Retailer news

What do you do if the bank won’t lend to you? Adam Bernstein investigates alternative funding sources to keep the cash flowing. Bob Hope, the late actor and comedian, summed up quite accurately what most believe about bank lending practices: “A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.” While that may not be true in every instance, since the start of the 2008 financial crisis it certainly has been much harder to gain bank funding; it’s also the reason why the government has used devices such as quantitative easing and Funding for Lending to get cheap money out to the banks to, in turn, pass on as loans

The automotive charity BEN has launched a new competition for 2015 called the Automotive Challenge Cup. The event will see a number of teams competing against each other in a sailing race event, on June 18 at Portsmouth Harbour Yacht Club. The contest-taking place is the ideal opportunity to promote team building, networking and entertaining new clients or existing customers

Mike Owen describes how persevering with obsolete IT equipment can blunt your USP and suggests an upgrade can be worth the hassle.

The brave new world in which we do business allows no room for Luddites and any weakness in you as a staff member, as a business owner or as a user of another business will be exploited by your competition.

Joe Elliott on the homecoming of Coventry City FC and on returning to the world of accessory retail with the business his grandfather started in the city in 1908

Mike Owen thinks you may know more about your customers than you realise and has some useful tips on how to make databases work for you

John Genge gives some advice on phone manner and how it can improve your customers’ attitude to and confidence in your business

Rebecca Watkins clarifies the legal jargon surrounding the break clause in commercial property leasing contracts and how to use it safely

Will a new scheme to get more sick staff back to work quicker really be useful? Andrew Moore analyses the issue

Two and a half years ago, a car accessory shop in Convamore Road, Grimsby faced an uncertain future. Today, it is one of the busiest shops belonging to the Shortis Group

Exhaust and cat manufacturer Belton Massey is celebrating after scooping three gongs at this year’s Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce (DNCC) awards.