If you are still feeling the effects of the economic downturn, try the following tips from Doug Richard, entrepreneur and Dragon. 5. TALK TO YOUR LENDERS If you have debt financing, stay in communication with your creditors. Don’t wait until it’s too late before speaking with your lender. When you are already in a crisis [...]

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If you are still feeling the effects of the economic downturn, try the following tips from Doug Richard, entrepreneur and Dragon. 4. YOU CAN ALWAYS CUT MORE You can forecast expenses, you can’t forecast revenue. Look for places to cut expenses. When times are good, companies tend to add staff and expenses that are nice [...]

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If you are still feeling the effects of the economic downturn, try the following tips from Doug Richard, entrepreneur and Dragon. 3. DON’T DEPEND ON ANYONE Keep a close eye on your suppliers, and have alternatives. In a downturn, some of your suppliers may become troubled as well, and you need to think about alternative [...]

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If you are still feeling the effects of the economic downturn, try the following tips from Doug Richard, entrepreneur and Dragon. 2. COLLECT WITH PASSION On a related point, manage receivables aggressively. Businesses are holding on to their cash longer than before, resulting in late payments. These late payments are having a ripple effect through [...]

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If you are still feeling the effects of the economic downturn, try the following tips from Doug Richard, entrepreneur and Dragon. 1. CASH IS KING Manage cash – if you’re out of cash and out of credit, you’re out of business. You need a good 13 week cash forecast, generated NOT from the income statement [...]

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Do What You Say, When You Say You Will It sounds obvious but make sure you follow up. If you have said you will send through a contacts details, make sure you do it. If you have arranged to send through more information by the end of the day, make sure you do. Nothing will [...]

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What Else Can You Add of Value? When you are meeting a prospect or attending a networking event you will understandably be focused on what you can get out of the experience. But be prepared to give a little too. It could simply be making an introduction to another of your contacts that could be [...]

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Make Yourself Clear Make sure you are prepared for the specific situation. If you are attending a networking group, make sure you have perfected your one minute presentation and are prepared to speak to prospects on a one-to-one basis and have a ready answer to the inevitable question ‘What do you do’. If meeting a [...]

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Are You Interested? As well as having the opportunity to speak about yourself and your business, it is equally important to show interest in your prospect and their business activities. You will create a great first impression if you listen carefully and ask questions. By doing this you will be able to find common points [...]

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