Getting advice about your business can sometimes feel like you’re all at sea, surrounded by well-meaning views and opinions, but never quite sure which of them will help you stay afloat. 

This is a particular risk in today’s uncertain economic climate, where the stakes are high, and a poor decision can lead to costly mistakes.

Rising operating and materials costs, funding debts, Covid loan paybacks – as business growth coaches who keep abreast of the market, we know these factors are pushing up business insolvency rates across the country.

On 22nd November, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made his Autumn Statement to Parliament – and despite the challenges of the past three years there were positives in it for businesses.

But much of this upside also requires preparation on your part, so here’s our overview of what you need to know, the changes and the continuities you should expect, how you will benefit from them, and what you will need to do to ensure you don’t miss out.

Building and running a business can sometimes feel like a very lonely affair.  Steering the ship is all well and good, but as business growth coaches we’ve seen many business owners and entrepreneurs who were so lacking in advice and support that they could no longer see either the open water or the rocks.

As business growth coaches, we’ve worked with some truly inspirational entrepreneurs and business owners - and we believe there is huge value in sharing their experiences and feedback around the opportunities, watchouts, and pitfalls that starting and running a new business inevitably entails.

Selling a business is the goal of most business owners at some stage in their career, with the prospect of a comfortable lifestyle thereafter a powerful incentive.

But as business coaches, we at Lesley Jones often see the other side of the coin: business owners who don’t ask themselves the right questions about the sale, about what kind of buyer they’re aiming for, and about the value that kind of buyer is looking for in their purchase.