COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will help you to see the possibilities for expanding your business; and understand how to make better decisions, with a greater chance of success in moving your business forward. Businesses can grow in different ways. Some may increase the range of products or services they sell. Others may increase the quantity of customers they are selling to. You may even diversify vertically. Producers or manufacturers may expand into distribution or retailing.  Retailers or distributors may start producing some of what they sell.   LESSONS Lesson 1: Recognising Problems – Where Things Go Wrong? How to Recognise Problems What Do Most People Do? Focus on the Issues Comparing Your Business to Your Competitors Maintaining a Balanced Perspective Recharge Your Batteries Always Run Your Business as if it is For Sale Checklist for Identifying the Problem Finance Product Range Customer Service Staffing Marketing Know your Competition Checklist to Identify a Problem Lesson 2: Changing with the Times How Do You Do This? 1) Understanding Control 3) Adapt to Technology 5) Predict the Future 6) Know when to Get Out 6) Keep Learning Some Golden Rules of Business Lesson 3: Revise Financial Management Initial Start-up Finance Financial Difficulties in Business 1) Financial Service Providers 2) Spending 3) Payments How to Borrow Money and Get the Best Deal Business Costing Pricing Cash Flow Ensure as well as Insure Budgeting Bookkeeping Options for Improving Your Financial Position Up-scaling a Business The Cash Cycle – Cash Flow and Liquidity Managing Bad Debts Lesson 4: Revise Your Marketing What Do We Mean By Marketing? Raising Awareness Convincing Them to Buy Closing a Sale Collecting Payment Do You Understand the Basic Principles of Marketing? Target Marketing Supply and Demand Competition Know your Competition Opening and Closing a Sale Building a Client Base Visibility and Impact Billboards Social Media Websites Newsletters Aggressive Advertising Blogs E-zines Discounts Competitions Networking Re-focus Your Marketing The Law and Selling Marketing Strategies Lesson 5: Revise Your Product Choosing a Product Range Why is the Product Not Selling? Analysing the Product Customer Feedback Deciding to Drop a Product Staff Awareness of Products Use Accounting Practices for Stock Tracking and Stock Control Product lines and mixes Product life cycle Lesson 6:  Revise and Engage Your Staff The Individual as Staff Employ Staff When Needed Employing Permanent Staff Employ the Workforce You Need, Not the Workforce You Want Legal Obligations and Moral Obligations When Employing Staff Who Do You Employ? Employing Friends and Family – For and Against Motivating Staff Incentives Giving Staff Responsibility Avoiding Stress in Your Staff and Yourself Lesson 7:  Using Business Systems to Improve a Business Sales funnels What is a Sales Funnel? The Process Ways to Create Sales Funnels What Does a Sales Funnel Look Like? Retail Sales and Sales Funnels Keeping the Momentum Up Setting sales targets Sales analysis why a Sales Analysis? Other business systems inventory Control Striking a Better Deal – Optimising the Supply Chain Budgeting and Budget Types How Do You Make a Properly Considered Decision? Solving Problems Systematically Business Problem Considerations Conclusion COURSE FEATURES

• 20-hour, self-paced course
• Fully online, flexibly paced
• Optional practical tasks throughout
• Automated self-assessment tests
• “Certificate of Completion” on achieving a 60% pass rate on a final assessment

WHO SHOULD STUDY THIS COURSE? This course is ideal for small business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs looking to identify and solve operational problems, adapt to change, strengthen financial management, improve marketing, refine product offerings, enhance staff performance, and implement effective business systems.