The Business Zone section provides information and learning on a range of areas involved in starting a small business. Topics covered are written from a practical point of view and have been donated by real people who have first hand experience of the issues.
These give valuable insights in to how each area can work in practice and offer a range of useful tools and techniques which can help in the real-world decisions which managers and business owners might be faced with.
Whilst the emphasis of Complete Business Start-up is on providing relevant and informative articles to our visitors, Business Zone will be even further detached from a Standard “one size fits all” business start-up manual.
Commercial theories are of greater value when they are enhanced by practical considerations and when both their benefits and limitations are presented in a balanced manner.
Should there be any topics which you believe would benefit visitors by their inclusion in this section, use the contact us form to provide details.
Any suggestions for additions in Business Zone will be researched and evaluated on the basis of their relevance and usefulness to new entrepreneurs.
Business Start-up Realism looks at the different approaches to beginning a new venture and discusses the impact of having a realistic view of the potential issues that could be faced and compares this against the belief that everything will fall naturally into place.
Credit Crunch and Start-up Bank Accounts considers the impact of the recent tightened and more stringent criteria being applied by UK financial institutions. The levels to which these are affecting the granting of start-up bank accounts is discussed as well as the repercussions for entrepreneurs wishing to work for themselves.
Diversification - Spreading the Risk in Business highlights the importance of having several distinct areas of operations as a means to reduce exposure to a potential downturn in one consumer market. The article considers whether several businesses could be starting at the same time in order to achieve a diversified portfolio from the beginning.
Finding Accounting Services for Under £1000 analyses the mandatory reporting requirements for small businesses and the benefit that they actually derive from accountancy services. The article considers the moves being made by some accountants to recognise and accommodate business start-ups in view of them being financially restricted in their early years.
Giving up Work When You Have A Family considers the necessity of having the full support of those who may be affected by the decision to give up work and become self-employed. It offers suggestions for coping with the initial loss of income and ways in which the financial burden can be softened.
Google Adwords for Business Start-ups discusses the means by which this form of advertising can facilitate instant exposure for a new entity. By circumventing the natural search engine listings, Adwords can provide measurable benefits to a business’ marketing effort.
How to Protect a Company Name covers the means by which sole traders, partnerships and other businesses seek to prevent others from registering a name similar to the one being used by them. It discusses the practical limitations that typically exist on the levels of company name protection that can be accomplished by this process.
Internet Fraud and How to avoid it is written from a customer’s point of view and discusses both the dangers and effects this kind of crime can have. There are easy to implement ideas on reducing the chances of failing victim to Internet fraud and how such commonsense methods could be applied in practice.
Registering a Domain provides a simple guide on how to evaluate the various options for gaining an online presence. It covers some simple definitions and the actual process involved in registering a domain and purchasing web hosting. It also considers sensible options on how and where to house each of these.
Search Engine Optimisation Tips discusses two lesser known SEO principles; that of viewing each and every web page as a potential landing page and the unequivocal requirement for patience.
SEO Strategies highlights how appropriate forethought on launching a website before starting a business can be beneficial in gaining Internet sales sooner. It also considers the merits of using in-house resources versus those belonging to third parties to carry out the business’ search engine optimisation strategy.
Small Business Start-up Forums commentates on the usefulness of traditional online exchange sites against the new wave of social networking media. It highlights differences between the two and suggests that certain popular and well-attended business forums still provide significant benefits to start-ups.
Sourcing Supplies from Overseas is a topical review of the potential for business start-ups to reduce their outgoings by engaging with cheaper suppliers from overseas. It considers some potential problems areas as well as the large costs savings that might be on offer.
Starting up Alone or with a Partner discusses the decision of whom, if anyone to go in to business with. It evaluates both the pros and cons of going it alone or taking on the experience and expertise of another person.
SWOT Analysis, although a long-standing and well-known business tool, it is still one of the important bases of strategic planning. The importance of recognising all of the components contained in SWOT and its affect on the direction of the business is discussed.
True Test of an Entrepreneur takes the unusual analogy of being stuck on a desert island in order to evaluate a person’s potential to cope with the rigors of starting a small business. By carrying out a honest analysis of how crisis are dealt with, an insight can be provided in to the person’s likely reaction to events typically uncovered when beginning a new venture.
Two Types of Business Start-up Entrepreneurs provides commentary of the different styles used when becoming self-employed. The contrasting approaches, one less regulated by conventional management training and the other, the more traditional step by step and organised mechanical method are evaluated and compared.
When to Quit Business provides a brash focus on how to evaluate whether to continue trading when the operations seem to heading in the wrong direction. It analyses the types of internal and external factors that could lead to a business under performing and considers if the entrepreneur should accept responsibility and decide to quit.
Working 24/7 – Fatigue in Business considers the serious issue of overworking and the levels of tiredness which typically ensue. It also stresses the importance of planning an environment where breaks are taken from the business and how this can improve the decision-making processes.