Companies that employ staff are legally obliged to take out employer’s liability insurance, which protects you in the event of employees being injured whilst undertaking duties under the terms of their employment.

View details

This article was written by Modwenna Rees-Mogg, founder and CEO of Pitching for Management and Angel News. The company matches senior executives seeking new roles with fast-growth businesses. The

View details

Intellectual property is a central part of a company’s business plan. It is important to know the types of intellectual property available, what they protect and how they can be exploited commercially. In a technology-based business, patents are a key form of intellectual property protection.

View details

Jeremy Smith is a Patent Attorney with Mathys & Squire LLP, and works out of the company's Cambridge office. Mathys & Squire is a commercially focused law firm, with a wide range of international and UK based clients. The company has attorneys specialising across the full range of technologies including the life sciences and IT and engineering.

View details

As a small business the odds are that you will at some point wish to start trading overseas. The import/export market is vast and it would be impossible to learn every dialect of every language across the globe. However, one thing is certain. Even if your customer or client speaks perfect English, at least an attempt to exchange pleasantries in their native language will pave the way for a successful discussion.

View details

The absence of women from many top jobs might suggest that the concept of a glass ceiling is still very much a reality. There has however, been an encouraging upturn of female entrepreneurs, bucking gender trends even in traditionally male-dominated industries. 10 of the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs from a diverse range of backgrounds talk to inspiresme about overcoming the challenges they have faced.

View details

Overseas exhibitions are a great opportunity to promote your products and services abroad and gain valuable exposure, and find a smooth entry into export markets. Maximising their effectiveness is key to getting a good return on your investment. As with any event, things can go wrong. Preparation is essential. You need to think outside the box, and cover all eventualities and issues, to help ensure things run smoothly in the run up to the event and during the event itself.

View details

Writing a sustainable and solid business plan is essential to business success; not only does it help with the entire decision-making progress but also makes it far more likely you’ll receive finance from investors.

View details

On November 4 2011 inspiresme.co.uk attended the Business Growth Show, an up-and-coming road show that brings together businesses of all sizes in fun and exciting ways.

View details

This year’s exhibition, which took place over two days, included more than 200 exhibitors and 140 professional speakers. The aim of the event was to inspire budding entrepreneurs and start-ups, as well as to motivate established SMEs to achieve the next phase of growth and development. Inspiresme attended the event on Friday May 18 and have hand-picked some of the most insightful presentations at this year’s event to deliver to you the key pieces of advice and guidance on offer.

View details

Capitals and shares was the topic of the seminar on March 26 2012 – an in-depth presentation was made by Michael Buckworth (notes below), solicitor and founder of Buckworth Solicitors.

View details

Exporting can be a game-changer for SMEs, but finding the right market and exploiting it successfully can seem like a minefield. On November 22 inspiresme.co.uk went to ‘Practical Advice for Trading Overseas,’ an event put on by the Essex Chambers of Commerce and sponsored by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

View details

“Good service is good business” is a commonly quoted business maxim. It’s 100% true. Companies that invest in their staff in order to promote superb standards of customer service will convert customers into loyal customers and secure their business in the long-term. Those that fail to prioritise customer service will suffer as a result. These tips will help you develop a healthy long-term attitude towards customer service.

View details

A changing economy is not all an SME should be concerned about. In order to be successful, businesses of all sizes need to understand their customers’ needs and, above all, demonstrate this understanding through delivering a service that not only meets, but exceeds their expectations. Therefore an insight into, and analysis of, consumer trends is critical in order to keep abreast of new ways in which consumers are running their lives and potentially interacting with your organisation. Not only will being aware of these trends enable you to react to changing demands, but you will be better equipped to forecast how particular products or services may be received.

View details

Fraud is one of those things many businesses prefer to think of as happening to other people, more often than not one of the big boys like UBS in a scandal that hits the headlines. But fraud can happen to any business, of any size, and is particularly damaging, from much more than just a financial position, to the smaller company.

View details

Having the right systems and processes in place is crucial to the success of any growing business - but in the early days small business managers often respond to the array of new tasks or challenges they are faced with on an adhoc basis, to ‘get the job done’.

View details

There are few things as exciting in business as planning and achieving growth. But it is a fine art, the reality is if you grow too fast then this will put pressure on your cash flow and can make your business vulnerable. Jonathan Cowan, Commercial Product Director for the Small Business Division at Sage UK explores the key areas business owners need to consider to prepare for growth, or indeed if growth is right for them at this time.

View details

Brainstorming came to public attention in a book – Your Creative Power – written in the 1940s by Alex Osborn, a partner in the advertising agency BBDO. Since then it has emerged as one of the most popular forms of idea generation, for both individuals and groups, in business and in everyday life. This article explores how brainstorming works, its advantages and disadvantages, and the best ways it can be used in the business environment.

View details

Business plans are documents of action; they say what your business is going to be doing and when it’s going to be doing it. They are essential documents for all companies and help ensure decisions are made on the basis of growth strategies.

View details

Copyright protection is automatically granted to all literary, dramatic or artistic worked created in the UK as a result of creative endeavour, skill or mental prowess.

View details