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Types of retail business
The various types of retail business, including convenience store, speciality store, supermarket, discount store, department store, warehouse, direct retailer and online store
Review your import readiness
Import planning and strategy, product, skills and finance checklist.
Ten top tips for starting a retail business
Ten top tips to starting a retail business successfully and staying afloat in the early days of trading
Assess your skills and resources for importing
Finances, personnel and other resources for importing.
Measure your financial performance
Use common financial performance measures, such as profit margins and accounting ratios, to review your business finances
Problems with growth: overtrading
Overtrading and lack of finance are common problems in a fast-growing business - here's how to overcome them
Where to set up your retail business
Find the right place to set up your retail business in Northern Ireland by weighing the important options
Exporting to Great Britain
What you need to know about exporting to Great Britain, and how you can get help targeting this market.
Grow your business
Browse our key guidance to help you find growth funding in Northern Ireland, and learn how you can scale up your business and grow
Business growth and premises
As your business grows and takes in more staff, you may need to assess your options for larger business premises
Avoid problems during business growth
Common issues that businesses often face during growth, and tips for overcoming these difficulties through proper planning and management.
Business growth: market research
Use market research to drive business growth and innovation and to stay ahead of the competition
Business growth strategy and planning
Maximise the chances of business growth success by carefully planning your growth strategy
Business growth: developing skills
Developing effective leadership skills and making the most of other people's abilities can help you grow your business
Financial considerations when exporting
Understand how exporting could affect your cashflow.
Challenges of exporting
Challenges of exporting include market research, export paperwork and financing.
Decide your approach to importing
Keeping importing simple by dealing with experienced exporters in developed countries and using agents
Plan your import objectives
Setting goals and deciding your import objectives.
Negotiate the right import deal
Negotiating the right import terms, planning ahead and reaching a clear agreement.
Assess your skills and resources for exporting
Exporting demands extra time, money and skills.