Michelle Dewberry

Michelle Dewberry: failing to evolve your business is planning to fail Gone are the days when we could all set our watches by the clatter of the letterbox. The reality now is that despite the rising cost of mail, the service that was once at the core of British industry is now a thing of the past. The recent postal strikes have cost UK businesses an estimated £1.25 billion, money that companies can ill afford during the country’s longest recession. Whether you are a sole trader, an SME or a company who employs hundreds of staff, each and every one of us has been affected by it.

To grow or play it safe? That's the million-dollar question… One reoccurring topic which always seems to crop up when speaking to business owners is ‘when is the right time to bite the bullet and take the business to the next level’? When do we stop the bootstrapping and say hello to investment? I am a firm believer that all businesses can (and in most cases, should be) boot-strapped from day one. This not only saves costs, it keeps your business lean and avoids the unnecessary ‘fat’ that one could be tempted to add if investment is gained early on.

Big brother is watching you… Employees. Always good to have them where you can see them right? To make sure they are in the door at 9am, working solidly and then out the door no earlier than 5pm? Ban Facebook from the office to make sure opportunities to skive are minimal and if we can give them clocking in/out cards, so much the better. After all, if the boss is sitting there watching their staff, productivity is almost guaranteed, isn’t it?