Beermat articles. Short reads on starting, selling and growing.
Mike and Chris West on cash, cornerstones, networking, leadership and the myths that trip up people starting out. Each one takes about four minutes.
Longer reads from Mike
- Starting a business →The Apprentice Entrepreneur's first steps: the Elevator Pitch, a mentor and your first customer.
- Growing a business →From Seedling to Sapling to Mighty Oak, and the team you'll need on the way.
- Mike's life story →Jazz bands, a mobile disco, The Instruction Set, Mike Fab-Gere and the Beermat books.
The articles
- Starting out
Two Cheers for Entrepreneurs!
Entrepreneurs are great! But they're also human, and that's why Mike says they need help. The Beermat Cornerstone model is the answer.
Read it → - Starting out
Know Thyself
The common picture of the relentless entrepreneur forging ahead against everyone's advice does nobody any favours. Mike says this heroism is overrated: smart entrepreneurs open their eyes and ears to everyone around them.
Read it → - Starting out
As One Door Closes…
Many people use redundancy as the chance to investigate entrepreneurship. Sometimes it's the right answer. Sometimes it's not. Mike examines the right way to handle being let go - and the opportunities it presents.
Read it → - Starting out
Older Entrepreneurs
Some people think business is a young man's game. They're wrong on two counts: women excel, and the evidence suggests that older entrepreneurs also have a greater chance of success. Mike finds out why.
Read it → - Starting out
Sole Traders
Sole trading is hard: you take all the risk and your rewards are limited by what you can fit into a day. But there's a strategy for sole traders to maximise their chances of success and the rewards they achieve, and Mike says it's all about knowing what you're good at.
Read it → - Starting out
A Friend in High Places
Not everyone can have the Prince of Wales as a mentor, but the Prince's Trust highlights the value of getting a mentor: someone who's been there and worn the T-shirt to help you out. Here's Mike's advice for finding a mentor.
Read it → - Starting out
How to Be Good
How entrepreneurs can be good people and leave a lasting legacy
Read it →