Rags to Wreckages ... to Riches

Does your startup have these two critical success factors?

Startup businesses recognise that neither a good nor an exceptional product or new idea alone is enough to succeed.

So, then, what are the two factors that every successful startup needs? And does your startup have them? Find out...

The 3 Keys to Paying a Startup Team before Funding

Here is a puzzle - how do you pay a startup team before you have any money?

We have found that 3 key dimensions need to be resolved to enable to you develop a strong and motivated startup team.

Startup Accelertor Manchester

Idea Alive is planning a new startup accelerator in Manchester and Liverpool.

What Physicist Feynman can teach Lean Startups

The Lean Startup movement gets that learning underpins all innovation - and startup success.

The lean startup concept also understands that the learning is about finding out what 'doesn't work' as much as 'what does'.

So, what can top physicist Richard Feynman teach us about lean startups and innovation? Find out...

The upside of quitting…

Serial quitters explain why quitting is a smart strategic move (often) …. and why the professor of quitting can stop smoking! Wonderful podcast with great stories – which distill all wisdom into ‘sometimes it is smart to quit, sometimes not’. Love it! You can read (or listen) here…

What is the purpose of innovation?

What is the purpose of innovation? Is it..

To create new products...
To create new customer demand...
To build strong teams capable of constant innovation...

... or all three?

Startup Workshop – Manchester, 12th Oct

Thinking of launching a startup business? Or perhaps intersted in joining one as an equity partner? Find out more on what it is like to startup – and whether you are cut out for it – at the Startup Manchester Workshop on 12th Oct.

Startup Workshop – Manchester, 15th Sept, UK

Enterprise Freelance Fair have announced their startup workshop for freelancers and entrepreneurs in Manchester on the 15th of September. Click here for more information on the startup workshop…

Business Accelerators in UK, Europe, Germany, France and Spain

List of the current business accelerators in UK, Europe, Germany, France and Spain.

Success is going from failure to failure…

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. ” - Abraham Lincoln -

Rapid system development, rapid customer development – what’s next?

Every three years we seem to undergo a fundamental shift in thinking.

We had rapid system development 6 years ago, and rapid customer development 3 years - so what should we expect in 2011?

Read on to find out...

Myth: Selling is scary and I want my mummy!

Many (but not all) entrepreneurs feel that selling is scary, horrible and not nice!

However, this view is typically based on a misunderstanding of what selling is really about.

Yes, there are hard sales people who will flog you anything they can (actually, anything that generates a large commission) but these people tend to burn out - as do their businesses.

Instead, non-pushy people can become great sales people simply by thinking about sales in a different way. Here's how...

Entrepreneur Myth: build it – and they will come!

The worst mistake I've made - and now see others make - is to think that if I build it (a great product, web service etc...) that the customers will come.

They will not.

Sadly!

Okay, Google is an exception - but do you really want to play 1/1000 kind of odds?

Success defined by failure – Winston Churchill

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm” Sir Winston Churchill

What do you call an entrepreneur with a great idea but no sales?

What do you call an entrepreneur with a great idea but no sales?

A dreamer? An inventor? Someone who never makes it?

So then, how do you become a successful entrepreneur?

Richard Branson “British business people get too much education”

Richard Branson believes that British business people get too much education and that accademic life does not equip people for entrepreneurship. He is quoted as saying that “schooling does not prepare you for the business world.”

How to lose £Trillions – Entrepreneurs – don’t be afraid!

The IMF has provided entrepreneurs with a wonderful example of how to get it wrong.

But what can we - the successful entrepreneurs - learn from the IMFs failures?

Entrepreneurs need to build flexibility or risk going bust

The competition from emerging market businesses mean that entrepreneurs in the UK and other developed economies need to grow agile and flexible businesses.

How are we doing to do this? Find out...

100 Rules: “A bible for anyone planning to sell to the Dragons or try out The Apprentice”

“A bible for anyone planning to sell to the Dragons or try out The Apprentice” The Weekly News, 22/01/11

Is your business investment ready?

Many entrepreneurs wonder if their business is ready for investment - so how can you tell if you enterprise is investment ready?

Find out how...

Happy New Year Entrepreneurs – what have you pruned or cut?

The new year is with us - and so this is a great time to ask - what have you pruned or cut in 2011?

Hmm... yes, this might seem strange to ask about cutting at the beginning of a new year - but shouldn't we be looking to expand and grow, you might ask?

Well yes, but, before you can grow, you have to cut out the deadwood or the slow growth businesses, products and services in order to focus on new opportunities or expanding those things that really are working.

100 Rules – “Ultimate companion for today’s entrepreneur”

100 Rules – the ultimate companion for today’s entrepreneur” says Better Business Click to read the review in Better Business

“100 Rules for Entrepreneurs should be in every business library”

Click any of the quotes below to read the full review of 100 Rules for Entrepreneurs by Valerie Dwyer, serial entrepreneur and business turn around expert. As a serial entrepreneur who has been head hunted to turn businesses around I would like to see this book as a reference in every business library These insights [...]

Neil Lewis will be speaking to Aberystwyth MBA students on 8th December 2010

Neil Lewis will be speaking to Aberystwyth MBA students on 8th December 2010 about his experiences as an entrepreneur and what led him to write 100 Rules for Entrepreneurs.

Neil will be speaking to Loughborough University – 9th December

Neil will be speaking to Loughborough University’s Entrepreneurial Society on 9th December at 6.30pm. The audience will consist of MBA students and local entrepreneurs.

Neil Lewis to speak to Cardiff MBA students

Neil Lewis will be speaking to Cardiff MBA students about the experiences that led him to write 100 Rules for Entrepreneurs. The event will take place at Cardiff Business School on Wednesday 1st December at 2pm.

100 Rules for Entreprenuers – about the book

This video clip explains the real life, gritty experience that 100 Rules for Entrepreneurs is based on.

It explains the concept behind the book and how it can help new and old entrepreneurs learn from my mistakes.

Entrepreneurs – don’t give up equity – until you have watched this…

Giving up equity to partners is dangerous. It will cause you major problems in the future - if your busines is successful - if you don't get the splits right from the outset.

Find out how I split the equity on my first business - and why it became a problem.

Then, don't do as I did!

100 Rules for Entrepreneurs – out now!

100 Rules for Entreprenuers, by me, Neil Lewis, is out now and can be order via the publishers book website

End of Firms? What entreprenuers need to do…

What kind of business will be successful coming out of this recession?

And, how do we build it?

That is the big question for every entrepreneur who is either starting up now - or already on the journey.

So, what will happen... and what do we do about it?

With Much Regret and a Heavy Heart you are HIRED!*

Oops! Did I mean FIRED?

Actually, no!

As Lord Sugar's new edition of the Apprentice gets under way this week, we have to ask ourselves why do all these thrusting young entrepreneurs want a job?

Innovation Challenge…

Research shows that freelancers can solve many of the challenges faced by businesses, agencies or departments that are looking to innovate and grow.

Instead of just being a way to save costs, freelancers are discovering that they bring original ideas and solutions to their clients.

But does it work? Can freelancers help avoid failure and stimulate innovation?

100 Rules for Entrepreneurs – Real-Life Business Lessons

Okay, this is a shameless plug – why not check out my latest book – 100 rules for entrepreneurs – real-life business lessons – due out on 18th October 2010.

How JK Rowling used failure as her bedrock for future success

JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, talks about how failure in career, marriage and financially, led her to focus on the one area in which she was truly equipped to succeed.

She says that had she not experienced the failure, she might never have gone on to write one the worlds's most popular series of books.

Google celebrates business failure as it closes Wave

Google decided to close Wave, its project to replace email and transform how people communicate over the internet, whilst declaring that it had the courage to try new projects, a willingness to seem them fail and a desire to learn from that failure. Google Chief Exec, Eric Schmidt say ‘we celebrate our failures. This is [...]

5 Ways to Avoid Small Business Failure and Innovate

Hurrah! There has been a shift in business thinking!

Stock investors have rediscovered Warren Buffett's investment principle of 'never lose money' and entrepreneurs are now focused on how to avoid small business failure, rather than searching for growth at all costs.

We need to learn how to avoid small business failure and so that your business has time and space to innovate.

Purpose: Are you making this strategic website mistake?

Why do you have a webiste?

Is it because everyone else has one, so you thought you should have one too?

Anecdotal research tells us that 80% of websites don't have a clearly defined purpose. So, if you've made the classic mistake of building a website and are now wondering what to do with it, or even, whether it works, then read on...

How Much Does a Visitor Cost Your Digital Business?

Do you know how much a digital visitor costs?

Well, if you are working for the UK Government, you will now know how much a single visitor to your website costs - and it can vary by a factor of 48,900%.

Yes, that's right, the cost of visiting www.number10.gov.uk cost just 2p per visitor - compared to the cost of visiting www.UKTradeInvest.gov.uk which cost £9.78 per visitor.

3 Digital Start-up Business Mistakes to Avoid

Digital business (previously called internet businesses) are still all the rage and therefore the majority of new start-up business plans are digital businesses.

But we keep seeing the same mistakes. So here are 3 errors that we keep seeing - and you should avoid...

Social Media marketing provides growth for young entrepreneur

Digital magazine “Growing Business” have recently announced the winners of their marketing competition, one of whom was young entrepreneur Fraser Doherty, with his enterprise Superjam, which specializes in pure fruit jam. Doherty’s approach was simple; when asked about his target audience, he explained that he used social media to encourage loyal customers to assist him [...]

‘It is wrong to suppress enterprise in any way.’ – Alan Sugar

Last week Lord Sugar expressed his concerns about the Coalition plan to raise CGT from 18% to around 40%. He explained that he felt confused that the Tories should wish to diminish entrepreneurial motivation, but acknowledged that there is a problem with ‘individuals who manage private equity funds who somehow magically turn their commissions made [...]

Point 2: Rapid Product and Service Innovation

In this 2nd of the 7 point plan for growing your business in 2010, Lewis talks about the importance of rapid product and service innovation and the three key factors ...

Stupid employment law?

Quote from today’s FT “Lawyers have warned that employers who extend facilities for employees to watch England games must also consider requests to watch other fixtures to avoid discrimination claims” Okay – the logical conclusion of this is therefore; no employees (so no rights) or no England football games. Stupid, but true.

How digital marketing allows us to beat the jobs freeze

Recruitment freezes have spread from the private sector to the public sector across Europe and the US - they are now everywhere!

So, when one of your team leave, you are left short handed and without key skills, how do keep growing your business, make more sales and deliver better returns with less budget and a smaller team?

Junior Apprentice – final tonight

For fans of live business programmes, Alan (Lord) Sugar’s Junior Apprentice finishes tonight on BB1. If you miss it, catch it on iplayer

How to Achieve More with Less Cash

Okay, we know the answer lies with outsourcing – but how much can you outsource and how do you do it safely?

Here are our 7 key tips...

Employee pensions problems lead to sale of Harrods

London’s iconic department store, Harrods, has been sold by current owner successful entrepreneur, Al Fayed due to problems with pension trustees. Not because it went bust – but because it became ungovernable.

How Successful Enterpreneurs will Survive the Treacle Years – 5 Key Tips

What shall we call this period - between the first recession and whatever is to come in the form of substantial public sector cuts and reductions in government spending?

Shall we call them the treacle years? The years of trudging along with heavy boots - just about keeping the forward momentum of your business but demanding constant and focused effort?

Point 1: Accept New Business Reality

In this first video of the 7 point plan, Lewis deals with three key points
1.) Tough credit terms will continue
2.) Most markets are shrinking fast
3.) There is good news - less competition

IR35 History – say PCG

PCG have been lobbying to get the hated IR35 tax legislation reformed and today they are hopeful of success after a clear mention in the coalition government’s joint manifesto stating that they will… “Review IR35 as part of a wholesale review of all small business taxation, and seek to replace it with simpler measures that [...]