Search results

Understand why growth is good for business, common reasons for growth and how to identify growth opportunities.

How to grow a business through market penetration, market/product development, diversification and partnerships.

Advice on how to achieve your sales objectives by creating a sales plan including your focus, the necessary changes, the steps involved and your target markets.

The key things to avoid when drawing up a sales forecast including wishful thinking, not making it achievable and moving goalposts

How to improve the accuracy of your forecast by breaking down your sales figures into smaller categories such as by product, market, region or customer.

How to build expected changes in your business relating to factors such as your products and your market into a sales forecast.

How to use last year's sales as a starting point for your forecast of next year's sales to help manage your business more effectively.

How to use sales forecasting, a monthly prediction of your sales, to improve the management of your business and avoid cashflow problems.

Tips to improve the quality of your market research – from using field research and market reports to interpreting the data.

How to choose between alternative methods of completing field research and how to find professional researchers if you decide to outsource your field research.

When you carry out field research to gather market information – ask the right questions, talk to the right people, interpret carefully and be impartial.

How to plan your field research for gathering market information including surveys, interviews, observation research and experiments such as blind taste tests.

The main differences between qualitative and quantitative field research and the basics of using each for your business’ market and customer research.

Points to bear in mind while utilising the published market data you've gathered: be cautious about out-of-date information and misleading averages.

Sources of information you can use to learn more about your market business libraries, trade associations, business news and your own data.

Key things to find out about your market to remain competitive including the demand for your product or service, market trends and competitors’ plans.

The key things to find out about your customers and the factors that influence their buying decisions including loyalty, satisfaction and service.

How to use market research and market reports to understand your marketplace, your customers and their behaviour for better targeting.

How to track the success of your business’ Facebook activity using Insights, and use this information to post better content and improve audience engagement

How to use Facebook’s advertising platform to reach your specific target audience and achieve business goals - sales, sign-ups, awareness and engagement

How Facebook works, how to set up a page and how you can use it as part of your marketing plan to reach your audience and engage wit customers online

The advantages of a Facebook businesses account such as targeted advertising and customer engagement and the disadvantages such as getting negative feedback.

How to set up, run and monitor a Facebook business page and advertise through Facebook including the benefits and challenges.

Guidance on finding suitable stationery printers, ensuring they can produce the desired work, calculating costs and in-house printing.