Tips

Guest writer Jo Haigh talks up taking opportunities, the recession, making money and the importance of cash...If Location, Location and Location is vital in identifying and enhancing the value of an asset in the property market then cash, cash and cash remains paramount in any business, but never more so than in a new venture in these cash strapped times.Starting a business in a recession may not ...
Read Post »

Thanks to the good ol’ smartphone, most of us have a pretty decent camera at our disposal, pretty much all of the time. But do we really make the most of it? Well perhaps we could, especially if we availed of some of the latest apps for sharing, manipulating and editing our photos. So, whether you’re a full time designer or artist or you’d simply like to get a little more creativ...
Read Post »

Whilst many of us may harbour ideas for businesses, not all of us will act on them and it’s often the case that we have an idea, do nothing about it and then months, maybe years later we see someone who has acted on that very idea and created a business. We may get annoyed - have a little rant perhaps - “But I thought of that first..” or even “ Why didn’t I bother doi...
Read Post »

Self Starter, Krisi Smith, co-founder of the innovative Bluebird Tea Co. offers her top tips on how to reinvent a product for a new audience.I’m not claiming to be a guru of reinvention, however, I am very proud to be on a mission to reinvent possibly the most well loved drink in the world – The humble cuppa.Although considered a staple and an ordinary, everyday occurrence, the cuppa i...
Read Post »

Some people really really love Powerpoint. It is their trusty comfort blanket when the company presentation, meeting, or pitch comes a-calling. Powerpoint is afterall the daddy of presentation tools. However it was not until recently when I started testing a few other Presentation tools that my own interest in Powerpoint waned slightly. Most of us probably use Powerpoint for presentations because ...
Read Post »

There are many reasons your business might need a press release; maybe you have just started up, have an event coming up or maybe a new product line? Whatever the reason, a press release can increase your visibility and create an exciting buzz that can increase sales. But what about mixing things up a little? The content of your press release must be interesting and newsworthy but that doesn&rsq...
Read Post »

Here at Startacus we reckon that writers block is perhaps one of our least favourite things in the whole world.  This is not only because of the frustration caused by knowing what you want to say but not quite knowing how to say it, but also because it can be a huge waste of time as you sit for hours infront of a blank word document. Laura Allen previously wrote about How to publish your...
Read Post »

Joanne Bushby; Personal Development & Employability Coach, Stress Management, Usui Reiki Master Teacher & Energy Therapist (phew) asks "Self Development - What is it?"Self development is about raising yourself awareness, self esteem and self confidence all the things that are essential to being successful when taking the jump to setting up your own business. It is no good having a gre...
Read Post »

Joseph Benn, author of 'Brilliant Business Ideas' makes the point that action at least equal results, which is more than can be said for just talking a good talk about your great idea and never getting passed the talking..."I am afraid that this post is more of a rant but I hope it contains some nuggets of useful information for you. One of the most common questions Im asked by people thinkin...
Read Post »

OK, so its safe to assume that if you are a startup you don't have shed-loads of money to spend on a snazzy professional PR campaign.  However, there are ways and means of getting the message out there about your business, about promoting it without spending a fortune and one of the best of those is by being astute and clever with your PR. Like everything in business, getting it right ta...
Read Post »

Ever get the feeling that you have a million and one things to do yet you just know you’re bound to forget one of them? Well, if so, you’re not alone. Whilst we may set out with the best intentions every morning, chances are that at times things can go amiss. With increasingly busy working and social lives, as well as countless daily distractions, it’s pretty easy to let somethin...
Read Post »

Being self employed can be more of a juggling act than many other career paths because of the increased responsibility which is places upon you. The problem with self-employment is that most of the time unless you work with a business partner or employ staff, you have no one apart from yourself there to manage your responsibilities, duties and time. Often you can become disrupted, distracted by s...
Read Post »