GrowthBusiness.co.uk: Your gateway to entrepreneurial success

Overseas distribution dos and don'ts

GrowthBusiness talks to entrepreneurs who have cracked overseas markets, including a  laser manufacturer and a distributor of Hello Kitty-branded mobile phones.

Communication tools: a guide

There will always be times when you need a face-to-face meeting. On other occasions, remote communications tools can work just as well.

Six obstacles to business growth

It is often said of start-ups that the first year loses money, the second year breaks even and the third yields a profit.

Opening a second front

Many a business has lost its way as it opens in new locations, both in the UK and abroad.

Serviced and managed offices

When your business is expanding rapidly, a serviced or managed office can offer greater flexibility than a typical five- or ten-year lease. We look at the pros and cons.

British business in Brazil

Brazil is the world’s fifth most populous country, with a growing middle class, a stable government and world-class companies looking for foreign partners. We meet British entrepreneurs operating in Latin America’s largest economy.

Doing business in Russia

The Russian economy is growing by 7.7 per cent per annum, buoyed by the soaring price of oil. But with lurid stories about government corruption and mobsters, how attractive is the country for the more entrepreneurial- sized business? GrowthBusiness examines the issues.

Breaking into supermarkets

As entrepreneurs like Reggae Reggae sauce founder Levi Roots have discovered, getting your product into supermarkets can turbo-charge your sales. GrowthBusiness talks to Roots and other business owners about how it's done.

UK businesses in India

India has a burgeoning middle class with money to spend, a large English-speaking population and a government showing a steady commitment to liberalisation. GrowthBusiness meets the UK entrepreneurs who are cashing in on the world’s second-fastest growing economy.

Prepare for the worst

When heavy rain began to fall across swathes of the UK in June and July 2007, few organisations envisaged the devastation that would immediately follow. Fewer still had prepared their business and IT infrastructure for such a disaster.

Family values

Families have been the foundations of some of the world’s greatest businesses. GrowthBusiness talks to five companies which have drawn strength from family ties while remaining open to fresh ideas.

How to sell to China

The potential of exciting growth for businesses selling to China is matched only by the legendary difficulty of gaining a foothold there. GrowthBusiness talks to enterprises that have overcome the obstacles and are reaping the rewards.

Making acquisitions work

It could be over-optimism that explains why countless acquisitions fail to meet expectations. ‘People get a rush of blood sometimes and these things are not thought out,' says Andrew Hartley, joint MD of private equity firm August Equity.

Big in Japan - doing business overseas

Not so long ago, my company was poised (or so I thought) for a joint venture with a large Japanese company that shall remain nameless. We were punching massively above our weight and were naturally excited, recalls Chris Ingram.

First principles of franchising

Derek Lowe, chief executive officer of Storm Communications, reviews How to Turn Your Business into the Next Global Brand: Creating and Managing a Franchised Network, by Brian Duckett and Paul Monaghan.

"There's no such thing as failure, only feedback"

The challenges David Ferry faced when starting and growing his business, Ferry Financial.

"The Business is out there"

Neil O'Connell's advice for budding entrepreneurs is "don't panic".

"There's no such thing as failure, only feedback"

David Ferry set up his business, Ferry Financial, because he believed there was a better way to do financial management