Starting a business is exciting, but it can also turn out to be harder work than you expected. Before you write up your business plan, make sure it is something you really want to do.

All of us can sometimes struggle with inertia. Here are some simple ideas that can help you, your team or your business start leading from the front.

Acquisition is a common strategy for growing a business. Does it work? The evidence suggests its often more efficient to build your existing business than buy another one.

A business review doesn't have to be a complicated process. Often the simplest review can yield the best ideas. Here's some easy guidelines for taking a second look at what you are doing.

Got a great idea? It's likely someone else is already doing something similar. Don't be put off. Use their experience to improve your chances of success.

We often think we are driving change when all we achieve is a small cosmetic shift. How can you stimulate change that can make a difference to the way you do business? Alan talks about the need for a shift in attitude and gives simple examples of things you can do to bring it about.

We often think it is an aberration when things go wrong. We tend to think the downside is unusual. Yet, In business and investment, getting it overly right can be just as extraordinary. Are successful people right, or just lucky?

In business, just as in sport, peak performance depends on your ability to focus only on the things you can control. The key to optimising results is work on the things you can actually do something about.

Ever heard of "death by one thousand initiatives"? Often fewer ideas lead to better strategies. Even Apple's revival can be sheeted back to a change in tactics of not doing everything. Alan explains simple ways to look at your own business from different perspectives.

Business plans are a necessary ingredient in creating or maintaining a successful business, but they come with serious health warnings. Expect forecasts to be wrong; build in flexibility that helps you reverse bad decisions; and keep your focus on the planning process, not on the outcome.