Business advice to help you grow your SME and small & medium sized company and help you grow your company
A study by Travel Supermarket said that 2011 was another good year for those engaged in servicing the 40 per cent of the UK population who took their main holiday in the UK, as well as the increasing number of us Brits who have been taking more short domestic breaks. Although these breaks may have been for fewer nights, this still proved to have a great impact on the UK holiday market.
Corporate Socially Responsibility has predominantly been associated with global conglomerates. It is a common assumption that these multinationals are the primary contributors to the recovery of the economy and therefore are accountable for addressing the issues facing today’s society.
A record 480,000 new businesses were created over the past year but let’s see if the UK can beat this record in 2012.
With just less than 200 days to go until the Olympics, workplace experts employers are being advised to avoid any last-minute hurdles by preparing for staff being away from work.
We spoke to Sara Murray, entrepreneur and founder of Confused.com and personal emergency response service buddi.co.uk to find out what she thinks are the best ways for small businesses to embrace and grow by using commerce effectively.
As we are now into the swing of 2012, we asked Margery McBain of Gravitate HR to highlight some key dates in the year for us to focus on about what may lie in store in the Olympic and Diamond Jubilee year.
One way to raise the profile of your business is to seek opportunities to speak in public. These could be anything from a slot at a lunch time networking group, a joint seminar with a local accountant to a keynote speech at a trade conference. But many so many presentations (and presenters) fail to engage their audience. This article also offers ten tips to help you counteract the possible pitfalls of a poor presentation.
If we are to avoid the chaos witnessed this time last year, when the country virtually ground to a halt following freezing temperatures and large snow falls, more businesses must recognise the importance of offering staff the ability to work from home.
‘Companies everywhere are recognising that video has become the factor that can provide an edge over the competition’ – the wise words of James Leal-Valias, creative director at iStockphoto, writing for Business Matters a few weeks ago under the title ‘Design for Small Business: Integrating Online into Your Marketing Mix’.
The summer of 2012 is going to be a busy one and you could be forgiven for thinking that the UK will be closed for everyone not involved in the Olympic and Paralympic Games from the Queen’s Jubilee in early June, to ‘back to school’ time in September.
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the largest events the UK has ever seen. From the end of July to the beginning of September, forecasts predict an extra 322,000 visitors to the UK, with a dramatic ‘spike’ in service demand.
For many family owned businesses, planning how to leave your business to the next generation can be a daunting task. With most SMEs focussing on immediate successes, plans for the future can often be overlooked or left until the last minute.
Here I discuss the importance of tracking data and gathering information within your business. It then goes on to discuss what data you need and how to use it in order to grow your business.
Electricians could be in for a shock as they have moved to the top of the taxman’s targeted campaign list as the Electricians Tax Safe Plan (ETSP) will begin in February 2012 and give an opportunity for electricians and electrical fitters to come forward and declare unpaid tax.
As we approach the Christmas season, with demands on us from staff parties, client entertaining as well as family and friends many of us will struggle during the day.
