How can you make your business better in 2013? We asked a range of entrepreneurs and executives for their advice New microfinance scheme for micro firms Focus on the new Credit Guarantee Scheme There's room for improvement when it comes to equipping Irish executives with the right skills to develop and grow their companies. There's more to tendering for public sector contracts than checking out the eTenders website Solicitor Dylan Macaulay provides advice regarding come common legal issues facing owners of small firms. Insurance providers offer companies a range of policy options that can help avoid drastic damage to the business should a key employee die or other misfortunes befall the firm Jason Keogh of software company iQuate explains why attending the annual Oracle OpenWorld event in San Francisco can benefit Irish firms How the new Employment & Investment Incentive Scheme opens the door for more SMEs to seek funds from investors Focus on Dublin's first review of rateable valuations in over a century Businesses fail because of the decisions you don't make rather than the ones you do, says Eamonn Lawless Enterprise Ireland wants more companies and entrepreneurs to take advantage of cutting-edge university research, writes Emer Taaffe Starting a business after redundancy How Brambles Cafes grew and grew Peter Brennan explains the secrets of successful tenders Trust is the key word in letting go of real responsibility and delegating tasks to employees Innovate or become irrelevant, says the management guru To be employable in today's job market requires a new adaptable way of thinking and behaving We often think of leaders as transforming heroes who instigate great change. The reality is very different Many business women prefer women only networks to mixed networks. Business Plus finds out why Good counsel from Vincent Reynolds for owner-managers Lads who get fresh with female colleagues in the pub after work can cost their company a fortune if proper policies are not in place Many corporate practices now deemed conventional had their origin with mavericks who persisted with an outlandish idea Brendan Waters of Mazars identifies elements of Sun Tzu's wisdom that have relevance for the economic downturn The decision to terminate the employment of any number of employees is a complex one and has financial implications for the employer