When might estate agents be allowed to open again?

When the country went into lockdown last month most people expected that it would last for a few weeks and then life would return to normal. It is becoming clear that this is not how things are going to turn out and that the return to normal life is going to be a gradual process…

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Why You Will Need Two Business Plans

Despite 40 years in the property business, I never cease to be fascinated by what separates the most successful businesses from the rest. One of the key differentiators though is that successful businesses nearly always have a detailed written business plan. The crisis caused by coronavirus has demonstrated very clearly why business planning is so…

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Will you be able to get a Business Loan?

In Switzerland the process for applying for a Coronavirus business loan is as follows: 1. Fill out a one-page form online2. Qualify for interest free loan of 10% of your annual turnover repayable in 5 years’ time3. Receive money within a few days sometimes within hours This simple process has enabled the Swiss government to…

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7 Ideas For Surviving the Upturn

It might seem a bit soon to be talking about the recovery, but sooner or later it will come and having worked through the last 4 recessions in the housing market, believe me when I say that the upturn will be the time of greatest danger for most businesses. A lot of residential estate agency…

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Life Will Never Be the Same Again

One after another my clients are telling me that the changes that they are making in their businesses as a result of Coronavirus are likely to be permanent ones.  One client closed 5 of his 6 offices 2 weeks ago and now has a skeleton staff working at head office and everyone else working from home.…

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Why you must keep thinking positively

Close to where I live there are two garden centres. I have been a customer of both of them for many years. The owner of one of them has responded to the coronavirus crisis by shutting down his business and sinking into a black pit of despair. The owner of the other one has adopted…

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Will Your Business Survive the Virus?

I hesitate to write anything about the impact of Coronavirus. It is by far the worst thing that has happened to the world in my lifetime and the enormity of the situation and the impact that it is having on people’s lives is terrifying. The debate that is about to commence across the world will be…

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