Business Builder Plan Blog

Thinking big isn't often the problem for entrepreneurs and small business owners. We like to dream and aspire and reach for higher heights. But with this strength, comes a consequential weakness.

The problem is turning our lofty goals into reality. Entrepreneurial people don't much like the detail, even though we know that our ideas only become reality when our head is in the clouds at the same time that our feet are planted on the ground.

To be successful in business, we need both the big picture and the detailed picture. So to give you a hand at getting through from the big picture to the detailed picture, and thus increasing your chances of success, here's a checklist to anchor your vision into daily action:

For entrepreneurs and small business owners, image is everything and finding a way to establish the image that your business needs to thrive and grow doesn't have to be an expensive proposition.

Traditionally, start-up firms have had two choices when deciding where to “set up shop”: turn a spare bedroom at home into an office or lease commercial office space.

Unfortunately, neither option presents a particularly attractive business case. Although convenient and cost-effective, the home office can be wrought with distractions such as kids and pets and they are not the most conducive place to host important client meetings.

Leasing commercial space can be expensive and often times risky. Not to mention the time and energy required to find a suitable office, negotiate the lease terms, purchase furnishings and equipment, hire office staff and services, etc.

Project reporting is an essential task for any project and the most frequent report is project status. The project status report should include current project status, key risks, project metrics and work done, work in progress and work to be started. It should be targeted at the intended audience and contain the level of detail appropriate for that audience.

Project reporting is an essential task for any project and the most frequent report is project status. The project manager will normally write the report and deliver it as a written email update or presentation or perhaps a combination of both. The information will be from the project team and must be current and accurate. Consequently a project manager must ensure that they are fully in touch with project status.

In the world of business, English is widely acknowledged as the universal language. However, despite using a common language, it is not uncommon for misunderstandings to occur. Differences in cultural and business practices mean that business travellers should be aware of varying customs, etiquette and cultural differences when conducting business abroad.

When conducting international business, it is extremely important for business representatives to be aware of different cultural beliefs and behaviour. After all, behaviour which might be considered normal in a UK boardroom could be radically different to behaviour expected in Saudi Arabia or China. As a result, failure to understand foreign business practices and customs can create insurmountable barriers to successful business relations. Conversely, taking a little time to learn these cultural differences can reap rewards and help build strong business relationships.