SMALL BUSINESSES

2011-03-24T09:37:00.000Z

WORKPLACE STRESS: ITS COST TO PRIVATE COMPANIES The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work defines stress as "the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them." Everyone at some point in their working lives has experienced degrees of work related stress. While many accept it as part of a busy working day, others do not find it

2011-03-17T22:54:00.002Z

BUSINESS LINK ADVICE CENTRES TO BE SCRAPPED BY THE END OF 2012 Founded by Lord Michael Heseltine in December 1992, the regional Business Link advice centres are to be scrapped by the end of 2012. According to a report previously published in the Telegraph, the Government confirmed that it is to be replaced by “an improved website and call centre” which will become operational from April 2012.

2011-02-24T15:41:00.001Z

MAJOR UK BANKS PLAN A BUSINESS GROWTH FUND FOR BUSINESSES IN APRIL 2011 The Business Growth Fund is a support fund that will become operational from April 2011 in many areas of Britain including Birmingham, Glasgow, North England and Northern Ireland. The aim of the fund is to provide financial support and guidance to already established businesses in return for an equity share in the business.

2011-02-20T21:27:00.002Z

FEAR, UNCERTAINTY AND HOME BASED BUSINESSES IN A TOUGH ECONOMY The recession has shown us that businesses of all sizes are equally susceptible to closure. This can make the prospect of running a home based business appear even riskier but the surprising fact is that the number of home based businesses being set up show no signs of abating. In fact their number is increasing rapidly with

2011-02-11T13:15:00.000Z

TIPS ON REDUCING OFFICE EXPENSES To prevent expenses spiralling out of control every office should have policies in place that monitor the general running of the office. These can be short term policies or ones that reap benefits in the longer term, but there are a range of different areas in the office that can be covered in this budgetary health check: Financial healthcheck: Do a daily

2011-02-03T22:48:00.001Z

10 ATTITUDES OF SUCCESSFUL SALESPEOPLE Confidence in the product you are selling plays a major role in a sales pitch made to a prospective client. If you believe the product is useful and worth the asking price, there will be sincerity and conviction in your words which can persuade the client to commit to the purchase. This also includes confidence in your own abilities to sell as these will

2011-01-19T12:31:00.000Z

Some Basics of Home Based Businesses Everyone aspires to running their own business without having to wait for approval each time a business decision has to be made. This is only one of the many advantages home based businesses can enjoy but before starting one, follow some basic rules to give your home based business the best start. Conduct some research: Have you adequately researched your

2010-12-23T10:16:00.001Z

Ways to reach your customers It is important for every small business to continually review its marketing strategies. This will ensure that customers who are the crux of your business success are kept updated and informed about changes in the business. Some strategies businesses can use to do this without spending a fortune are as follows: Mail shots: Distributing leaflets, letters or business

2010-12-10T22:03:00.002Z

Use the Internet to save both time and money on travel Booking your trip on the internet gives you instant access to a range of different tour operators and travel sites that you can compare with the added convenience of booking your trip at any time of the day or night. There is no hassle of travelling to high street travel agents or being late for your booking as travel arrangements can be

2010-11-20T22:39:00.002Z

Ways to boost your business reputation It is the quality of the service provided by a business that determines its reputation so taking steps to boost it can help reap rewards, both financial and otherwise, for the owner. Skilful advertising: A great tool for bringing the attention of the public to what your business has to offer them. A well planned and carried out advertising plan can make

2010-11-10T22:22:00.002Z

Britain’s biggest trade delegation heads to China Eager to exploit opportunities that fast growing Asian economies offer, British Prime Minister, David Cameron, headed off with a trade delegation to China for two days. The visit comes at the right time before the fifth G20 Summit is held in Seoul, Korea, this month. Hoping to expand Britain’s economy through increased exports and investment,

2010-10-25T21:18:00.001+01:00

Britain’s future – A double dip recession or new economic dynamism? At the annual conference of the Confederation of British Industry today, David Cameron, outlined his plans to British businesses to allay fears that the spending cuts he announced last week will push the country into a double dip recession. David Cameron stressed the need for “entrepreneurism and dynamism to create new

2010-10-20T23:38:00.002+01:00

George Osborne’s spending cuts to tackle Britain’s deficit The UK Chancellor, George Osborne warned British people yesterday of cuts planned for every government sector to rebalance the economy and reduce £6.2bn of "wasteful spending”. For the labour leader, Ed Miliband, however, there were plenty of reasons to be fearful as the cuts are going to be the biggest gamble the Coalition government

2010-10-18T21:48:00.000+01:00

Benefits of stocktaking for your small business Businesses can hold stocks of raw materials which are to be used in its production processes, stocks of finished goods ready to be sold to its customers or incomplete products waiting to be made (WIP or work in progress). The amount of stock requirement will vary according to individual business set ups with retailers mostly holding finished goods

2010-10-10T19:23:00.000+01:00

Choosing a subcontractor for your business Builders use the services of subcontractors to apportion out the work required to complete a building project. The right choice of subcontractors will determine the quality of the work done and the efficiency of their work will determine if the project meets its deadlines. For these reasons, business owners should take time to make the important

2010-09-27T18:42:00.002+01:00

How not to get ripped off in your small business Some people are lucky in their choice of business and adapt to all areas of its operation without many problems. Others find it much harder and getting ripped off while trying to make a success of their business does not help matters either. It could be to do with having a naturally helpful nature or not being too shrewd that makes it easy for

2010-08-23T13:57:00.000+01:00

How to win back business customers While trying to maintain a business through peaks and troughs, sometimes the most important element of the business is ignored. This is the business customer without whom no business can hope to survive. Though it might not be possible to win back all business customers, taking time to find out why they might have defected in the first place is important as is

2010-08-03T21:25:00.000+01:00

Dealing with different personalities in a team Dealing with different personalities can pose a challenge for any team where the importance of getting on with one another cannot be underestimated. It is after all joint effort that is required to achieve desired goals in a company. Communication is a great way of sharing opinions, expressing how you feel and understanding what others expect of

2010-07-25T16:23:00.000+01:00

How to operate a petty cash system in the office There are some expenses in the office that are paid for in cash as they are low value payments, These could be expenses like buying milk, paying for window cleaning or postage stamps with each business setting its own limit on how much petty cash is set aside for such transactions. Petty cash expenses are recorded in a petty cash book which forms

2010-07-15T09:46:00.000+01:00

Best home based businesses for 2010 Home based businesses are on the increase as an increasing number of people explore the idea of working for themselves rather than being employed. Here are some of the best home based businesses whose growth has a lot to do with our changing times. Internet businesses: The power of the internet is being exploited by anyone who has access to a computer and IT

2010-07-07T22:02:00.000+01:00

Planning aids for work schedules There are several ways planning aids can be used to prioritise tasks at work. For some people one planning aid might be sufficient while others might need more to help them focus and achieve their goals. Keeping a personal diary is one planning aid that is essential to keep a record of important dates, appointments or times of business meetings so that work

2010-07-03T22:10:00.000+01:00

Questions your business brochure should answer Business brochures present a visual representation of your business products or services in a condensed format. The aim of a business brochure it to attract new customers and there are some simple questions it should address to ensure business information is presented effectively: Do I really need a business brochure? Queries about the business

2010-06-30T21:39:00.000+01:00

Business failure and learning from mistakes There can be a multitude of reasons behind a business failure but mistakes made cannot easily be changed or reversed. Facing business failure is an unfortunate scenario no one wants to experience, the only thing to do is learn from mistakes made and move on. Financing a business set up usually involves some kind of borrowing. This is one business

2010-06-27T08:31:00.000+01:00

How to use teamwork to achieve company goals The importance of teamwork cannot be underestimated, especially in a business environment when a group of people are working together to achieve a goal. Their successful outcome will reflect upon their individual abilities, their performance as a unit and on the company as a whole. It is not always possible to choose the members of a team who will

2010-06-21T07:13:00.000+01:00

Businesses for stay at home mums Mothers who stay at home to look after their growing families prefer businesses that allow them the flexibility to choose the hours they can work. Though this is the focal point around which they choose a business, their own experience and the potential earnings the business offers can also influence the choice of business. Direct sales offer a range of business