Business Confidence data published today claims that businesses in the East of England are predicting a strong growth in turnover of in excess of 4 percent over the coming year which is reflected in a record-high Confidence. The same quarterly published report has now recorded a positive trend in confidence in the East of England for five consecutive quarters.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
So, how do i choose a trainer?
Training is a great investment to make in your staff and the efficiency of your business, but choosing a training provider you can work well with can be a bit of a minefield. What is it you are looking for in a training company, and what do you hope to gain from the training? A few questions can set you on the right track to a successful long term relationship with your provider.
Time to get tough with the social media doubters
I need to make something absolutely clear: I believe effective use of social media will benefit any business. No exceptions. None whatsoever. I don’t believe you can show me one business that can’t benefit from it. Not one. If you disagree, well sorry, either prove it or admit you’re wrong.
Big brother is watching you…
Employees. Always good to have them where you can see them right? To make sure they are in the door at 9am, working solidly and then out the door no earlier than 5pm? Ban Facebook from the office to make sure opportunities to skive are minimal and if we can give them clocking in/out cards, so much the better. After all, if the boss is sitting there watching their staff, productivity is almost guaranteed, isn’t it?
Dragon James Caan launches academy to pass on wisdom to business owners
On the back of Peter Jones opening his first Enterprise Academy and Doug Richard launching his School for Startups, fellow Dragons’ Den star James Caan is now launching his own business academy, the James Caan Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy.
Lottery awards £250,000 to help more students make money and a difference
Enterprise UK’s eagerly anticipated annual Make Your Mark with a Tenner campaign is doubling in size, offering twice as many students the opportunity to make money and make a difference with a £10 loan. Thanks to a grant of £250,000 from the Big Lottery Fund there will be more opportunities than ever this year for young people to flex their entrepreneurial muscles; making a profit and social impact.
RBS & Lloyds fail to keep business lending pledge
Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group have been criticised by a committee of MPs for failing to lend enough businesses.
Probably the best marketing tool in the world…
Conversations which took place in many businesses last year were all about survival, talking about how you got through it, how awful it was, and how you hoped for better fortunes next year.
The conversations happening this year could quite easily be no different…unless, that is, you do something differently.
5 Tips For Selling On The Upturn – Part 1
In this article, leading Sales Expert Andy Preston explains 5 things you need to consider right now, to give yourself and your team the best chance of taking advantage of the upturn….
The Conservatives might have to raise the VAT rate to 20%
There is growing speculation that should the Conservatives win the forthcoming general election they would increase Vat from 17.5 percent to 20 percent to cut the country’s record deficit.
Doug Richard: Government policies hinder innovation and stifle business
Doug Richard, the ex-dragon and founder of the School for Startups, has written a manifesto for enterprise to be published this week. In it Mr Richard will say that present Government policies hinder innovation and stifle economic development, with his most damning suggestion is that the Government’s Business Link venture, which is supposed to support small and medium-sized enterprises, should be dismantled.
Cameron: I want Britain to be the place for business & entrepreneurship
David Cameron has announced that a Conservative government, should his party win the forthcoming election later this year, will be pro-business and pro-entrepreneurs.
Speaking, this morning on the Andrew Marr show on BBC1, he outlined a number of plans to ensure that British business overcomes the current global recession and ensures that it becomes one of the best places to start, run and grow, a business in the world.
Snow costs UK economy £690million per day
The freezing weather conditions and snow have forced millions of people to stay at home, with road and school closures preventing them from working. With the bad weather set to continue for another three weeks, insurer RSA predicts that a day of severe snow could cost the UK economy as much as £690million a day as businesses lose out to the weather.
There’s more to booking training than a day out of the office
When booking training for your organisation, what is it you are looking for? Competitive pricing, fulfilling a real need to boost staff skills, post course follow up, filling in the training requirements for your company? There are various reasons I’ve heard over the years from clients booking courses but it’s time to establish the real deal.
Aint no Sunshine when your job’s gone
I nearly choked on my tea when I read a twitter link to a Daily Mail article about 64% of workers booking holidays online do so from their desks. How dare they even think it let alone actually do it. Apparently it is down to Monday Blues and in particular the Monday when everyone returns after the Christmas break.
Surely I am not the only person who finds it truly astonishing to think that employees, whilst supposedly working to earn the money to pay for their holidays, think it’s their right to do this without any recourse what so ever.