by Paul Simister on March 8, 2013
In this article, I will look at the issues involved with finding and selecting a niche market that will help your business to attract, convert and keep customers. What Is A Niche Market? A niche market is a small segment of a bigger, more general market that you can specifically target in your marketing and […]
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by Paul Simister on March 1, 2013
Is differentiation and how you will attract and convert customers a vital issue that needs your attention while you are thinking about starting a business or is it something that you can afford to leave until your business is more established? The Role Of Differentiation In Business Start Up Planning This is one of those […]
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by Paul Simister on September 22, 2011
The Six Step Profit Formula is my high level reminder of what you are trying to achieve with your strategic planning and analysis and provides the connection between strategy and tactics. It can also be used as: A guide when you are starting your business to make sure that you’ve covered the basics. . […]
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by Paul Simister on August 3, 2011
Battling Big Box: How Nimble Niche Companies Can Outmaneuver Giant Competitors by Henry Dubroff and Susan J Marks is supposed to be a book about how small businesses can get the better of the giant competitors in their market who appear to have all the advantages. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to expectations.
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by Paul Simister on July 12, 2011
Thanks to Dragons’ Den, Duncan Bannatyne is one of the best known multi-millionaire entrepreneurs and in this book, Wake Up And Change Your Life, he provides the inspiration for you to move from thinking about starting your own business or talking about it to actually making the commitment to literally change your life. Wake Up […]
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by Paul Simister on July 6, 2011
If you think about going down the venture capital route for funds for your young business, I recommend you read this blog post from Fred Wilson of Union Square Investments. Why Early Stage Venture Investments Fail It’s always good to understand the situation from the other side since it makes their demands seem more reasonable. […]
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by Paul Simister on July 6, 2011
When I was researching how businesses change or pivot their business plans, I found this presentation about Venture Capital and when you need it and when you don’t by Union Square Ventures in New York. Venture Capital Presentation Since I have no control over whether it disappears from scribd, I want to pull out a […]
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by Paul Simister on June 30, 2011
Do you think you have a great idea for a new business? Exciting isn’t it to have thought of something that feels new and different and it’s even more exciting if you think this could be the idea that you act upon. That last sentence makes an important point which may have passed you by. […]
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by Paul Simister on June 24, 2011
I’m often approached by start-up entrepreneurs and asked to write their business plan. I won’t do it. I think it’s a rotten idea. So does Dragons Den entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne.
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by Paul Simister on June 15, 2011
Specialist business planning software is a great way to help you to out together a business plan to take to a bank or other financial backer. I’ve written before about the different types of business plans. It’s The Thinking In Business Planning That’s So Important I believe in the thinking that goes into preparing a […]
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by Paul Simister on June 3, 2011
I’ve just received a review copy of The Start Your Own Business Bible: 501 New Ventures You Can Launch Today by Richard Walsh. I love talking to entrepreneurs about business but one of the most difficult questions to answer is… “I want to start my own business. Where can I make the most money?” It’s […]
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by Paul Simister on June 2, 2011
One of the most powerful things you can do when negotiating is to see things from the other person’s perspective. To find out why banks don’t finance business startups I want you to put yourself in the bank manager’s shoes when he meets an eager entrepreneur looking for cash to finance the great (ad)venture.
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by Paul Simister on May 26, 2011
I’d better make it clear what I mean by small business design. It has little to do with website design or graphic design. What I mean by small business design is carefully planning out:
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by Paul Simister on May 24, 2011
I regularly read the Harvard Business School blog and many of the articles are for big businesses but one inspired me to give you my own thoughts. If you are thinking about starting a small business, see how you measure up to these three personality traits:
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by Paul Simister on March 11, 2011
It is very tempting when you are starting a business to cast your net too widely and to try to appeal to many different types of customer. The problem is that by being so general, you finish up talking to no one. I think it’s easier to see how crazy this is by stepping out […]
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by Paul Simister on February 18, 2011
Have you ever seen the TV programme Dragons’ Den where entrepreneurs and inventors pitch for real money from multi-millionaire investors? The Dragons only have a short time to decide if they are going to invest based on whether they think the business that is being pitched to them will succeed or fail. How do they […]
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