Elevator pitches aren’t just for people appearing on Shark Tank. Any business owner should be able to describe their business and its goals in around 30 seconds. After all, you never know when you’ll need to impress a prospective client or investor, convince a new recruit that your business is the one for them or just help someone understand exactly what it is your company offers (and why you’re the best at it.)

For companies battling through tough economic times, effective internal communications may not sound like a top priority. But clear and effective communication within a company, no matter what size, is a big deal. Get it wrong and you’ll soon have a workforce that is unsure, inefficient and struggling with motivation.

Since a good event takes time to pull off, the time to start planning is now. If you’ve not done an event before, it does take some planning, but the rewards – new customers, customer loyalty and great new contacts – can definitely be worth the man hours.

So you’ve had the idea that you hope is going to make your fortune - what next? However excited you may be, before you rush into choosing office space and chasing clients you need to put together a business plan – something that sets out your business goals, and helps you assess whether they are actually attainable.

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 you are, on the brink of greatness, launching your small business from the ground up. Here are a few tips to help your project thrive, based on my own experience.

Instagram is a global phenomenon that can be surprisingly great for small businesses. Here’s how to make it work for you.

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?