The Approved Index blog talks about business and Start-up news, adding our thoughts to the conversation.

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Jess writes for Approved Index.

Small Business Tips

4 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Elon Musk

Over the past decade, Elon Musk has established a legacy as one of the most charismatic businessmen of our time. From creating PayPal to launching rocket ships and Tesla Electric Vehicles, Musk has done it all. No less important than Musk’s achievements...

10 Must-Have Free Online Marketing Tools for Small Business in 2013

It's 2013! Twenty-thirteen! Think back to how you were in the nineties and try to remember how crazy the year 2013 sounded. Ridiculous! Imagine if someone had shown you an iPad then. You'd have gone crazy. Imagine if you'd been told that most people in 2013 wo...

Social Media Training for Marketing Managers 101

The whole internet is awash with articles preaching the benefits that social media can bring to businesses - how you can reach out to new audiences, generate leads, manage your online reputation and boost your brand image (hey, we've even written a few of the...

Oct 4, 2012 Jamie Griffiths Marketing News and Advice, Small Business Tips

Quality Trumps Speed in Responding to Sales Leads (…but speed helps!)

Carrying out regular Buyer Feedback Surveys has become an important part of the Approved Index set up. They not only allow us to feed back comments and ratings to our suppliers but also provide heaps of interesting data. This data can provide all sorts of insi...

Sep 7, 2012 Jamie Griffiths Approved Index, Improving Business Efficiency, Small Business Tips

When is upgrading your technology worth it?

There's no doubt that technology is changing the way that UK businesses go about a wide variety of tasks. Never before have so many options for automation and computerisation presented themselves to the business owner or director. The ubiquity of computers wit...

Jul 5, 2012 Jamie Griffiths Improving Business Efficiency, Small Business Tips

Invoice Finance vs Bank Loans vs Overdrafts: A Cash Flow Comparison

We've written lots on this blog in recent times about the lack of bank finance available to small businesses and it's effects in prolonging the recession.Despite the government's 'credit easing' efforts of late the volume of new lending continues to fall (see ...

Jun 12, 2012 Jamie Griffiths Business News, Small Business Tips

Cheap Web Design – Myth or Reality?

If you're a small business owner who followed our recent Website Design Awards posts you might be despairing about how to acheive a great website on a low budget.As we getfurther into the 21st Century more and more people are not onlygetting online but also be...

May 31, 2012 Jamie Griffiths Small Business Tips, Website Design

Boon or Blip: The Franking Industry & Stamp Price Rises

As you will no doubt already know the Royal Mail last week anounced a big hike in the price of stamps and, therefore, in the cost of sending unfranked mail.(If you didn't know you can read all about it here.)On the face of it the increases of 30% and 39% respe...

Apr 4, 2012 Jamie Griffiths Business News, Small Business Tips