Are you looking to grow your business? According to a recent poll, 49% of small business owners said that growing a business was harder than starting one. The latest figures (pdf) from the Federation of Small Business found that small business confidence is in decline for the first time since 2012 – 62% feel the domestic economy is the biggest barrier to growth.
Business growth can allow you to launch new products, recruit more staff, invest, and try out new marketing strategies. But grow too fast and you risk over-exposing the company, spiralling into debt, or buckling under the pressure. Grow too slow and success can forever feel just out of reach.
So how do you ensure your business grows in a sustainable way? During this live Q&A we’ll discuss the secrets of a growth that lasts, including how to manage your cashflow, recruit the right people at the right time, develop working relationships that grow with you, outsource, export to new markets and more.
Put your questions to our experts from 1-2pm on Wednesday 16 November.
Taking part is simple: just register to comment. Once you’ve signed up, you can post your questions in the comments thread below this article. Alternatively, tweet @GdnSmallBiz with your questions, or email them to smallbusinessnetwork@theguardian.com and we will put them to the panel for you. Comments are currently open and we welcome questions in advance.
Our panel
Renée Elliott, opened her first natural supermarket, Planet Organic, in 1995 and now has seven stores in London, with the chain recognised as the UK’s largest certified organic supermarket.
Julien Callède, co-founder of Made.com, the furniture brand that revolutionised the industry through offering great designs at affordable prices. Founded in 2010, Made.com now operates in six countries in Europe, and is still growing by 50% per year.
Dave Hobday, UK managing director of Worldpay. His broad experience spans banking, telecoms and marketing, and he’s passionate about helping Worldpay’s 30o,000 SME businesses grow by selling more to their customers in store, online and on the move.
Tim Campbell, founder of the Bright Ideas Trust, which encourages entrepreneurs to start ventures by giving them access to finance, mentors and advisors. He was awarded an MBE for enterprise in 2012.
Virginie Charles-Dear, co-founder of toucanBox, a children’s arts-and-crafts subscription business. The business started four years ago and already sends more than 100,000 boxes every month.
Rob Bence, founder of RMP Property and the Property Hub. The investment company started as a half-hour podcast and now has a community of 11,000 members.
Royston Guest, author of the new book Built to Grow: How to Deliver Accelerated, Sustained and Profitable Business Growth.
Adèle McLay, business growth strategist/coach, entrepreneur, investor and author of Big Profits – 12 Strategies to Substantially Grow your Business Profits.
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