I thought I would share some wise words from Lara Morgan which I trust you find valuable and take time to read, reflect and act. From Lara’s desk…  Now is the time with a single-minded focus to answer the following 4 critical questions…  1. Do you have the right people to drive your researched strategy?

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This week I thought I would share some wise words from Lara Morgan, who circulated the words below to all of her company heads. I think the message speaks for itself… “In order for a business to take advantage of an opportunity, four factors must be in place.  The formula looks like this.  VISION +

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Company Shortcuts co-founder Lara Morgan has been named as One of the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs in the UK by FreeOfficeFinder. The feature, which celebrates UK women in business, aims to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs, both male and female. Nick Riesel, their founder, explains the reasons behind the feature, and why Lara was

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IF YOU WANT TO GROW FAST, BE READY TO EXPORT! [LARA MORGAN] During UK Trade & Investment’s (UKTI) Export Week,  thousands of companies will be opening their doors to show the rest of the world why Britain is a great place to do business. While some businesses are embracing exports and taking the world by storm,

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Lara Morgan shares the system of reward she established in her business to motivate her sales team to accelerate the growth of her business. She explores how effective sales targets combined with really understanding what motivates an individual are crucial to developing the team culture focused on profit priorities for growth. Reward mechanisms, the generosity to some extent and

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I bear the scars of having seen my Dad steadily (miserably and slowly) go bankrupt, losing everything, because he failed to sense check his way forward. At the time I didn’t see it this way, but I now consider myself lucky as those scars at an early age taught me the importance of the fundamentals

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Having made most mistakes in recruitment, in fact it feels like all, but also having learnt a great deal along the way through trial and alas error I wanted to share with you a few thoughts and sense checks for avoiding recruitment nightmares. Culture firstIt took 17 years of effort to define the process of best

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It’s that time of year with holidays on the horizon, when we share our list of must-reads for all aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners. Take the opportunity over the holidays to get stuck into an inspiring business book and why not pass it on to one of your team when you’ve read it and invest in their personal

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Over the years, I have employed hundreds of people and always did what I felt was right, using a sixth sense. Possibly thanks to my own lack of experience, it’s meant I do not follow a traditional process in an interview. Recruitment decisions will make or break a company, so get them right. Every time

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The choices we make as individuals drive the way we spend our time, dictate what gets our most focused moments and the speed at which we get things done. Wasted time is not wasted if you plan to do nothing. It certainly pays to do nothing if you need it, in order to reframe and

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Lara Morgan on why it’s so important for British companies to push to export early on and the inside track on one of her investments, KitBrix, now in over 10 countries, having sold over 8000 bags across the globe in it’s first two years.[LARA MORGAN] I think many SMEs are missing a trick with the

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This is a question I have been asked before, and as hard as I try, nothing significant comes to mind. British businesses have so many advantages when it comes to exporting – the English language, our legal systems and a generally positive reputation – that I honestly cannot think of a major barrier that we

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Lara Morgan learned about exporting the hard way. Here, she shares frank and honest insights and tips from her exporting experience. During UK Trade & Investment’s (UKTI) Export Week,  thousands of companies will be opening their doors to show the rest of the world why Britain is a great place to do business. While some businesses

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How many times have you been at a networking event and introduced yourself to someone who responds with titles like, Account Manager, Business Development Manager, Executive, anything but admit that they are in sales? I wholly understand the reticence of salespeople not wishing to tar themselves with the brush of other’s poor behaviour in industries

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I considered bringing in a NED on a few occasions as I built my business.  In the end, I only ever appointed one – in a major transition phase of the business when I felt utterly certain of him and the value he could and would bring to the business. On reflection, and I may

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Lara Morgan highlights the skills gap stopping leaders take their business to the next level As Global Entrepreneurship Week approaches, thousands of Britons will take inspiration from entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, Michael Dell and Mohammad Yunus and start their own business. These businesses could hold the key to the UK’s economic recovery, as outlined by

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Should you sell your business at all? Growing what you have built now you have broken through the start-up ‘barrier’ and structure/process/plan/strategy are in place could be an option.  Small intro medium and onwards growth can be much easier than initial stages of early start-up limited funding and not being taken seriously, verses, you have

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Leadership greatness will come from never having great ideas of your own … sort of.  As soon as I learnt to drop the word “I” from my daily vocabulary and started talking about us, we, your and lots of other “not I” stuff the quicker I saw improved results which ultimately I could celebrate in

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A man with a young family, with responsibility for earnings, gives up a great job with a great company to sell genius business travel bags he’s invented. Alistair’s bag range literally is life changing, accelerating the efficiency and speed of the way business people travel and stay organised. He’s British and very special, I am

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Biggest learning, gift and reward the people you wish to really motivate according to the things they have told you that they value most. Small and big rewards can sometimes mean as much as each other, and if you don’t know someone’s favourite chocolates, sweets or indeed their fave holiday destination, find out? Too often

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