Protecting Your Long Term Future 
At times when income is falling, costs are stubbornly high and the New Year portends large price rises you might be forgiven for wondering where to turn next. For most it is becoming increasingly important to know where you are every month, waiting 12 months to see the annual trading P&L is too long and some may not even survive long enough to see it. Cost effective monthly business planning is one of the most important tonics for your business.

Minimum Wage: Should I Increase My Prices? 
Whenever costs rise we need to step back and consider our business model. Following the increase in the minimum wage for adults to £5.52 per hour a rise of 3.18 per cent, have you stopped to assess the impact this will have on your business?

Buying Your Own Pub 
Whether a first time purchaser or seasoned operator the acquisition of a new venue is always a challenge. Maintaining trade, raising finance, planning alterations and above all hitting your projection and meeting repayments are a few of the issues confronting you.

The Smoking Ban and Cashflow 
It has been said “a window of opportunity will not open itself” (Weinbaum), so in order to take advantage we must get busy. As the final leg of the smoking ban approaches in England on 1st July,2007, do you see it as a looming disaster or an opportunity to make change for the better? Are you left wondering how? Theodore Roosevelt said "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." With these words of inspiration we look very briefly at the smoking ban and its potential financial impact.

The Importance of Cashflow planning? 
Telling you to plan your cashflow should be “telling grandmother how to suck eggs”. We should all be doing it at least quarterly. You will not be surprised I am sure how many licensed outlets fail to plan cashflow properly. Remember the old adage – failing to plan is planning to fail, when looking at cashflow it could not be more apposite.

Is There Any Value in Trade Loans? 
With the news that Carlsberg has announced (March 2007), the company has outsourced its business loans division to a specialist credit management company, we take a look at trade loans and the benefits that your current options carry.

Buying Power 
In the late 1980s, the supply of electricity and gas changed forever, the UK market was “Liberalised” and competition came along with the privatisation of the power companies. This allowed market forces to drive price levels. Over the last 15 years energy supply has been dominated by wider choice and attractive incentives to switch supply to achieve lower bills and by the first half of this decade prices had fallen overall in the region of 40 per cent which resulted in relatively low levels of concern for business.