But his relaxed, easy going appearance belies his commercial nous. There's certainly nothing fluffy about his business success. His company, CyDen, has grown from a standing start to a £4m turnover in just two and a half years since its products hit the market.
Mark Champkins: The Jamie Oliver of the design world
Published: 05 June 2007
Mamas & Papas: My, how you've grown!
Published: 05 June 2007
Specialist MBAs are bringing together the public and private sectors
Published: 05 June 2007
There was a time when, if you scanned the jobs sections of the national newspapers, it was easy to tell the difference between vacancies in the private sector and those with public bodies. These days that distinction has blurred. There are as many public positions requiring candidates to show flair for marketing and customer focus, as there are commercial employers stressing the need for executives to have an eye on the social-responsibility side of a role. At the same time, the last decade has seen an increasing involvement of private companies in the building and running of major public services, such as schools, hospitals, and transport projects.
Adventures In Micro-Business: How to go green and approach angels
Published: 05 June 2007
Book review: The Innovative Leader by Paul Sloane
Published: 05 June 2007
Roger Trapp: SMEs innovate in ways large companies only dream of
Published: 05 June 2007
In all the discussion of what drives small and growing businesses there is little mention of one big factor - the role of big business. Start-ups, in particular, owe a great deal to their larger counterparts. After all, if big corporations were more effective at making the most of what they had, there would not be the opportunities for young upstarts.
