Steering an efficient business, particularly through times like these, can be a difficult task. Inspirational and constructive leadership is obviously a prerequisite, but sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day, or indeed enough internal resources, to resolve every issue.

To this end the Institute of Sales Promotion has put together a small group of well-established and respected experts for its members,  including John Toppin.

For further details:

http://www.isp.org.uk/survivalkit.php?pid=560

The Royal Institute of British Architects announced a similar scheme last month, again backed up by John Toppin:

http://www.ribablogs.com/?cat=8

Companies led by middle aged, well qualified people with experience in a similar industry are better placed to survive a recession and generally outperform competitors. So says Professor Roger Hussey of Bristol Business School.

This is what he found when he surveyed businesses (for Kingston Smith) who survived the recession of the early 1990’s.

If you are running a creative business and don’t happen to have grey hair you can of course tap into experience by appointing a non executive director or a mentor or business advisor.

Do you think that your business would benefit from investing in access to the insights of someone who has been through a recession before or do you view it as an extra cost that you can’t justify right now?

According to Professor Richard Wiseman at the University of Hertfordshire, most of us will make a New Year's resolution - maybe to quit smoking or lose weight - but only one in 10 of us will succeed.

Professor Wiseman said it was possible to increase the likelihood you will keep your resolution.

"Deciding to revisit a past resolution sets you up for frustration and disappointment.

"Choose something new, or approach an old problem in a new way.

"Think through exactly what you will do, where you will do it, and at what time."

He said those who made vague plans were more likely to fail - for example instead of planning to go running twice a week you should plan to go running at specific times every week.

Businesses often set new goals or seek to change something for the New Year –and with today being the return to work for many, this is probably day 1 for your business New Year resolutions.

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions for your business and how confident are you that you will succeed?

If I had a pound for every time I came across a business owner explaining that such and such – usually something that looks out of place in their business - is there as a historical accident I could probably retire.

 Here are some:

• A new product or service you are not really geared up for that you started to do so as to please a large client – for example buying media if you are really a design agency.

• A band of clients that you can’t service profitably, but that you stick with because they keep someone in your company busy.

• A department (or job title, or directorship) created just to keep someone happy.

• A department that used to do something that earned you money that stays in place long after technology or the market passed it by – for example a traffic department doing work that account handlers can do.

You may have one or more accidents of history in your business and if you do, why should you be worried?

Historical accidents make your business inefficient and uncompetitive. They use up cash and destroy your profits. If you lie awake at night worrying about the business then maybe you should start to deal with these long neglected issues.

Do you have any historical accidents alive and kicking in your business and why do you sustain them?