Tag Archives: adviser

Unwise business assumptions

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Jon Stow

Image via Wikipedia I remember when I was starting out in the workplace, I took a client file I had been working on to my immediate boss for review. I remember he picked on something I had done and asked … Continue reading →

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Why you should define your offering as a freelancer or consultant

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Jon Stow

In these challenging times with regard to the state of the economy there are a lot more people without full-time employment who find themselves looking for freelance work and who are seeking to offer one form or another of business … Continue reading →

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Why we should deal with the present to look after the future of our business

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Jon Stow

We are coming to the end of another year, and of course all the predictions for 2010 and beyond are already upon us. As with the social media “experts’” forecasts, most of these will be wrong or else they will … Continue reading →

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Why we need to assess the risk in our business assignments and projects

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Jon Stow

In my last piece I talked about the danger of adapting business agreements and contracts when we do not have the specialist knowledge as lawyers, or indeed as (in my case) a tax practitioner. I suspect that those who are … Continue reading →

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Why we SHOULD reinvent the wheel – business agreements and contracts

Posted on November 8, 2009 by Jon Stow

One of the most irritating cliches I hear is “I don’t want to reinvent the wheel”. It is a favourite refrain amongst many well-meaning business owners and business advisers who will typically ask for a template for a sale agreement, partnership agreement, shareholders’ agreement or some such thing. Continue reading →

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Better to have a business plan than have your dreams shattered

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Jon Stow

I was shopping in our village this morning and found the butcher’s shop was closed. There was a notice in the window, presumably put there by the shop landlord, which announced that the shop owners had paid no rent since … Continue reading →

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Social media experts

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Jon Stow

The word “expert” is not a word I am comfortable with. One of the sites to which I am contributor, and for which I am grateful because of the additional exposure does describe me as an expert author. Whilst this is a sort of compliment, I write about what I know through experience. After all, I write this blog about small business life because I have a small business of my own.

So what about social media? Are there any experts? I think there are specialists, but nobody knows where we will go, inextricably linked with the technology. Continue reading →

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How to get the best out of our employees and co-workers

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Jon Stow

Fortunately the small business owner is in a much better position to do something about these problems and to put matters right. It involves taking a friendly approach which might be alien to the big employers and their workforce representatives. Being nice to someone is certainly never harmful. Continue reading →

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Know your audience and do not rabbit

Posted on September 5, 2009 by Jon Stow

Last week my wife and I did something unusual for us – we went on what amounted to a coach tour. It was interesting and informative. Being a tour, we had a tour company representative or courier to accompany us, … Continue reading →

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Enterprise and risk

Posted on August 1, 2009 by Jon Stow

I have been talking about risk recently in another context. I was a little dumbfounded yesterday when my Mum said she was told by a family member that she should not sign up to Facebook because there was a risk … Continue reading →

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