Business

As a small business owner, you have to put on a lot of hats: product designer, marketer, accountant, website designer and much more. But is it worth it and is there a way of maximising business productivity?

Businesses who ship products to customers can take that one step further by incorporating their branding and image into their packaging. Everybody likes to feel special when they receive something in the post, regardless if it's for themselves or not.

Given that social media platforms are usually free, they are a no-brainer in terms of marketing but not all social media platforms are created equally and it can be tricky to get the most out of your social media without having to spend hours and hours staring at screens. So I've created a handy guide about the differences, the demographics you can reach and things to remember about the different socials.

Starting your own business is a very exciting time, and often the first thing you think of after your product is a business name. Choosing a business name is one of the most important part of your brand, so this guide will hopefully help make the process less daunting. This can be very instinctual and its tempting to choose personal names, craft specific names, or unambiguous names. Its wise to avoid all these types of business names, simply because its easy to have a great name from the start as opposed to spend money and time rebranding further down the line.

Technology is constantly changing and improving, and with these improved technologies come more methods to increase our productivity and organisation. Software and apps for business are really helpful to achieve your full potential.

In your first year, you set everything up - it's the basis for the rest of the business. That's not to say you can't change things later, but if you've been working on your business plan or your filing system for a good week and used it for 4 months, the likelihood of you going back to fix it is not high! Which brings us to our first, and possibly most important tip in our list to business survival Keep Going! or, for all the Douglas Adams fans out there, "Don't Panic!" Things will be tough, you will make mistakes, and that's OKAY! Mistakes happen, we learn, we improve, and we move on. Pack up your towel (see: "Don't Panic!") and keep up the good work!

The subject of HMRC and accounting sends a lot of people into meltdown, it's perceived as a frightening experience so people shy away from it. However, it's the most single important thing you'll do for your business. Here is where our small business legal lowdown should help.

Take a moment to think about what would be left of your business if Facebook, G+, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin and every other social network disappeared? A business mailing list will help you in that situation.

Right now the world is in chaos and it's awful. One of the side affects of this global pandemic is the effect it's having on small businesses. I wanted to share a few tips that will help you get your head in the right place to face this.