After all of the soundbites, shaking hands, promises and of course, the first ever televised debate the public voted that none of the major parties deserved an overall majority. We then had the hard bargaining and slight hysteria when the parties didn't agree in a day - despite the fact that the average time it takes to form a European coalition government is 40 days.

There is no doubt about it: the way businesses operate is evolving rapidly. If you had of mentioned ‘twitter' or ‘facebook' ten years ago you would have been given strange looks and a wide berth. Buy many companies now view these mediums as vital to getting their message out to consumers quickly, and, crucially, for free.

With the general election looming into view - the latest date that a general election can be called is June the 3rd - businesses across the country are starting to think what a new government, or a re-elected labour party would mean for their firm.

News that BA staff have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action is bad news for the troubled airline and customers. And, with staff around the world seemingly more and more inclined to take strike action, what does this mean for businesses?

A business' image is a precious, almost delicate entity. Like a relationship between two people in the early days, a good impression is hard to build up but easy to lose. One misplaced word or two, a broken promise, turning up late or a million other things can blow away all of the hard work and leave your reputation in tatters

Small business owners hoping for a good start to 2010 following on from the difficulties of last year have been disappointed by the recent extreme weather conditions. The snow and the ice has meant that many small firms have seen their start to the year disrupted, with many staff not making it in for several days of the first real business week of the year.

How confident are you feeling about your business this year?

No business will be successful if the owner does not have a good grasp on the finance of the company and they are not budgeting correctly. However, while good financial acumen is undoubtedly essential, so is being a leader and motivating staff. Some extremely successful entrepreneurs, such as Julie Meyer and Nick Jenkins, have both commented to me in interviews that they think good leadership is one of the most important qualities that business owners must possess.

There are many skills that small business owners must have to successfully run their company. One of the most important - especially in the current economic climate - is having a good understanding of finance. Recent research by Bibby Financial Services revealed that nine out of ten financial advisers have rated small businesses' understanding of the range of finance options available to them as 'average' or below.

One of the quickest ways that any business can lose their customers is by not protecting their data. With online sales rising and increasing amounts of small businesses harnessing the internet to make sales the risk of losing customer data or having it stolen is higher than ever.

With unemployment rising 30,000 when are you looking to recruit new staff?

Remote working used to be viewed with suspicion by small business owners, and perhaps several years ago this feeling was justified. However, with the growth and development of new technology this viewpoint is no longer justified

Has the postal strike affected your business?

Who is the most productive member of staff in your organisation? Chances are there is one name that will spring immediately to mind – that employee that is absolutely essential to your firm’s success – and then the rest will fall into place.