SMEs

There are many hurdles to scaling a successful company. Here's how the best in the business cleared them, and what you can learn from them.

Jeremy Hunt Autumn Budget 2023

MT Asks: What do CEOs make of the 2023 Autumn Budget?

Tax cuts, discounted rates and AI support were just a few of the policies laid...

insolvencies hit 14 year high

Insolvencies at 14-year high in April to September

Rising interest rates, debt levels and prices are seemingly to blame for the highest number...

product market

The best path to finding product-market fit

It requires non-stop iteration, thinking broadly, and using data to the fullest.

Threads

What do business leaders make of Threads?

MT Asks what CEOs think of the latest social networking platform.

Cas Paton

What joining the Royal Navy taught one CEO about leadership

In conversation with Cas Paton, chief executive of OnBuy, on how his naval training prepared...

British Chambers of Commerce

The British Chambers of Commerce speaks out on its alternative to the CBI ...

The British Chambers of Commerce talks to MT about its plans for the Business Council,...

CBI

CBI members back lobby group in ‘crunch’ vote

The CBI says that it has secured a “strong mandate” from members after it asked...

Durreen Shahnaz

From Bangladesh to Wall Street: The all-inclusive leader

Durreen Shahnaz, chief executive of Impact Investment Exchange, opens up about her time on Wall...

Business Connect

‘Pro business’ government slammed by Burberry boss over VAT refunds

Gerry Murphy, chairman of the luxury fashion brand, told the Prime Minister the decision to...

Michael Queenan

How to be a neurodivergent leader

Michael Queenan, chief executive of Nephos Technology, takes us on a journey of self discovery...

exit plan

Should entrepreneurs create exit plans?

While your business might only be on its first legs, having a plan for when...

Women founders

Why we need more women investors to back women founders

Access to adequate funding is still a major barrier to the success of businesses founded...

Sowvital

The story behind the plantcare brand loved by Gwyneth Paltrow

Jack Lewis, founder and CEO of Sowvital, talks to MT about how his love of...

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is reaching a critical mass and the global economy will never be ...

It's no longer looked upon with disdain to be an entrepreneur; it has become a...

How to reduce company spending

GTech CEO: “How I reduced company spending from £1.7m per month to under ...

Gtech’s boss took a page out of Einstein’s book when the company’s growth went “out...

Trees

COP27: “Net zero by 2050? You can’t do it. Stop bullshitting," blasts one ...

As COP27 kicks off, one CEO explains why Elon Musk’s electric vision is flawed, how...

In Conversation With Kiki McDonough

The Royal Family jeweller: "You're only as good as the next invoice you ...

In Conversation With...Kiki McDonough, the doyenne of British fine jewellery, tells MT about the importance...

Why entrepreneurs should celebrate their wins

Why entrepreneurs should celebrate their wins

From team morale to burnout, here are four reasons why it's time founders start celebrating...

Latvian unicorn

Inside Latvia's first unicorn

Print-on-demand group Printful have become the first Latvian start-up to gain unicorn status. MT speaks...

SMEs going for growth

SMEs going for growth with £633m investment plans

SMEs are expecting to spend an average of £111k on growth strategies in the next...

Gemma McCall

“Experiencing maternity discrimination twice ignited the activist in me”

5 minutes with… Gemma McCall, CEO of discrimination reporting software Culture Shift

How can SMEs cope with the latest hike in inflation?

How can SMEs cope with the latest hike in inflation?

MT Asks: With the latest inflation update from the Bank of England crushing any business...

5 Minutes With… Tash Grossman, CEO and founder, Slip

"I used to take every 'no' personally. Now I am more resilient"

5 Minutes With… Tash Grossman, CEO and founder of Slip, the "receipt revolution" app that...

Climate change stress

SMEs overwhelmed by climate change demands

Despite their best intentions, entrepreneurs across the UK are struggling to tackle the effects of...

Ben Findlay

“If I didn’t succeed I would be doing a disservice to my brother” ...

Founder of Machine Compare, Ben Findlay, talks with MT about how the sudden death of...

Spring statement

Spring Statement: A win for SMEs

As the “year of the squeeze” bites, the nation tuned in to the Spring Statement...

5 Minutes With… Lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Eloise Skinner.

“My best time management hack? Set yourself a made-up deadline”

5 Minutes With…Lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Eloise Skinner.

SME funding crisis

What SMEs can do to avert the coming funding crisis

If SMEs are to survive and thrive, they need to explore different financial options and...

Don't be a founder

Why it's time to drop the job title 'founder'

Be the chief or be the boss, but don’t be the ‘founder’, writes Otto Stevens,...

Neom founder interview

Why Neom's co-founder interviews every new recruit himself

Neom Organics’ co-founder, Oliver Mennell, on avoiding tension with your co-founder, global expansion and why...

How to present confidently

'How I prepared for the scariest presentation of my life'

It’s all about dressing smart and presenting with confidence, says Deepak Tailor, who appeared on...

Deepak Tailor appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den

What to do if you get turned down by investors

A lesson in spinning a negative situation into a positive outcome.

Government Covid support

Is the Government doing enough to help businesses during Covid?

MT Asks: Almost two years on from Britain’s first lockdown and as offices re-open, business...

Navigating corporate distress

A guide to navigating corporate distress

A restructuring expert from Weil, Gotshal & Manges explains how to cope in tough times....

Ivan McKee

Scottish Business Minister: "We only want investors that share our values around fair ...

After Edinburgh was named the Best City for Business 2022, MT caught up with the...

'The elephant in the room is inflation'

Piers Linney: 'The elephant in the room is inflation'

WATCH: Three trends the former Dragons Den investor thinks SMEs should watch out for in...

5 Minutes With… Rosie Khandwala

'Learn from my mistake - don’t be reliant on one supplier'

5 Minutes With… Rosie Khandwala, ethical beauty pioneer and founder of Sugar Coated.

Planet over profit

Businesses need to step up - they can't survive in societies that fail ...

Leaders must participate in a necessary, fundamental reimagining of business in order to future-proof their...

Has remote working killed company culture?

Has WFH killed company culture?

MT Asks: Leaders give their verdict on remote working, “nothing can really replace human connection."...

Sometimes courage is the quiet voice saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'

5 Minutes With...ToucanBox's founder and CEO, Virginie Charles-Dear: “It's easy to become the boss when...

Autumn Budget "another damp squib" for small business owners

Now that the dust has settled on the Autumn Budget, MT analyses what it means...

Cult Beauty's Jessica DeLuca: "Companies are bought, not sold"

In Conversation with Cult Beauty's co-founder Jessica DeLuca, who recently sold her business to The...

4 ways to instantly improve your customer service culture

While every company inherently wants its customers to have a faultless and perfect experience every...

Company founders

“They try to get a reaction – we don’t give it to them” ...

Jamal Tahlil and Edgar Chibaka, crowned Business Persons of the Year at last week’s Black...

“A four-day week gets complex as you grow”

Start-ups listen up: Baked In founder Joe Munns advises how to manage a four-day week...

How businesses are coping with Britain’s shortages

MT Asks: What does the current crisis actually mean for businesses?

If Facebook disappeared for good, could you still reach your customers?

If Monday’s blackout has taught business owners anything, it’s that it’s time to assess whether...

How I cut my 80-hour week down to just 14 hours

"The constant vigilance became overwhelming. I was working to the bone," writes Alister Esam. Here's...

How I prepared to step back from my business

One minute briefing: Born Social founder Rob O’Donovan’s leadership transition was ‘beautifully boring’.

How to scale a business

Intelligence report: How to scale a business

From prototyping to prospering, here is MT's expert step by step guide to growth

“Most start-ups don’t need investment – it’s a sick obsession”

Shane Ryan is the founder of healthy ready-meal brand Fiid. He tells his fellow start-up...

Would you pay your staff more than yourself?

Rachel MacLynn, founder of dating services firm The Vida Consultancy, sees it as an investment....

How to raise angel funding following a recession

After two years of bootstrapping the business, Busuu’s CEO Bernhard Niesner raised angel money. Here’s...

Leadership clinic: Is this the right time for M&A?

Octopus Group co-founder and chief executive Simon Rogerson answers questions on starting up, scaling up...

How to build a business without burning out

Entrepreneurs are at risk of a ‘recovery paradox’, say researchers.

What every founder needs on their board

One minute briefing: So, you’re growing your company and want to shake up your board...

Don't baulk at hiring pregnant women

Vida Consultancy founder Rachel MacLynn says a few months of leave is a blink of...

6 ways to stay close to your customer

It’s time for firms to switch from short-term survival tactics to serving their customers' post-pandemic...

Leadership clinic: My staff are refusing to come into the office

Octopus Group co-founder and chief executive Simon Rogerson answers questions on starting up, scaling up...

6 simple steps to disaster proof your business

How to scenario plan for the post-pandemic future.

British Business Bank: Stop panicking over inflation

“It also doesn't look like Britain is heading towards a recession,” says the Government-owned bank’s...

"I don't want to be the external face of the brand"

Management Today’s resident agony uncle, Octopus Group chief executive Simon Rogerson, offers advice on stepping...

6 tips for running a family business (without ruining Christmas)

Management Today asks family-led businesses how they work together successfully.

"Why I took my company public at an early stage"

One minute briefing: The CEO of dynamic pricing platform Quicklizard, Pini Mandel, outlines the strategic...

"Women need to get better at asking for funding"

Investor Lara Morgan says that start-up financing is a boys' game, but that doesn't mean...

5 ways to run your SME more efficiently

When it comes to your most precious resource - time - less can be more....

Why crowdfunding is harder than you think

And how to do it well: A short cat furniture case study.

How Presto Music nurtured its first-party data to drive sales

The classical music store's strong interactive online community helped the business grow 25% year-on-year.

"Making a positive impact brings greater returns than the stock market"

Tickr founder Tom McGillycuddy says targeting ethical and sustainable investments generated growth.

"Redundancies poisoned our culture - what should we do?"

Management Today’s resident agony uncle, Octopus Group chief executive Simon Rogerson, offers advice for winning...

The start-up disrupting university textbooks

Management Today meets Perlego founder Gauthier Van Malderen.

How CEOs can improve sales

“Hitting those sales targets no longer sits with sales teams, instead it should start and...

How iwoca became the UK’s fastest-growing fintech

“It’s been the craziest time of my whole life,” says CEO Christoph Rieche.

How this dynamic pricing start-up surged during lockdown

AI firm Quicklizard’s CEO Pini Mandel pivoted to make the most of the acceleration of...

“Be persistent but not annoying”: How to get your products listed with big ...

Founder Andy Sutton got his luxury cat furniture start-up Catipilla stocked by Pets at Home...

This speech recognition tech knows when you're angry

AI firm Speechmatics has had one of the best years in its history, says "accidental"...

How Astrid & Miyu gave virtual sales a personal touch

Shuttered shops inspired a waist-up approach to fashion, says the jewellery brand founder Connie Nam....

Beyond platforms: The next generation of digital business models

Interaction field companies solve bigger problems than conventional platform ecosystems.

How I pivoted to a direct-to-consumer model

As health consciousness increased because of Covid-19, so did the demand for kombucha. But with...

Recruitment hacks: How to find a diamond in the rough

Management Today’s panel of leaders share their tips for finding non-obvious talent.

In conversation: Laura Tenison, founder of JoJo Maman Bébé

The entrepreneur launched her mother and baby brand in 1993 after a head-on car crash....

Founders: When should you step down?

Our panel of founders on finding the right time to step aside and find a...

Q&A: "I need new funding but I'm worried it will distract me from ...

Management Today’s resident agony uncle, Octopus Group chief executive Simon Rogerson, soothes another founder’s dilemma,...

Growth tips: Everyone needs to know where they fit

One minute briefing: Railsbank head of people Claire Green’s former international rugby success has informed...

A quick guide to motivation

Do you start with relationships or results?

Leadership clinic: I'm struggling to delegate as the business grows

Octopus Group co-founder and chief executive Simon Rogerson answers questions on starting up, scaling up...

3 ways to retain customers when you're forced to shut up shop

Non-alcoholic aperitif firm Æcorn needed to find ways of being relevant when physical availability was...

How "low code" is transforming software development

Business costs could plummet as point-and-click platforms become the norm.

There’s no point being a manager if you’re not there

The leader that made me: Railsbank’s head of people Claire Green on being sidelined by...

How Jo Malone created buzz without spending money on advertising

The perfume entrepreneur calls her marketing strategy "walking the dogs".

What you need to know about setting up a subsidiary business in the ...

European business lawyer Steen Rosenfalck answers some frequently asked questions.

Why you don’t always want to hire ‘the best’

One minute briefing: Too many stars can make a dysfunctional constellation, says Cantab Capital Partners...

One way you’re giving feedback all wrong

You know the old adage about having one mouth and two ears?

FAQ: Brexit vs employment law

What the new free trade agreement means for employment rights, business trips to the EU...

The 5 key qualities of a great start-up leadership team

A seasoned investor shares what seed funders want to see in founding management teams.

"Invest in packaging, not expensive TV adverts"

One minute briefing: David Milner grew Tyrrells crisps and Lily's Kitchen into household names. Here...

Xmas party plans from the C-suite

Management Today finds out how leaders are marking the season to be jolly.

How to give great customer service on a tight budget

A missed delivery reveals some important - and inexpensive - lessons on turning disaster into...

How to stop missed targets ruining morale

This year has shown that some things are just out of your control, says this...

How to spot a bad idea that looks like a good one

Behind every flop was someone who thought they were onto a blockbuster.

How to position your business for acquisition

One minute briefing: Scale-up CEO David Milner sold Tyrrells crisps and premium pet food brand...

“Starting a business is like walking on hot coals”

Serial entrepreneur Norman Crowley believes both are dependent on being brave but not foolhardy.

How to host a virtual work Xmas party

It’s beginning to look at a lot like a video call Christmas.

How to think like your customers

Lockdown makes it harder to understand their motives, but there are ways of getting close...

What will the US election result mean for your business?

As businesses navigate COVID-19 and Brexit, the incoming administration could provide some much needed certainty....

Why founder CEOs don't listen

New research suggests that founders are more likely to ignore their management teams than other...

5 behaviours of top-class managers

This is what you want your employees to say about you behind your back.

When it’s time to fire someone pronto

Letting that bad hire who doesn’t fit in or align with business values stick around...

The science of managing high performing teams

Groups can achieve flow - an unfettered psychological state of creativity and productivity - if...

Want to improve employee engagement? Pay more (but not too much more)

Financial wellbeing: "Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a jet ski...

How can you prepare for a no-deal Brexit?

We asked leaders which contingency plans (if any) they have in place before the Brexit...

“Without the office you’re just a cog in the machine”

One minute briefing: WFH can take away the sense of belonging that holds everyone together,...

An entrepreneur's tip for getting tough

One minute briefing: Resilience involves more than enduring trauma. You need to look after yourself,...

How a quick 'thank you' improves company culture

Research shows gratitude journals help with team cohesion and wellbeing.

Remote working is actually good for creativity

Productivity goes up too, but collaboration suffers, according to Management Today research.

Should you ditch the office for a WeWork?

Business leaders say no, so Management Today finds out why the office is here to...

The long-term consequences of working from home

Not having to commute generally leaves workers generally happier, but there’s a darker side to...

1 in 4 companies considering office exodus

If people continue to work from home, expensive urban locations will start to lose their...

How to motivate people from a distance

Recognising success in a remote or hybrid environment requires a little creativity, says Insight SVP...

How to make your team more accountable

‘Do as I do’ works a lot better than ‘do as I say’.

Coffee Republic founder: How to create a bootstrapping culture

Workplace Evolution Podcast: Sahar Hashemi brought the American coffee shop concept to the UK. Here...

How to create an entrepreneurial culture in any business

One minute briefing: Octopus Group’s CEO and co-founder Simon Rogerson on getting people comfortable with...

Sarah Willingham: I will never start another business again

The entrepreneur and investor on top leadership skills, pivotal career moments and Dragons' Den.

How to keep your team motivated (home office version)

Management is harder when you can't look someone in the eye.

“You literally have to rewrite your job description”

One minute briefing: In hard times, your network becomes more important than ever, says Prezi...

Remote working forever? No thanks

EKM's CEO Antony Chesworth has had no problems working from home, but he has no...

Lockdown finance: Tips for talking to your bank & managing cash flow

Video: Funding Xchange's Katrin Herrling answers some common questions.

How to defuse conflict in your remote team

And five signs the atmosphere is turning toxic.

NextGen winners: The firms that will lead Britain's recovery

Agility, impact and vision define our next generation of great companies.

"We used to dance; now we march": How M&As can kill culture

If you're not careful, you can destroy the very thing that made the acquisition valuable...

We’re systematically promoting the wrong people… and it’s got to stop

You can identify potential leaders through these five behaviours.

How to get your sales team to embrace data analytics

Buying shiny (and expensive) new tools won’t do much good if no one trusts them,...

Coronavirus: The damaging impact on SMEs

A fifth of the UK's workforce could be off sick.

A CEO’s guide to smart decision-making

You spend enough time doing it, but have you ever thought about how you do...

What Tinder can teach you about recruitment

How to make sure top talent swipes right on your business.

Public failure can be the best thing that happens to you

But too often businesses stigmatise it, says investor Ewan Kirk.

Crash course: Management by walking around

Tom Peters made this bureaucracy-buster famous 40 years ago, but it's easier said than done....

How to hold on to top staff when promotion isn't an option

Smaller, flatter firms can struggle to offer their rising stars senior roles, but that doesn't...

Getty Images

Crash course: How to find hidden talent

The best person for the role might be closer than you think.

Why you're terrible at recruitment (and can AI help?)

The short version is you're full of biases and your hiring processes are badly designed....

Virgin StartUp's Linda Grant: "I reinvented myself as a non-exec"

After stepping down as the MD of Metro, Linda Grant wasn't ready to retire -...