News and articles by JTB Consulting.

Creating a new business is a process fraught with difficulty and failure and many businesses fail in the first twelve months of trading. Most businesses operate in competitive markets: They have to compete against and out manoeuvre competitors in order to answer the question of how they will gain market share and establish a competitive advantage. Not all organisations arrive at the same answer and for good reason.

Before I start off, let me be upfront by saying, 99% of would-be entrepreneurs out there do not have the funds to buy an existing business. But, in an ideal world, if you do have the funding available, it would be worthwhile to look at the reasons why buying a business is an easier path to becoming your own boss than starting from scratch. So why should you buy a business versus start your own?

Investor questions are dreadful to new startups. Entrepreneurs need to be prepared when pitching their start-up companies to investors by anticipating the questions they will receive. Presenting to potential investors will involve as little as 10 questions and as much as 100 questions. We have focused on the Top 10 Most Common and Most Difficult Questions that entrepreneurs can expect when presenting their Business Plan.

Startup funding is perhaps the greatest challenge to new companies. Startup companies are faced with many challenges, and one of these are securing funding. Securing and managing funding can be one of the most exciting - and nerve-wracking - parts of being an entrepreneur.

Are you selling part of or your entire business? Perhaps you are looking to buy a business? If you are selling your business, make sure you do not lose out on all the years of hard work and sleepless nights you have put in by pricing it too low. And if you are buying a business, gain confidence that you are not overpaying for the asset.

Unless your business has the Balance Sheet of Amazon, eventually you will probably need access to capital through SME Business Financing. For small businesses, finding the right SME Business Financing and funding model is vitally important.