August 29, 2011
Filed under: Small Business News — Alan @ 7:55 am
The FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) has asked the government to expand the Work Trials programme as it will be able to help create near 50,000 new jobs. Unemployment is close to two and a half million in the UK and over one and a half million of those have been out of work for over a year.
Work trials are a system where people who have been on Job Seekers Allowance for more than six months can volunteer at a job before taking on a permanent role. A survey by the FSB has found that nearly a quarter of small businesses think that the Work Trials programme acts as an additional reason for small companies to take on staff.
The FSB wants to see the work trial programme extended so that people are able to take this volunteer jobs from the first day they claim Job Seekers Allowance. It is this expansion that they believe can create the extra jobs.
Work trails have many benefits as volunteers can gain valuable work skills while employers get to test out whether they want to take on a new employee. The statistics say that half of all people who take these work placements convert them into permanent jobs.
The chairman of the FSB, John Walker has said, “With the economy in the state it is, small businesses are finding it harder to take on staff and when they do it is unlikely they would employ someone who has been unemployed for a long time. The work trial system means these people can gain work skills and increase there chances of future employment. It encourages small businesses to take on new staff and grow.” Mr Walker has also praised the simplicity of the system in his urging for its expansion.
August 26, 2011
Filed under: Small Business News — Alan @ 8:38 am
The economy is in a bad state and unemployment is rising, and small businesses are also suffering as banks are refusing to lend to many potential customers. There are no legal obligations for banks to lend to people so they are only motivated by their desire to see borrowing increase and apparently this desire is not very strong.
Banks have said that the demand for loans is low and that is why they are having to refuse loans to some of the people who come to them. The Small Business Federation disagrees with this statement however and says the banks are receiving many applications for loans. Small businesses often need an injection of capital from a bank loan to allow them to expand.
Critics have said that banks are capable of making the number of refusals look less than they actually are by only noting those refusals of formal applications, despite many people being refused after a casual enquiry. Business owners also fear that the requesting of a loan may make their overdraft more expensive.
The fact that the economy is doing badly can be a good opportunity for those businesses which are strong enough to weather the bad times. They are seeing their competition going out of business and this means there is a good opportunity to expand. The problem is they need capital to do this and they banks are refusing to provide it.
Osbourne’s promise of a country that will encourage business now seem hollow to many of those wanting to borrow. It also seems the government is doing little to encourage more manufacturing in Britain, something that many people want. This rebalancing of the economy will be a very difficult task as the growth figures in manufacturing need to be very high, recent figures suggest that manufacturing is still declining.
August 25, 2011
Filed under: Business Advice,Business equipment — admin @ 2:43 pm
An Advertorial Feature
The majority of British businesses rely on their phone systems to survive. Whether you are a mechanics in Macclesfield; bakers in Birmingham; an architect in Aberdeen or a solicitor in Swansea: without a reliable phone line you can kiss your business good-bye.
Think about it. You use your phone a lot in any business, so whether you make or receive a lot of calls, the right phone system is very important.
As well as reliable phonelines it is increasingly important to think about costs when it comes to your phone system, too. Thanks to increased competition among major suppliers, as well as different phoneline options in the online age, there is no excuse for any business looking to keep costs down not to shop around and look into their options for sourcing cheap phone lines and calls.
But where do you start when it comes to ensuring you are getting the best deals for your business phone system? There are a number or issues that you need to think about before making a decision on what phone package is likely to be right for you.
To get the most out of your business phone packages you should consider the following:
• Are you going to make national or international calls? Whichever of these you will use most frequently should be the prime focus when it comes to choosing your phone package. Always select one which will offer you the best deals and rates for your type of use.
• What sort of budget do you have? Finances rule the business world so you should consider your budget before looking at phone packages. There are always competitive rates on offer but make sure that you invest in a good quality phone system that will offer stability and reliability alongside affordability. With so many offers available it is easy to find great offers.
Many business phone lines will come with a range of added features and benefits, such as: land line features; line rentals offered at lowered prices; calling bundles and extra features; highly affordable and competitive rates for call charges; and online billing.
Think about these attractive offers when considering your small business phone call needs. You can find more information and advice, including information about business broadband, here.
Filed under: Business Tools — admin @ 10:47 am
European Computer Telecoms, or ECT, a well-known vendor of value services in both the multimedia and voice domain, last year launched a great new platform for the use of ring back services with a startup RBT service. They called this product the ECT start-up Ring-back tone and it is specifically geared towards MVNOs and small carriers who wanted to offer ring back tones at a minimum cost and with no time to market.
It is a fixed price out of the box solution that includes installation in the price and offers all the most important features from the already established ECT ring back system. The new solution supports 20,000 subscribers once installed, and could be expanded if needed up to 150,000.
The commercial product manager for Ring back services at ECT, Victor del Razo says that the new platform is perfect for those companies who want to use ring back tones to generate revenue, while at the same time keeping their investment to a minimum until they saw results. He added that once the service had taken off, it offered attractive options for the company to move to the premium ring back solution.
In the months since this solution was launched, it has taken off in a big way and is now one of the best known and reliable start up platforms on the market. It comes with a basic set-up with additional options such as SIP support and redundancy, which can be added at any time once the clients business starts to evolve. All the features in the start-up solution are geared towards generating revenue.
Just like the premium ring back tone solution, the ECT start-up ring back tone supports providers of multiple content, has a content management system which is web based, and offers content provisioning via FTP. It also has the ECT SOAP based API which supports third party or multiple self-run storefronts that includes features like using ring back tones as gifts and copying ting back tones.
Also included is a reporting and statistics module so that clients can keep track of the performances of their ring back tones and thus use the data acquired as a basis for any future marketing strategies.
There is absolutely no difference at the front end between this solution and the Premium service, and users won’t even realise that it is running on a smaller scale. Clients have their personal inbox, are able to assign wildcards and groups, have schedule assignments and also have access to their playlists that are both random and sequential.
ECT delivers this ring back system efficiently and professionally with a set of basic interfaces which can be adapted to any corporate design by the either the client or assigned third party integrators.
Filed under: Business Awards — Alan @ 10:27 am
The iomart Group plc, one of the leading hosting and cloud computing services companies, have been named on the shortlist for one of the most prestigious business awards in the UK. In the 2011 National Business Awards, the company is a finalist in the category of small to medium business of the year.
The corporate banking director of strategy and market development at Santander Stephen Dury, spoke about the award which his company sponsors and he himself helps to judge. He said that iomart were operating in a hugely competitive market and have shown the courage to become market leaders through expansion and development and acquisition.
Iomart recently won another accolade when they were names as the Scottish Digital IT Company of the Year, and is ranked amongst the top 25 providers of cloud services in the world, as rated by Talkin’ Cloud 50. It has also been ranked by MSPmentor 100 as one of the top ten managed hosting providers.
The CEO of iomart Group plc, Angus MacSween, has said that they were all delighted that the commitment that iomart had made to innovation and sustainable growth was being recognised in the UK. He added that everyone at the company and worked long and hard to make the company a leading provider in a very competitive market and making the shortlist for these national awards showed the progress that they had made.
Announcing the finalists, Steve Pateman, Head of Santander Corporate, Commercial and Business Banking said: “Small and medium sized businesses are the drivers of the UK economy, and the National Business Awards are an excellent opportunity to celebrate the innovation, flexibility and hard work of these companies. I would like to wish all the finalists every success both in these awards and for their future business ventures.”
Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, Chair of Judges, the National Business Awards, said: “The economic climate continues to present UK businesses with an unprecedented challenge: it is therefore particularly encouraging that the entries in this year’s National Business Awards have shown no drop in quality or performance. Congratulations to all finalists for demonstrating tremendous strength in their ability to adapt and innovate which no doubt reflects the resilience and optimism that are the hallmarks of UK enterprise.”
Organised by UBM plc, winners will be honoured at the National Business Awards gala dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, Tuesday 8th November, where George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will deliver this year’s welcome address.
Martin Stiven, Vice President of Business at Orange, part of Everything Everywhere, said:
“Reaching the finals of the National Business Awards is no mean feat and I am delighted that the calibre of entrants keeps on improving. All finalists have demonstrated exceptional drive, resilience and innovation during challenging economic conditions. Many congratulations to all finalists and best of luck with the next stage of the competition, I very much look forward to the live judging in September and October.”
Visit the National Business Awards website – www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk – for a full list of all 2011 finalists.
August 23, 2011
Filed under: Business Tools — Alan @ 3:04 am
A new guide has been published to make businesses aware of how the social network Twitter can benefit the. The guide, produced by Econsultancy, is essentially a best practice guide aimed at organisations who are considering joining Twitter, and also for those companies that are already using Twitter and want to optimize their activity on the site.
Entitled the ‘Twitter for Business’ report, the guide contains case studies from both B2B and B2C companies which use the sites for PR, marketing, increasing brand awareness, customer service, search engine optimization and a host of other business acumens.
Also included in the report are the results of a survey that Econsultancy carried out using the Toluna Quick Surveys site, which revealed that consumers are much more likely to be positive about brands they see on Twitter than negative. Although 26% of users have complained about brands they have seen on Twitter, a mighty 58% have praised companies on the micro-blogging site.
The research manager for Econsultancy, Alive Zaidi, has said that many companies signed up for Twitter without really comprehending why it was useful for them or why it was so important to have their presence known on the site. Zaidi added that while they were aware that Twitter did not suit all company’s they wanted to get across the message that the site can prove invaluable for some organisations, and helped to build customer relations.
Zaidi continued: “Consumers tend to use traditional feedback channels to make complaints or report customer issues, rather than for giving positive feedback. It’s far easier and quicker to send a message via Twitter which explains why a large proportion of users have praised brands on the site.”
Leading practitioners in the PR industry were also approached for this report, ensuring that the guide contains in-depth and expert guidance on how companies can make the most of Twitter.
Stephen Waddington, Managing Director of Speed Communications said: “There are plenty of reasons why brands should be on Twitter. The social network can be a powerful channel for organisations to take control of their brand. It allows brands to become their own media outlet, to interact with customers cost effectively, broadcast messages to a huge audience and engage with users on a one-to-one basis.”
Contributors to the report include Ged Caroll, Michelle Goodall, Kate Hartley, Rebecca Hirst, Katy Howell and Stephen Waddington.
The 90-page report aims to define best practice for using Twitter and includes sections on:
- Twitter statistics
- The business case for Twitter
- Getting started on Twitter
- The rules of engagement
- Twitter case studies
- Promoted trends and advertising
- Measurement and ROI
The full report is available on the Econsultancy website here:
http://econsultancy.com/reports/twitter-for-business
The guide is available to Econsultancy subscribers (Silver membership and above), or on a pay-per-view basis.
August 21, 2011
Filed under: Business Finance — Alan @ 7:31 am
Rioting in London last week is expected to have caused damage stretching into the hundreds of millions of pounds. While most businesses will have insurance to cover costs, much of the cost of the damage is going to have to be paid for by the government.
Conclusive figures about the cost of the damage have not yet come in, but some insurers estimate £200million, one German insurer says it expects to pay out £25million alone. ABI, a London based insurer says figures are hard to calculate as the loss of business figures are still not known.
The rioting began in Tottenham on August 6th after a peaceful protest over the death of a man who was shot by police, turned violent. The rioting escalated a day later when more people took to the streets, looting and causing damage. Days after this, the rioting spread to other UK cities, causing five people to lose their lives.
London brokerage firm Jardine Lloyd Thompson has said that most businesses will be covered by an all-risk policy. Insurance holders should make sure they read the details of their policies and notify their insurers about claims as quickly as possible. Ms Wooley head of Marsh Inc, a property practice has said that businesses should document everything to know the exact extent of their loss.
Ms Wooley goes onto say, “Business interruption is typically associated with damage to property, therefore policyholders should check to see whether they are covered for other events that may prevent them opening.”
Those who own vacant properties should be cautious as many insurers may have excluded coverage for these buildings. The law firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain has said insurers will probably need to have claims within a week for them to be help valid. The Federation of Small Businesses has urged people to inform the police and then their insurance companies as quickly as possible.
August 20, 2011
Filed under: Small Business News — Alan @ 10:35 am
According to a recent survey by the FSB, over 85% of businesses located in London have received late payments over the past 12 months, the Federation of Small Businesses says that the vast majority of the late payments, 67%, are being paid by other small private businesses.
Nearly 50% of businesses in London are trying to collect payments exceeding £5,000. This creates a major obstacle for small businesses that struggle with cash flow and it damages growth potential and profitability.
Larger businesses tend to have more of a buffer than small firms therefore smaller businesses that receive late payments get caught in a vicious circle. One thing that has improved the problem is that the Government has pledged to pay all firms within a period of 10 days from the day of the invoice. Nevertheless a survey by the FSB shows that there are still 20% of the firms getting paid late by the government.
The FSB has asked that the Government ensures all of the different public sectors follow central Government’s lead and pay invoices within 10 days to small businesses and that all of the contractors which the public sector utilises also pay sub-contractors in the same time frame.
Over one quarter of all small businesses in London spend over three hours each week chasing up late payments. To change that, and protect themselves, small firms need to guarantee a contract is in place that spells out the payment terms and includes penalties if payments are late.
It would also help to offer some sort of discount for paying promptly and they can also ask from a small up front payment or deposit before work is started. Because of the current situation in the economy each penny is as important as the next and late payments by clients can mean that staff is not paid on time.
Filed under: Legal — Alan @ 3:14 am
A serious warning has been issued to all workers in the legal and financial sector to watch out for unregulated ‘one man bands’ who are trying to enter the data destruction sector. They are urging businesses to only used companies that have the BSIA, British Security Industry Association, accreditation.
ID fraud and security breaches are forever in the news, and a whole new group of companies are entering the market of confidential data destruction to try and capitilise on what is a major worry for all businesses. Add to this the fact that all sizes of business are trying to make cut backs where they can, and many businesses are going to consider employing cheap off site companies to effectively destroy confidential information.
Some of the most recent security breaches of data security includes the disturbing loss if information that the Ministry of Defence have admitted to. The MoD, admits that over the past 4 years they have had 658 laptops stolen, lost 89, and have had 112 USB memory sticks either taken or lost. 26 losses have happened this year alone, including 3 that contained classified information and 19 that were classed as restricted.
“These non regulated one man bands may offer a cheaper service at the outset but do you know how secure your data is? Ask your data destruction company to provide you with an on site service so you can see your waste being destroyed. Also demand a Certificate of Destruction which confirms the time and date of destruction. When you’re dealing with highly sensitive information like financial records, addresses and bank details, it’s imperative they are securely destroyed.
“I’m calling for greater recognition of accreditation in the security sector. Look out for companies who have BSIA / UKSSA / NAID certification. This ensures a high quality and reliable data destruction service that’s delivered by fully qualified businesses guaranteeing peace of mind.”
Russell Harris, head of communications and chairman of BSIA ID section, said:
“We would advise any financial and legal firms dealing with confidential data to choose a trusted information destruction supplier who will dispose of it correctly and in accordance with current laws. The BSIA is a great place to start when sourcing a reputable supplier, as all of our members meet strict criteria and adhere to high standards of quality.”
Key questions to ask a data destruction company before employing them:
- How does the company recycle the data?
- Can you see the data being destroyed in front of you?
- What proven quality and Security
- Who is handling your data?
- What checks have been carried on the operatives?
- Can the company provide client references?
www.shredding.info
August 16, 2011
Filed under: General,Small Business News — admin @ 8:05 am
An Advertising Feature
In the past five years there has been a significant rise in the number of customers making official complaints regarding their bank, building society or credit card company. Many of these complaints relate to the sale of payment protection cover. Sometimes known as PPI or loan insurance, payment protection is sold with credit cards, loans and mortgages. It is meant to protect a customer if they cannot work due to accident, sickness or involuntary unemployment by stepping in to take over their repayments. Unfortunately, PPI doesn’t always provide the level of cover you may expect, can be very expensive and has often been mis-sold.
One of the major reasons customers choose to make a payment protection insurance claim is because of the high number of exemptions attached to many payment protection policies. Exemptions are things that the insurance does not cover and usually includes pre-existing medical conditions as well as common ailments such as back pain, depression and stress. In most cases customers do not find out how many exemptions their policy has until they try to use it. One survey conducted by the Competition Commission, in 2008, found that just 15% of customers who tried to use their loan PPI policy received a payout – for credit card PPI the figure was just 11%!
If the terms, conditions and exemptions of your policy were not clearly explained this may be considered grounds for a claim for mis-selling and you may be entitled to make a PPI reclaim.
Another criticism of payment protection cover is the high cost of policies. Loan PPI usually costs between 13%-25% of the loan value. The cost is added to the loan and will incur interest meaning your debt and repayment period may be considerably increased. If your lender did not fully explain the cost of your PPI this could amount to mis-selling and you may be able to make a claim.
Although a failure to explain the terms and costs of a payment protection policy can be considered mis-selling there are many other circumstances in which a policy may be regarded as mis-sold. If you were told the policy was compulsory or that taking out the cover would improve your chances of being given credit you were given the wrong information and could make a claim. Likewise, if you felt pressured into taking out a policy or it was added without your knowledge.
One of the most significant forms of mis-selling is where policies were sold to customers who either didn’t need or couldn’t use them. If, for example, you have cover in place elsewhere or were in secure employment with full sick pay entitlement, you may not have needed the cover and it probably should not have been offered to you. In the most severe cases customers were sold policies they were ineligible to use. A common example here is customers over the age of sixty-five who usually cannot be covered and customers who were retired, unemployed or in full time education and who obviously wouldn’t need to be covered for loss of employment! If you think you were mis-sold a policy that you didn’t need or were ineligible to use, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation.
You may also be able to make a claim if you have paid unfair credit card charges in the past. A 2006 investigation by the Office of Fair Trading found that bank charges applied by some banks and credit card companies for late payments and over the limit fees were unfairly high. Some banks were found to have applied charges of up to £35 claiming they were necessary to cover costs, but the Office of Fair Trading found that a maximum charge of £12 should be applied for late payment and over the limit fees. As a result of the investigation, most lenders have lowered their charges. The investigation has also opened the door for customers who have paid unfair fees in the past to start claiming back bank charges.
If you have paid unfair credit card fees or been mis-sold payment protection cover you have the right to make a claim. More than a million unhappy customers have already registered a complaint and many have received thousands of pounds in compensation. You have the option to speak to an advisor at The PPI Claim Company to discuss whether you have a case for mis sold ppi.
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The FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) has asked the government to expand the Work Trials programme as it will be able to help create near 50,000 new jobs. Unemployment is close to two and a half million in the UK and over one and a half million of those have been out of work for over a year.
