As an entrepreneur I’m always interested to keep an eye on new start-ups. You never know what will be the next Facebook or Airbnb! There’s a lot even the most seasoned business people can learn from up and coming companies, particularly when it comes to creative thinking and taking chances.

As an entrepreneur I’m always interested to keep an eye on new start-ups. You never know what will be the next Facebook or Airbnb! There’s a lot even the most seasoned business people can learn from up and coming companies, particularly when it comes to creative thinking and taking chances.

We all know good marketing is essential for small businesses, but it’s something that all too many owners (including myself sometimes) put to one side because we simply don’t have the budget.

What’s your small business brand identity? Sure, you’ve got a logo, a website, business cards, signage and perhaps even a storefront – but your brand is so much more than the “look” of your business. While all these can help you project a carefully crafted image to your customers, true branding runs a lot deeper.

Without a social strategy for your business, you could be missing out on reaching a huge volume of potential customers.

Your potential employees are becoming more demanding in what they look for in a job, and are happy to go elsewhere if they feel the company doesn’t offer them the benefits that they’re looking for. It’s therefore important to think about what your business could offer in order to make sure that you appeal to those top candidates.

Humana and the Economist Intelligence Unit’s survey in October 2015 found that 91 percent of employees said taking part in a wellbeing program improved their fitness, and 71 percent believed that wellness programs had at least a moderate impact in lowering their stress levels.

Whether you’re starting a new initiative or taking advantage of a growth opportunity, you’ll probably find yourself needing a little extra capital at some point. But with access to capital still a challenge for many business owners, what can you do to try to maximize your chances of successfully applying for more funding?

In a fast-moving digital age it can be difficult to draw breath let alone keep an eye on the startups that appear to be trail blazing their way to success.

Whether you’re in your first few years as an entrepreneur or have been running your own company for decades, the chances are you’ll have seen a lot of things change.