The Clear Signs You’re Ready to Own a Business

Have you ever dreamt of owning your own business? If you have, you’re not alone. If you’ve never owned a business before, you know that it can be very intimidating to go off on your own and do it yourself. It’s also quite a difficult choice to make, and it’s not the right thing for everybody. 

Not everybody is able to be a business owner and understand how distribution agreements work and how to manage suppliers. But you could. If you have an idea of what it is to be a business owner, then you’ll know full well that it is going to take a lot of work. You’ll also be embracing that idea rather than feeling overwhelmed by it. So, with that in mind it can help to know the signs that you are quite ready to be a business leader. Let’s take a look at those signs below.

• Confidence in your leadership abilities. The biggest responsibility of all: leadership. You need to be able to have people to do their jobs, and things you need to give them guidance and walk them along with what they’re doing. You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable taking charge and you should be very comfortable in delegating responsibilities in a way that is courteous rather than pushing. Consider how all of your previous leaders have taught you, and then choose to either be that way or be completely the opposite.
• You have the time. You need to be ready to dedicate your time manual skills to your business. Putting in the time it takes to make a business successful is going to mean it eats into your personal time for a little while. Balance will come with practice and experience, but it doesn’t come right away. Ensuring that you understand that is important if you plan to run a business because you will be putting in a lot of time at the beginning.
• You are responsible financially. All good business owners need to understand the Internet of finances and they need to be responsible with it. If you don’t understand how to run a business budget sheet then you need to go and get yourself some lessons! We are fully aware that this takes time, but you don’t want to be the kind of business owner who doesn’t know where his money is going.
• You are passionate about the business idea that you have. This is a good trait to have as a business leader because you want something to fuel you as you grow your business. Having passion in your industry is going to help you to invest wholly in the opportunity which will help it to work.
• You already push and keep pushing. There is a storm, and if you are willing to weather that storm then your business will be more of a success than you could ever imagine. Getting there is the important part, so you have to ensure that you are willing to push your business to new heights as much as you can.

5 Tips To Reduce Business Liability

Every entrepreneur and leader wants to keep their business running with focus to ensure they achieve their goals and take steps towards growth. However, many factors could hinder this growth. Aside from poor management and bad hires, liability and risk are two common issues that can negatively impact your business. By ignoring liability, you put yourself, employees, customers and the public at risk, so it’s vital to know how to reduce the chances of business liability. 

Identify Risky Areas 

Knowing the various examples of risk at your business is an excellent place to start. Here, you can locate and identify the most obvious (but also less obvious) factors that could lead to injury or accidents and take steps to remove or fix them. While there are some evident issues, such as heavy machinery on a construction site, less obvious problems like blind corners or errand cables can be more dangerous than you might expect. 

Get Ahead Of Issues 

You do not want to take steps to fix problems after they have caused injuries. Therefore, getting ahead of these issues will save you and your clients a lot of uncertainty. Analyse your workplace and consider what could be an issue before fixing the problems. For busy car parks, C JJ Services can provide clear outlines to prevent collisions or traffic hazards, while outlining safety policies will ensure everyone has protective equipment before they start work. 

Protect Your Business 

However, you can’t always prevent liability or accidents. Even if you think you have ticked all safety boxes, there is still the risk that something could go wrong and cause an injury or accident. While you can’t do anything about it after the fact, you can still protect your business by setting up liability and business insurance to ensure you are covered if an accident happens. 

Provide Employee Training

You cannot be everywhere at once, but you can trust your employees to ensure the workplace is as safe as possible via safety training programmes that give them the skills and tools to ensure your customers, clients or other visitors are safe. Still, you cannot assume this training is a one-and-done process. Regular training can keep them up to date with new policies and procedures and ensures the practices are fresh in their minds so they can implement them in emergencies. 

Keep Records 

Detailed records of all situations, accidents, and other events can help you protect your business and prevent the risk of any complaints becoming a They Said, You Said issue. Regardless of what happens, you need to write down every detail to make sure there is clear evidence of what occurred. Additionally, installing CCTV around the workplace can make your evidence more concrete and prevent customers (or even employees) from trying to scam you out of money through insurance claims. 

Safe Place 

Your company should be a safe place for everyone. It doesn’t matter if it is an office, retail store or construction site; everyone should feel safe whenever they use your business or are on the premises. These tips will help you mitigate any issues and ensure you are always prepared to overcome hazards. 

Should Your Business Use An Energy Broker?

Energy rates are currently at an all time high. If your business consumes a lot of energy, it could be vital to find the best energy deal. But just where do you look to find the best rates?

Using an energy broker can be one solution. These are professionals that can help shop around for the best deal for you. Many businesses find it convenient to use a broker – but is a broker always the best solution? This post takes a look as to whether you should use a broker or not.

Weigh up the benefits 

Finding the best energy plan can be a time-consuming process. While there are many comparison sites out there that can compare prices, you can often negotiate cheaper plans by ringing up energy providers and talking to a sales representative. Not everyone has the time to do this with multiple energy providers, which is why an energy broker can be useful.

There are many different energy providers to choose from in the UK, and each one offers a range of different plans. On top of regular mains gas and electricity, some companies can also offer renewable plans and even installation of solar panels for generating your own power – which could be useful if you want your business to meet low emissions targets. Energy brokers will know exactly where to look to help you find these deals.

If you’re willing to spend time shopping around and are willing to do your own private research into energy plans, you may not need a broker. However, if your company doesn’t have the time or the patience, it could make sense to rely on a broker.

Be wary of commission charges

Many brokers will charge you a commission fee for their service. It’s important that this fee is not too large – there’s no point in a broker finding you a super cheap deal if they’re going to add a hefty fee to it. 

The base rate is typically 0.05p per kilowatt-hour, however some brokers have been found to charge as much as 5p or even 10p per kilowatt-hour. In the latter cases, 50% or more of your total energy bill could be going to the broker, making it a complete rip-off.

Commission fees should always be disclosed in a contract before you agree to use a broker’s service. Some companies have been found guilty of charging hidden commission – which over several years can add up to hundreds or thousands of pounds. It’s possible to file energy claims to get back this money if you suspect a broker has not disclosed commission fees. Legal services can help you with these claims.

Use a trusted broker

It’s worth doing your homework in order to find a trusted commercial energy broker. By reading online reviews and looking out for negative press, you can avoid brokers that have a poor reputation and find the right services.

This guide compares 6 of the UK’s most trusted energy brokers. It could be a safe option to use one of these companies rather than looking further afield.