With the new academic year about to start, why not take the opportunity to face your own new challenges and identify some business areas for improvement or development. When you are very busy running a business day-to-day, it can be difficult to look to the future, but those that do are often the businesses that plan for growth, respond to change and become more efficient. 

As a business develops, different problems and opportunities demand different solutions. What worked a year ago might not be the best approach now. All too often, avoidable mistakes can turn what could have been a great business into one that gets lost in the crowd.

Recognising and overcoming the common pitfalls associated with growth is essential if your business is to continue to grow and thrive. Crucially, you need to ensure that the steps you take today don't create additional problems for the future. Effective leadership will help you make the most of the opportunities, creating sustainable growth for the future.

Stephen Smith, Chief Executive of EMB Ltd, the organisation responsible for providing local access to the Business Link East Midlands service says "Business Link can help you revisit your existing business plans and check whether they are still relevant. We provide an authoritative, impartial and objective view of the current marketplace. For any business to continue to offer a high quality service, it is essential that they remain competitive,  take steps to review the health of their business and identify opportunities for future growth."

Every business produces and relies on large volumes of information - financial records, interactions with customers and other business contacts, employee details, regulatory requirements and so on. This information cannot be used effectively without adopting the right systems.

Responsibilities and tasks can be delegated as your business grows, but without robust management information systems you cannot manage effectively.

Stephen Smith continues: "The larger your business grows, the harder it is to ensure that information is shared and different functions work together effectively. Our free business performance review can help you exploit your growth potential."

Local Business Link advisers will provide practical hands on support to help you create an action plan for growth, looking at a range of business issues including:

• planning and strategy 

• innovation 

• access to finance 

• exporting 

• capital investment 

• an analysis of the new skills required to drive growth, including support through the Train to Gain Leadership and Management programme 

• how to access the full range of government and private sector support that may be available to help implement the plan.