Category: Advice

Coaching is an effective way to impart knowledge. It can benefit you, the coachee and your business, says Steve Webster.

Entertaining people can be a very enjoyable part of being in business – as sharing time, food and drink away from the office can help to build and cement working relationships. But when can you claim tax relief on the cost of entertaining someone, and what about VAT?

After a while, some people get complacent or dissatisfied with their company. Here are eight ways to find that magic again.

I went mystery shopping this week for a new client. They wanted to see what happened at their workplace when they weren’t there following fairly negative informal feedback from friends when they had visited. They had a strong suspicion the reception staff’s customer service was not up to scratch but didn’t know the full extent and wanted us to assess what development needs there may be from our own experience.

In a tough trading climate it’s essential to hang on to good people. Yet in a recession it isn’t always easy to reward loyalty with increased pay. Michael Davies, of LondonOffices.com looks at other ways businesses can retain talent.

Managing your boss may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s an unspoken, imperative part of day-to-day work that will help you achieve your personal career ambitions, and excel in your current role.

Making a capital gain is usually good news – but it can also come with a hefty tax bill. So, whether you are selling all, or part, of your business, or some other assets (for example property or shares) it’s important to plan for a capital gain in order to minimise the tax burden.

Recent research commissioned by the mental health charity Mind found work to be the biggest cause of stress, with nearly thirty five per cent of the 2000 people they talked to claiming it to be an issue.

Teams are the building blocks of organisations. Teams are groups of people who work together to achieve things, but not all groups are teams. Teams are characterised by team members having to work together to get things done.

The number of small businesses throughout the UK trying to ‘go green’ has almost doubled in the last two years, according to recent research, with many of them planning become more and more environmentally friendly in years to come.

As the cybercrime landscape becomes stealthier and more astute, businesses consequently become more susceptible to threats. In the corporate world there is equity at stake too, as sensitive intellectual property and confidential data are increasingly at risk of exposure, impacting both reputation and competitive position.

It’s a trend that has been sweeping the foreign business world over the last couple of years and one that is now infiltrating the minds of UK business owners, but what is it about the BYOD trend that is so appealing to businesses?

By plus one, I don’t mean the +one on a party or wedding invitation! I’m referring to the ability to make a change, albeit a very small change, by one unit, one tiny measure, and if you could, what would it be?