Bank finance articles and tips

While the approaching holiday season has great potential for increased revenues for businesses in all industries sometimes the biggest challenge isn't capturing a share of the shopping frenzy but keeping your operations running so that you can take advantage of it.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners should absolutely allow themselves sometime to enjoy the freedom that running their own enterprises should offer but sadly many simply aren't set up to keep operations rolling unless they are constantly in the loop. If you can relate to this and as much as you would like to head of for some skiing or just take a couple days of quality time with the family you just can't bear to tear yourself away due to the fear things will fall apart perhaps a restructure is in order. Maybe one of your top priorities between now and the New Year should be to get with a great coach and assess how you can reorganize so that this time next year you can be confident in your business running smoothly while you jet off for a month of well deserved rest and relaxation....

As I travel around and speak to potential business owners they seem confused about what to do next. This is a very common thing to feel as you are starting something new and you know what? That is very normal and expected when you are about to do something that you have never done before. Starting a business can be one of the most fulfilling and difficult things that you ever do. It is amazing but it can be confusing. The great thing is that you are not alone and you can get it going at your own pace....

Commercial landlords are coming under pressure from all sides in the current economic climate.

The plight of those landlords in the retail sector has perhaps been the most widely publicised as more and more empty shops appear on the High Streets where retailers have either ceased trading or moved out of expensive and badly performing outlets.

The problem for landlords is the double pressure of receiving no rent for their empty properties while still being liable for paying expensive business rates. Currently business rates are calculated at approximately 40% of estimated annual rental value, putting a considerable burden on landlords....

Most candidates know how important the presentation and structure of their CV is in getting to the interview stage in the job search, especially at times when there is intense competition.

What is more difficult, perhaps, is finding ways of giving a CV extra impact and perhaps the most vital thing to remember in this context is that you have just seven seconds to convince the selectors not to put it on the reject pile.

The CV is your initial sales pitch and most obvious things are to make sure spelling and grammar are checked and rechecked, particularly but not exclusively if the position you are applying for is in secretarial administrative, PA or EA roles, where the work you would carry out has to make a good impression on potential clients and customers outside the organisation....

No business wants to experience a major fire in its premises and this is particularly so for those in the commercial catering industry.

Not only does a serious fire interrupt the continuation of the business until any damage can be rectified it can also lead to additional costs beyond repair of the damage.

There are a number of reasons why additional costs can arise. For example, if subsequent investigations reveal that the company has failed in its responsibilities for the safety of anyone using the building, this can lead to claims for injury or damage to health or even possible prosecution by Health and Safety Regulators....

When a mid-year review of your bottom line reveals you must cut costs and increase sales right now or face losses this fiscal year, what do you do to salvage your year? On paper, the choices look easy. You must either sell more or decrease the cost of sales.

Selling more can be tough when the economy is challenging, yet there are always people ready to buy if the pricing and timing are right. You can achieve increase sales volume by selling a few more big-ticket items or lots more lower-priced items. If you keep in mind that your real objective is to increase profits, not just the dollar amount or number of items sold, you can offer incentives in the form of price cuts or discounts to move more product and reduce warehousing costs. Depending on your product, you can pursue the economics of selling fewer at a higher price, which can still produce more revenue in some cases....