Category Big Business

Reaching Across the Pond

December 5, 2012 Big Business, Business  No comments

Being a locally known blogger or respected business person is wonderful but there comes a time when you will want to spread your wings. You might decide to extend your reach to a more international level. If that is the case there are several things that you will need to be aware of to make your plans successful. Remember, while there are many similarities and commonalities, there will also be some major differences between your native land and the foreign country you are planning to expand to. Those differences may go beyond just currency and language and may dictate how you present information to the people there as well as what is and is not acceptable in marketing efforts. Research and education are an important part of your first steps to expansion.

The simplest way to see how

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Business Etiquette You Should Know About When Doing Business in Asia

November 28, 2012 Big Business, Pros Corner  No comments

The global business environment has changed drastically over the last thirty years. It is now a common occurrence for a businessman or an employee of a company to travel to different parts of the globe to conduct business. Culture is an important aspect of doing business in other countries. You need to be sensitive to cultural norms and practices.

This is most apparent in Asia where culture and the concept of authority and respect are deeply ingrained into the business environment. If you haven’t done your research you are most likely to commit a social error. What you need to develop is not just partnerships with your local counterparts but also a more acute sense of business etiquette, especially since these cultural practices differ for each country.

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“Zombie” Companies Slowing the Recovery

November 27, 2012 Big Business  No comments

It would be pretty unfair to say that so called “zombie” firms are “springing up” – rather, they’re just unfortunate victims of the current economic slowdown, and sadly it seems like for up to a third of them there is little to no chance of recovery.

These zombie firms are, for the most part, an inevitable result of the current low interest rates that the UK is experiencing. The term is applied to those businesses that are not making any money, rather just surviving and barely managing to pay the interest payments on their loans. The problem goes deeper still, as households as well as businesses are currently suffering from “zombification” – people who have taken out an interest only mortgage and don’t have any hope of ever actually owning their own home. According to The Zombie

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Essential Tips in Choosing a Freight Forwarder

November 8, 2012 Big Business  No comments

Logistics is one of the most critical aspects of business, especially for companies which deal with transporting goods from one country to another. For importing and/or exporting businesses, in particular, it is imperative to have the perfect logistics partner in order to ensure smooth operations.

You may only be starting out and in need of the services of a freight forwarder. Or perhaps, you have had some experience with other freight forwarders, and you are in the market for European freight forwarders which you can trust and rely on. Whatever the case may be, here are some essential tips that can assist you in choosing the most appropriate freight forwarder for your business.

Make sure the freight forwarder’s services can carry your product/s.
Not all freight forwarders are the

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Reporting on Progress – Why Your Annual Report Matters

November 4, 2012 Big Business  No comments

Annual reports.  They’re mandatory but not exactly glamorous.  While your shareholders, stakeholders and board members will expect one, the production of the annual report has long been considered a necessary evil rather than a valuable exercise in itself.

But with a bit of a change in attitude, the process of pulling together your annual report can transform the way that you look at your business.  It also gives you the opportunity to change the way that others look at your business, which is the most important change of all.

Telling a story

The mandatory part of an annual report is obviously the accounts.  Setting out your profits and losses, how you’ve spent your shareholders’ money and where you’ve made the most cash is the central tenet of any annual

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