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Oban: 01631 567007 | E-mail: mail@ainsleysmith.co.uk | Fort William: 01631 567007

Planning and strategy

This section provides tips and advice for business strategy.

An introduction to strategic planning

Key elements of strategic planning.

Avoiding traps in strategic planning

Strategy errors to avoid.

Building strategic alliances

How collaboration can benefit your business.

Finding your market niche

Capitalise on your corner of the marketplace.

How to survive when times get tough

Protect your business in a downturn.

Innovate to grow

The three basic skills behind innovation.

Make your planning meetings count

Tips for effective planning meetings.

No business is an island

Understanding your place in the chain.

Pricing strategies

Different approaches to setting a price.

Six reasons why business plans fail

Business planning traps to avoid.

Six steps to an effective business plan

Review your business planning.

Small is profitable

The advantages of being a small business.

Strategies for increasing revenue

Including the product/market matrix.

The right kind of growth

Is growth always healthy?

04 Feb 2026

One million miss self assessment deadline

An estimated one million taxpayers missed the self assessment deadline for the 2024/25 tax year, according to HMRC.

03 Feb 2026

Business confidence jumps in January

The confidence of business leaders in both their own organisations and the wider UK economy rose markedly in January, according to data from the Institute of Directors (IoD).