Although you know that you're running a successful company do you sometimes feel that the size of your business is holding you back? The truth is that some customers will have less confidence in your ability than your larger competitors, but the good news is that there are lots of simple and cost effective ways you can create the impression that you are a much bigger business than you really are.

Do you have staff?

Obviously businesses with staff give the impression of being larger, but you can make customers believe you have employees simply by setting up email addresses for, say, sales and marketing. All these emails can be directed to your inbox, but your customers will have no idea.

1. With so many stands offering all manner of products and services you will be able to save time and money by comparing business in one place and negotiating the best deal. After all, they are there to sell and will be happy to discuss the best price they can offer.

2. You might even find a new product or service that will help your business or save you money.

While regulation is a good thing when it comes to protecting all areas of our lives - including businesses, employers and employees - the 21,000 plus rules that currently govern out lives are actually becoming a burden that is hurting businesses and as a result damaging the economy.

The current government has, therefore, set out to cut some of the red tape we are confronted by on a daily basis, and so members of the public, businesses and community organisations are being invited to have their say on regulations. This is where the Red Tape Challenge website comes in.

It's a very simple, but effective concept. Every few weeks a new set of regulations, affecting one specific sector or industry, will open on the website for anyone to comment on. Then, when a theme has closed, Ministers will have three months to explain why a regulation is still required, or it will be scrapped.

Tags: challenge, enforcement, environment, health & safety, rules, regulations, red tape, Red Tape Challenge, economy, business, government, policy, business link, customers, legislation

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Response to FT article about businesses making the most of their available resources

© 04-05-2011 by Paul Smalley

The article posted on the FT’s website describes the ways in which businesses can increase their profitability and customer base by either spending no money at all or by investing in new software or in consultancy services. The article focuses on how important it is that those in charge of the business realise how vital, and very often how simple, it is to make your business more profitable, without spending overwhelming amounts of money on for example hiring new members of staff.

The ways proposed by the article, which many tend to overlook or forget about, include ensuring that existing customers return to buy more by developing long lasting customer relationships, rather than adopting a trade as you go approach. This can be achieved by outsourcing to specialist companies those areas of business that you feel you can squeeze more out of, using their expertise.

Tags: assets, working capital, outsourcing, customers, consultancy services, outsourced admin, outsourced support, admin support, paul smalley, paper mountain solutions, management accounts

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