January 30, 2010
Filed under: Business Advice, CBI — admin @ 2:36 pm
Small businesses will be looking to capitalise on the anticipated market upturn this year. In this special webTV show, Lord Digby Jones will be offering his unparalleled expert advice and invaluable entrepreneurial insights and experiences to help business owners, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs ensure they are in the strongest position possible.
Lord Jones has had a lifetime in business – travelling to over 70 markets across the world gaining a unique breadth of knowledge and experience. He spent 6 years as the Director General of the CBI, held the position of Minister of State for UK Trade & Investment and has unrivalled heritage in advising a multitude of businesses around the world.
To coincide with the new Vodafone ‘Business First’ store, based in Cheapside, London, join this webTV show with Lord Digby Jones who will be offering his unparalleled expert advice on the key priorities to ensure small business growth in 2010.
The exclusive Business Clinic featuring Lord Digby Jones and Rob Shardlow from Vodafone will be shown at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 2 February. You can ask your questions in advance by entering them via the form below. Following the broadcast, the show will be available ‘on demand’. Last submission for questions is 3pm on 2nd February.
For more information on Vodafone business services, visit http://online.vodafone.co.uk/business/virtual-home
January 29, 2010
Filed under: Business Software, Business Tools — admin @ 1:14 pm
Online publishing has been around for a decade, since people first started putting their text files on the Internet to share. Of course, publisher software has come a long way since then, and digital magazine versions are now increasingly sophisticated.
If you’ve not considered the advantages of online publishing, or thought about using self publishing software to create an online magazine, book or other product, including music and images, now could be the time to consider doing so.
Digital publishing can help you to reach an almost unlimited global audience. You may well find that, if you also have a printed version, paper magazine subscriptions go up as a result of the increased exposure. A digital magazine gives a reader a chance to view the product in detail before committing to long-term magazine subscriptions.
Digital publishing is also much cheaper, with almost nothing in the way of start-up, type-setting or delivery costs.
Using publishing software to self publish your own digital magazine or other product means deadlines can be self-imposed rather than dictated by printing press or advertising deadlines. If your online magazine does carry adverts, your advertisers will love the extra exposure, and the way your product can potentially reach billions of people much more cheaply than paper magazine subscriptions.
Unlike bookshops or newsagents’, the Internet is always open for business, with people able to view the digital magazine of their choice whenever they like.
If you thought self publishing a digital magazine or book using publisher software required vast amounts of technical expertise, think again. Modern publishing software makes it easier than ever to experiment, and the room for creativity is just about endless. Digital publishing also means there is never really a final version of your digital magazine, since you can use the publishing software to change your online magazine as often as you want.
Publisher software also allows you to control administration and all costings electronically, saving you time and money. At the same time, publishing software means you can track crucial reader statistics and see exactly how your readers are behaving at the push of a few buttons.
The other thing about digital publishing, whether you’re self publishing a digital magazine, a web-based novel or anything else, is that it’s the environmentally friendly option, No paper means no trees are cut down for wood pulp, and no road deliveries, so no carbon emissions from delivery vehicles.
Self publishing online is also great for you readers. Many people just love the chance to be able to enjoy a digital magazine for free. They’ll also love the chance to give you instant feedback on your online magazine or novel, and to interact with each other by discussing your online magazine on one of the many online publishing forums around.
If you’re serious about looking into publisher software, think about Yudu Publishing Pro. This software allows you to self publish an online magazine with your own branding. It includes a system for full and close monitoring of reader behaviour, and a magazine subscriptions management system, among many other features.
Take a closer a look at how digital publishing could transform your product today, and reach a new worldwide audience, by seeing what Yudu Publishing Pro has to offer.
Filed under: Business Advice, Business Tools, Employees — admin @ 8:07 am
Three in four UK employees claim to have been affected by the recent bad weather, with just over one in ten not able to work at all. This disruption to UK businesses, as well as the wider economic climate, has emphasised the need for companies to develop a robust business continuity strategy.
Developing solutions involving an adaptable workforce that can function with equal efficiency both inside and outside the office is one way of ensuring customer service isn’t compromised, come rain or shine. This is especially important considering the majority of employees – 55% according to a survey – now expect to work from home more frequently.
But there are wide-ranging issues when it comes to flexible working, like trying to monitor staff away from the office and ensuring employees are available to managers, clients or customers throughout the working day, no matter where they are. Accessibility is especially important for small businesses with high standards when it comes to efficiency, service and personal contact.
You might find this ‘onnectivity clinic’ with Dr Rob Matthews, of Vodafone UK, who will be offering advice and top tips on how best to incorporate flexible working plans and digital technology into small businesses.
It begins live at 2pm on Friday 29th January at 2pm when you can discuss staying connected to a mobile workforce by submitting your questions in advance. Don’t worry if you miss it as it will be streamed live on demand following the live showing.
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For more information visit www.vodafone.co.uk/suresignal
Filed under: CBI — Alan @ 4:40 am
Director General of the business group, the CBI, Richard Lambert, stated that the county is overall 10pc poorer than it was expected to be before the recession hit. In order to make up for this discrepancy the director stated that the UK will need to work hard to grow as much as possible in the next five years.
Lambert warned last night that if such growth does not occur the upcoming life chances of the new generation of young people will be significantly impaired. Among the results will be an unemployment rate that stays high and lower standards of living.
His comments came directly before the GDP data is delivered today by the Office for National Statistics, which is expected to reveal that economy finally started to repair itself throughout the final quarter of 2009.
Predictions include a .4pc rise by economists in the GDP, which will finally mark the end of the recession officially after six quarters of a consistently decreasing GDP. According to Lambert, Britain has had a slower recovery than the other major economies which have already shown signs of recovery.
Lambert continued to say that growth will come mostly from the trade and private sector investment since the public sector will need all of its resources as it tries to get the finances of the nation back in order.
However, he did state that for the moment most businesses are still attempting to conserve their cash out of fear, which means it will take a while before the market starts to actively come alive again.
January 27, 2010
Filed under: Business Tools — admin @ 9:36 am
BT Business has launched its new fibre broadband service, BT Business Total Broadband Fibre. The product will be offering download speeds of up to 40Mb/s, from £30 per month, and provides business traffic priority at times of contention .
It is claimed that it will provide the UK’s fastest upstream speeds of up to 10Mb/s which business allows to benefit from services such as VOIP, high-definition vidoe conferencing and business-grade cloud applications. In addition it will also make home and remote working a reality, allowing staff to remain connected to the office at all times.
A dedicated broadband “fast lane” also puts business user traffic first at times of contention to help firms continue to work faster, do more, reduce operational costs and boost productivity.
Businesses in Muswell Hill, Whitchurch and Glasgow Halfway have already been enjoying the faster 40Mb/s broadband service through a BT trial. The service will now be made available to approximately 500,000 homes and businesses from 31-enabled exchanges by late February. A further two million homes and businesses will be able to access the services by late summer following the roll out of the technology by Openreach, BT’s local access division. By 2012, some 10 million premises – are expected to have access.
From 26 January, new and existing BT Business customers in an enabled exchange area will automatically be eligible for the fibre service. 50 per cent of UK businesses can currently also receive ADSL 2+ broadband speeds of up to 20Mb/s at no extra cost to copper services.
Further information available at http://business.bt.com/broadband-and-internet/internet-access/broadband/next-generation-broadband
January 25, 2010
Filed under: Business Finance — Alan @ 7:16 am
Within the next three years over 35 countries will start to follow the same international accounting rules for SMEs, which will increase pressure on developed nations to implement the new set of standards.
Many of the counties that have pledged to utilize the standards are either emerging or developing economies and have noted that they would like to use the new financial standards for SMEs fully by the year 2013.
Director of standards for SMEs for the International Accounting Standards Board, Paul Pacter, conducted the poll during a meeting in 2009 after the new rules were in force for two months.
The project, which is based on a seven year timeline, is aimed at producing a consistent set of rules for use by SMES that were published in July of 2009 in a 230 page booklet. The booklet was met with approval from the World Bank and many other international organizations as a positive way for emerging economies to increase the capital within their counties.
The goal of standardization of accounting is that investors will better understand how much a company is valued at, regardless of where it operates, which may prompt them to invest in a company they otherwise would overlook.
Some of the most eager countries to start using the new standards were Brazil, Swaziland, and El Salvador, which all are considered to be emerging nations.
Pacter said this is due to the fact that the smaller counties want to have better access to potential capital which the consistency will allow them. He now feels that the time is right for the EU to take a positive lead in implementing the same rules within the Union
January 21, 2010
Filed under: Business Advice — Alan @ 6:17 am
Although it is hard for any SME from the UK to break into the sales field of the US, ExportAction Ltd is attempting to help struggling businesses by publishing ten free tip sheets that help out small businesses that have larger dreams.
The sheets will not be available to purview as a large batch, but instead will be emailed to interested businesses throughout ten working days in a row. They will be written in simple English and kept brief but poignant.
There are ten major points that will be covered on each of the tips sheets including frequently asked questions such as LLC or Inc for the US, ROI, the US market in general, and how to use telephone and fax lines appropriately to reach the US.
ExportAction has plenty of credentials behind their new effort given the fact that the company president and co-founder Roger Frampton has assisted hundreds of companies across the UK develop sales and business strategies for breaking into the US. He also has spent time employed with several US companies and working with the UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) for the last ten years.
The company additionally has headquarters in London and Florida, US plus satellite offices that operate out of New York and California. Additionally, at the moment the company despite its expansion is debt free and earning a profit each year while continuing to fund its own efforts without help from any other financial institutions.
January 18, 2010
Filed under: Business Advice, Small business — admin @ 6:25 pm
New rules intended to simplify electricity and gas contracts for businesses have created confusion and a ‘spaghetti junction of red tape’, according to business price comparison service Make It Cheaper.
From today (18.1.10) – following a two year investigation by Ofgem – two million businesses should be benefitting from greater consumer protection in relation to their electricity and gas contracts. However not only does each supplier have a different ‘interpretation’ of the new rules but they only have to apply them to business energy contracts entered into from today. Whilst one of the Big 6 suppliers has indicated that it will apply the rules retrospectively on all existing contracts, this still, leaves the vast majority of business energy customers at the mercy of their existing terms and conditions.
Business energy suppliers each have different T&Cs that can run to over 10,000 words in length and only allow customers to serve notice in narrow renewal windows that quietly open and close with months left to run on the contract. Anyone missing the renewal window is automatically denied the right to switch to the cheapest electricity supplier for at least another year. Our research shows that this ‘rollover’ technique catches out over 80% of businesses and is commonly used by energy suppliers to lock customers into much higher rates than those available to new customers/switchers.
A further area of confusion is the size of business to which the new rules are restricted, should they wish to compare electricity prices. Ofgem uses the description ‘microbusiness’ but then offers several definitions. These include: businesses employing fewer than ten people, with an annual turnover of less than 2 million euros, or energy use of less than 200,000 kWh of gas a year or 55,000 kWh of electricity a year. Again, some suppliers are rigidly applying these definitions whilst others will consider SMEs of all shapes and sizes as qualifying for the new rules.
Jonathan Elliott, managing director of Make It Cheaper, commented: “As a price comparison and switching service specifically for businesses, it is our job to understand the market inside out and make sure that our customers are eligible for the prices we quote from the 11,000 tariffs we have in our system. We are getting very mixed responses from suppliers, many of whom are still trying to fathom out the new rules themselves. It would be so much simpler if, rather than just guidelines, these new rules were set out more clearly and more strictly imposed.”
Business electricity prices currently range threefold from around 7p/kWh to 21p/kWh and 2p/kWh to 6p/kWh for business gas prices but anyone looking to stay on the lowest prices has to be prepared to switch regularly. For a free and independent downloadable guide to finding the cheapest electricity suplpiers for your business see http://www.makeitcheaper.com/media/13832212/mic-printable-gu… – or register for Make It Cheaper’s ‘Business Energy Contract Checking Service’ by calling 0800 970 0077. One quick phone call is all it takes to take advantage of this free, no-obligation service, which will tell you earliest switching dates and the cheapest gas prices or cheapest electricity prices available.
Filed under: CBI — Alan @ 8:05 am
CBI Scotland is once again campaigning against organizations that are publicly funded and local councils within Scotland to pay invoices from suppliers within ten days to help the companies better manage throughout the recession.
The CBI stated that it would like to see public authorities advertise the new payment procedures on the portal for national public procurement, the Public Contracts Scotland.
The demand by the CBI comes at the same time that The Scotsman published reports that state that only 89% of the invoices that were given to the Scottish Government were paid in ten days during December.
This is an increase from October of 2008 when it was found that only 15% of all invoices were paid within ten days which prompted the SNP administration to create a ten day pledge.
According to data from the Scottish Government the public sector spends around £8b per year on services and goods.
Assistant director of CBI Scotland, David Lonsdale, stated that the new data shows that Scottish ministers are making a significant amount of progress with the issue by helping suppliers across the country.
However, Lonsdale went on to say that now they need to see public authorities advertise and sign up their tendering opportunities on Public Contracts Scotland.
The Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities did not comment on the issue.
January 15, 2010
Filed under: Business Advice, IT, Small business — admin @ 1:29 pm
Over half (58%) of senior decision makers in small businesses in Britain admit their business suffered as a result of the winter weather last week, despite 78% saying they thought their company was prepared to cope with the snow chaos, according to a survey of over 500 senior decision makers in small businesses, commissioned by Citrix GoToMyPC and carried out by YouGov.
Some small businesses did take steps to combat the weather conditions and ensure business as usual though, by enabling more staff to work from home (25%) and holding more online meetings (10%). The research does suggest however some small businesses could have done more to prepare for the unexpected, as only 42% said they have a business continuity plan in place.
The impact on small businesses has been widespread, with businesses across Britain reporting problems. A quarter of small businesses decision makers say some staff were late into work, while 26% reported that some staff couldn’t make it into the workplace at all. In addition, 21% found that key suppliers and contacts were not available and 26% had to cancel or postpone business meetings.
However, small businesses also suffered as a result of unexpected disruption caused by widespread school closures and a lack of road salt, with the Federation of Small Business (FSB) this week claiming the government could have helped by being better prepared for the conditions. As many as 74% of British workers were affected by last week’s winter conditions, with 8% forced to stay home due to school closures and 12% not able to work at all, according to a related GoToMyPC study of more than 2,000 adults. When asked about the most annoying aspects of the winter weather, a massive 71% voiced the lack of grit on roads as by far the biggest issue.
For the week beginning 4th January 2009, almost a quarter (24%) of British workers claimed they lost more than five working hours, with the survey showing that as much as 124 million working hours could have been lost last week alone as a result of the weather. This equals £1.35bn in lost productivity.
Andrew Millard, Director of eCommerce, EMEA for Citrix Online’s GoToMyPC, said: “The weather in the first week of 2010 has had a catastrophic effect on UK business, with the FSB estimating the cost to the UK economy to be at least £600m a day. Many businesses thought they were sufficiently prepared to handle the snow, but the sheer scale of the disruption and a lack of planning from the government has taken its toll. With more snow on the way, now is the time to revisit or put in place business continuity plans, but it remains to be seen whether the government will be able to act to protect smaller businesses should the bad weather continue.”
Top Tips
Andrew Millard of Citrix GoToMyPC sets out his top five tips for businesses to stand them in good stead for handling the unexpected:
1. Communicate clearly in advance – with your workers so that they know what they need to do if they can’t get into the office.
2. Equip employees with remote access and Web conferencing technology – which will help them to remain productive even if they can’t get into the office.
3. Communicate with your customers – Phone redirects and remote access software will allow you to work productively away from the office. But if clients or customers are likely to be affected, let them know as early as possible and keep communication channels open.
4. Consider alternatives – Travel to the office or to client meetings may be impossible, but instead of cancelling, conduct the meetings online instead.
5. Put in place a business continuity leader – if the unexpected happens, it’s wise to have one person in your organisation responsible for coordinating efforts and informing all staff of the potential impacts and company policies.
Citrix Online is offering businesses and individuals a 30-day free trial for GoToMyPC, which enables fast, easy and secure access to a desktop from any remote location: www.gotomypc.co.uk ; and a 30-day trial for GoToMeeting, to host online meetings anywhere, anytime: www.gotomeeting.co.uk . Just visit the websites and enter SNOW in the promo code option.
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