Fail faster; succeed sooner, as they say in Silicon Valley. Learning from those who hit the hard times so you can avoid expensive mistakes before they happen is also a good idea when it comes to succeeding in business. Here are four examples of businesses that made it through hardship and came back stronger than ever.

In our increasingly digital world, social media is an important business tool. The far-reaching power of sites such a Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, allows brands to interact with their customers, attract new ones and increase their exposure. However, as much as these sites have the power to build and make a brand, if not used properly, they also have the potential to break a brand. That’s why we’ve created our new infographic, which explores the dos and don’ts of using social media for business.

There are lots of amazing things about being the boss, but it does occasionally come with some downsides and, for me, these include having to have tough conversations with my employees. Normally I’m pretty informal and like to think that I get on with my team really well, which makes it even harder when I have to put on my ‘boss’ hat and have an official conversation with someone.

During the hiring process, recruiters or hiring managers come across all kinds of résumés: the good, the bad and the ugly, as we discovered when decoding résumé jargon . While you hope that there will be more in the good section than the others, the rise of common clichés appearing on résumés often puts paid to that. It seems that in a bid to stand out from the crowd, many job-hunters use language and clichés that don’t translate as well to prospective employees as they’d hope, instead making them stand out for less appealing reasons.

I’m always on the lookout for new talent and this can come in a number of different forms – experienced industry professionals, those looking for a career change (bringing with them a wealth of experience from other industries) and more recently I’ve started to recruit college graduates.

Team building activities are a great way to bring employees together, boost morale and potentially learn new skills. In order to retain employees’ interests, it’s important to keep these events new and fresh, allowing individuals to try something different and in some cases, somewhere different.

In theory, all you need to start a business is an idea, a computer and a bit of free time. It’s never been easier, but can you launch a business inside a month?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the same boat as every other business in your state, if not the country. We all want more customers, but how do you get them?

All managers have their own style and some are definitely more effective than others. Over the years I've come across quite a few different approaches -both from people who've managed me directly and, more recently, who I've worked with on projects. And while I've been inspired by some people's approaches, I've been less than impressed with others.

A good team is way more than the sum of its parts. Here are my thoughts on creating the environment and structures that help a great team dynamic to flourish.