GrowthBusiness.co.uk: Your gateway to entrepreneurial success

Rules of investment

Here's my advice for telling potential investors what they really want to hear.

Sage advice

In my experience very few successful businesses were started by a particularly clever individual.

Richly deserved

The ongoing controversy surrounding bankers’ bonuses has made me think about how attitudes to wealth have changed in the past two to three decades.

The first impression

Making the right impression at an initial meeting is as important in business as it is in personal situations.

Get the right exit price

It's more important than ever for those selling their business to think about the key points the buyer will find attractive.

The art of pricing

In the 1980s, my old company, Sage, produced its first £99 accounts package on the Amstrad.

Starting up in a recession

Recessions bring about change, and that’s the perfect environment for a new business.

Learn to switch off

Picture yourself in a situation where your bankers are becoming increasingly difficult or you are losing money and have to make job cuts among friends and colleagues to survive. It may not be that difficult to imagine.

Achieving steady sales growth

A few days ago I got involved with a manufacturing company that has been around for over 20 years and exports all over the world.

The burden of leadership

When I started my own company there were days when it just wasn’t happening.

Uncharted territory

In times like these, you have to think the unthinkable.

The 100 club and other incentives

Whether you’re an early-stage play or a large corporate, incentivising your staff will be vital for the success of your business.

Why leaders make the difference

I’m not a big bridge player, but I’ve always been fascinated by ‘duplicate bridge’.

Burn off the fat

Tough times are a great excuse to cut costs and take out under-performers.

Precision partnerships

As Sir Alan Sugar showed in The Apprentice, even the most dictatorial leaders need trusted aides by their side.

Punch above your weight

Jos White, who sold his company MessageLabs for $695 million, on why it's so important to act like a bigger business than you really are.

Meeting menaces: The Waffler

More tips from John Cleese, who reveals how to stop a waffler in full flow.

Reducing energy usage

Ian Cheshire, chairman of B&Q, explains how the store has saved 10,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.