April 26, 2012
Filed under: Business News — admin @ 10:30 am
Clarendon Business Centres is this month celebrating some great new business with many new clients moving into their offices across the UK.
Clarendon provides businesses with first class facilities with office space to rent in Bracknell, Oxford and Bournemouth among others. They have meeting rooms for hire as well as virtual offices in Poole and can cater their offering to suit individual needs.
The Clarendon offices in Poole, Bracknell and Bromley have been in the lime light this month with each of them taking on new residents. Voyager House in Poole has taken on a new client in the form of leading security specialists, First Stop Security. First Stop Security is primarily based in Poole but is branching out to cover more locations across the Dorset area. They outgrew their previous office and found that they needed to rent a flexible office space Poole to use as a base and admin office.
Voyager house provided the ideal solution for their business by offering them the exact space they require at a fantastic rate. The company is very pleased to have moved in and was delighted with the service they received.
In Bracknell, the Berkshire Wedding Wonderland has also just moved, they can now be found in Clarendon’s Abbey House. The Berkshire Wedding Wonderland is a fairly new business who specialise in all the important accessories needed for the big day. They needed to find an office space which provided a professional appearance and allowed them to invite clients to the office.
Abbey House became the perfect location to showcase their products and gave them enough room to invite brides-to-be to view the various ranges.
Yeabu Cleaning services has also recently moved into a brand new office in Devonshire House, Bromley. The cleaning company originally had a virtual office but felt this was becoming unsuitable and they needed to expand into a small office. As Clarendon cater their offices to suit the requirements of the client, Yeabu were able to find exactly what they needed in Devonshire house and Gavin from Yeabu described the Clarendon team as “friendly and more than helpful”.
This succession of new business wins helps to solidify Clarendon’s position as one of the top office space providers in the UK. Their offering includes flexible rental terms and space, meeting room hire and virtual offices suitable for a variety of uses. For those businesses that are just starting out, it provides a great opportunity to have an office without the long term commitment. For a growing business, the different solutions available will ensure that the office space grows in line with the Business.
Clarendon currently have a number of offices coming up to rent, so if you would like to find out more about how Clarendon can help your business, contact 0845 0780370 or visit the website at www.clarendonbc.co.uk.
April 25, 2012
Filed under: Business Advice,Business News,Small Business News — Alan @ 12:36 pm
Cisco Systems have recently made the announcement that they are going to be adjusting their portfolio of products that they are offering to small businesses. This change is largely coming because the company realise that many of the small companies they work with are going to be wanting more mobile technologies, including cloud computing.
In order to meet this demand the company are focusing on setting up additional wireless access areas for companies, as well as increasing the number of switches and routers available to them.
The managing director for Cisco Systems in the U.K.’s David Critchley and he has commented, “We are looking to introduce more solutions for small business customers. We want to make sure that their organisations are as productive as possible and are utilising new technologies that are going to be of advantage to them.
This means making their businesses more accessible for use with smart phones and tablet computers. We are also focusing a large amount of effort on allowing customers to make better use of cloud computing.”
Mr Critchley continued, “The sort of cloud computing technology we can offer will allow companies to make use of real-time alerts, detailed reporting and even remote management capability. For small businesses speeding up their technology allows them to speed up their business.
We are keen to provide these opportunities for our customers and we are always working to do this on a level that is affordable for them. The basic service we are offering starts at just $250.”
April 22, 2012
Filed under: Business Finance,Business News,General — Alan @ 5:16 pm
One of the stars of the popular television show Dragons Den, Theo Paphitis, recently opened a small boutique store in Norwich. The successful businessman is somewhat idolised by many people who want to start a small business and he is often seen on the television show offering his advice and money in order to get small businesses off the ground.
His retail empire is significant and he also has a lot of interest in finance and property, as well as consumer goods. In the last few years he has been essential in the launch of many businesses from his involvement in Dragons Den and is also famous for being able to turn around failing retailers. Some of his most high-profile acquisitions of failing firms include La Senza and Rymans, both of these companies were made into successful businesses.
Theo recently commented, “We sold La Senza back in 2006 and I had managed to turn it, with my team, from a failing retail company to one that was very successful. Last year the business started to decline again and it is difficult not to want to get involved with the company one more time.
“This new shop which offers lingerie is a project that I’ve been wanting to launch for a very long time. I first got involved in the industry back in 1997 when I purchased a struggling lingerie shop and I found it was quite easy to understand how the industry worked and how to improve their business.”
The new boutique store is going to open in Norwich at the Chapelfield Shopping Centre and it is his latest retail project. This is the second store offering lingerie that the retail guru has started after the successful launch of the first shop in Manchester last year at the Trafford Centre.
April 19, 2012
Filed under: Business Finance,Business Tools,General — Alan @ 5:19 pm
The government have recently established a fund worth nearly £200 million in order to help small companies and academic institutions deal with some of the healthcare problems being faced by the country.
The money is being put towards something called the Biomedical Catalyst which was launched by David Cameron last December. The money is going to go towards helping to fund medical technologies that have been developed and help them become commercially successful.
The fund is going to be open to academics and small businesses and it is expected that it is going to have a positive impact on the economy as well as the state of healthcare in the country. Many innovative technologies are expected to be developed in the industry and the best of them are going to be encouraged and developed into commercially viable products.
The government has stated that they are committed to developing these medically beneficial products and that they understand the bright future that can be developed from the laboratory. They understand the value of investments in new developments such as drugs, and it is expected that this money is going to help bridge the gap between development science and patients who can benefit from these medical treatments.
There are three different types of grant that are going to be made available and it is going to be easy for academics, businesses, or a combination of both to apply from them. The maximum award size that can be given out to one institution is going to be £3 million and this is largely going to be targeted towards those who have begun to develop the drug, and have gone beyond the feasibility study stage.
The money is going to be particularly awarded to those companies who are dealing with specific healthcare problems seen in the country
April 11, 2012
Filed under: Business Finance,Small business,Small Business News — Alan @ 7:02 pm
With all the emphasis on the importance of small and medium-sized businesses in the UK’s economic recovery and growth, the problem of financing for those SMEs has been a subject of much controversy and indignation. SME owners complain that bank financing is too expensive and too restricted; banks are leery of lending money to start-ups and business entrepreneurs.
A relatively new source of funds is beginning to look as if it may take the place of banks, at least for some SMEs. It’s known as peer-to-peer or social lending, or P2P. It started a few years ago as a way for small investors to loan spare cash directly to another private party, usually a friend or associate. The idea was to cut out the fees and paperwork involved with banks and brokers, and make the transaction easier and more profitable for both parties.
The idea took hold in a big way, and by now even the government is getting behind it. In his last budget statement UK Chancellor George Osborne earmarked £100 million in government funds for P2P and other non-traditional lending sources, as part of his ongoing efforts to make more funds available to SMEs.
However, that’s just a drop in the bucket of what’s needed, and FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) says only a small fraction of its members are even aware of the P2P opportunities. Currently, total SME loans through peer-to-peer channels only amount to between £100m to £200m a year.
With the P2P setup, ideally a lender/individual can get a better return than by putting the money into savings, and generally in a much shorter time. The borrower gets faster, easier access to funds at less cost than with traditional lenders (banks). The first P2P company to have an established presence in the UK was Zopa, created in 2005, but at present there are five well established groups and more on the way.
April 10, 2012
Filed under: Business Advice,Business Finance,General,Small business,Small Business News — Alan @ 6:59 pm
SMEs in the UK seem to be in a beleaguered situation, what with the government counting on them to restore the economy to the fast track but with many a small business owner unable to get the funds needed to start up or grow a business. It’s a long and rocky road to success for the great majority of new, small business, but here’s something that may smooth the way, at least in one sense.
Starting in April, Jaguar will be purring at the doorsteps of SMEs with vehicles and leasing programs specially designed for the SME market (which may suddenly have a growth spurt as this program unfolds).
Jaguar’s UK sales director, David Lewis, handles retail and corporate sales, and he says the company has focused too much on private sales. He has instigated a re-training program to educate all of Jaguar’s 90 dealers in the fine points of the SME market and its requirements.
Lewis says that it’s not that businessmen don’t shop for Jaguars, it’s that the company has heretofore dealt with them on a corporate basis. He says the new approach will be more personal and appeal to the typical SME owner, who is almost by definition an entrepreneur and an individualist.
One thing SMEs may be looking for is an attractive leasing package; there is little doubt that the vehicle would clinch the deal if it’s one of Jaguar’s new line of ‘business models’. That’s what Jaguar will be presenting; two new Jaguars based on the XF 2.2 diesel – the XF SE Business model and the XF Sports model.
Mr. Lewis says the latest indication is that the higher powered Sport version is sweeping the field as far as SME owners are concerned – even though it doesn’t lead the field in CO2 emission tax breaks.
April 4, 2012
Filed under: Business Advice,Business Finance,General,Small business,Small Business News — Alan @ 11:02 am
Small businesses in the UK will get a helping hand from the acquisition of Singers Asset Finance by a relatively new lending institution, Shawbrook Bank, which completed the transaction on 22 March.
Shawbrook was created in 2011 as a specialist savings and lending bank committed to increasing the volume of loans made to small and medium businesses.
Chaired by former RBS head Sir George Matthewson, Shawbrook joins the small but hopefully growing ranks of UK banks such as Aldermore and Metro Bank, launched since the beginning of the credit crisis whose stated aim is to make it easier for ‘young’ businesses to get a solid foothold in an economy just now emerging from recession.
These new enterprises offer options that they hope will challenge the country’s lending giants, banks the government has repeatedly taken to task for their hesitancy in loaning money to SMEs. Owen Woodley, Shawbrook’s chief executive, is confident that the merger with Singer will give his company the means to increase its client base and lending capacity, and to provide more timely service than the big banks have been seen to offer.
Woodley told Reuters news agency that the deal would add £350 million to its loan book, bringing it up to around £500 million, and he expects that figure to reach £700 million by the end of 2012, with a combined client base of at least 25,000.
Shawbrook, Woodley added, will be opting out of George Osborne’s new credit easing plan meant to make it easier for SMEs to borrow money from the big banks. He feels the scheme will not be advantageous to banks like Shawbrook that raise most of their funds from retail deposits as opposed to wholesale financial markets.
Singer and Shawbrook respectively are oriented towards financial solutions for small business, and combining their resources and expertise should benefit both of them, as well as their growing clientele.
April 3, 2012
Filed under: Business Advice — Alan @ 10:59 am
Owners of small businesses in the UK are missing the boat when it comes to advanced technology that could easily make the difference between success and failure. The key word here is ‘easily’, since the main reason given for lagging in the tech department is that the software is too expensive, too hard to use and far too complicated for a large percentage of those businesses.
Research conducted online by YouGov and published last week by Workbooks.com indicates that about half of all SMEs in the UK are not using any sort of business software to help them improve performance and productivity that would mean greater profits to the business. Owners are not getting the real time data and updates concerning their individual business that is crucial to making the right management decisions at any given time.
Amongst 529 small business owners who were surveyed, only about 49% had any software solutions in place, and a quarter of those that did have any special business software used only the basic free programs that have very limited applications and features.
Managing Director of EST Marketing, James Reynolds, said that his company was like many others in thinking that taking on the latest technology was too complicated and risky, but it’s really not difficult at all. Moving from spreadsheets to the new software solutions enabled them (EST) to integrate the marketing, sales and finance departments so the time “from finding a new prospect to cash in the bank” has been significantly reduced.
According to John Cheney, CEO of Workbooks.com, it’s amazing that so many businesses are failing to take advantage of the opportunities available. He says that cloud solutions are easily managed and tailored to meet individual needs, since most small businesses don’t have a lot of cash on hand and no one wants to pay for features they won’t be using.
March 30, 2012
Filed under: Business Advice — Alan @ 12:40 pm
Nottingham is one of the largest cities in the Midlands and it is most famous for being the home of the legend Robin Hood. As well as the being a lot of historical interest in the city, Nottingham is also regarded as one of the best retail centres in the whole of the UK and it has become known as having some of the most diverse shops anywhere.
Fashion is particularly popular in the centre of the city although there are numerous shopping opportunities elsewhere. You will be their will to find everything from printers in Nottingham, to designer stores such as Hugo Boss and Vivian Westwood.
Nottingham is also a very easy city to explore because it has a relatively compact city centre. Unlike other major shopping destinations in the UK such as Manchester and London, you don’t have to take public transport to get between different shopping areas. That said, if you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the inner-city, then there are plenty of out-of-town shopping opportunities which you can also visit. If you are a resident of Nottingham, these provide an easy to get to shopping experience where you won’t have to worry about parking or traffic.
It is not just chain stores that are prevalent in Nottingham, but there are also many specialist shops and most of these are located in the Hockley area of the city. There are two main shopping areas in the centre of the city, one is called Broadmarsh and the other is the Victoria Centre. A slightly smaller, but more exclusive, shopping destination is the Bridlesmith Gate area, this hosts many of the city’s designer stores and is even where you will find the first Paul Smith boutique.
As you would expect in any major city in the country, Nottingham also has numerous services available as well as shops. Residents in the city will have plenty of choices if they need to go about all those everyday tasks, such as having a car repaired, or going to the dentist or doctors. There are also numerous solicitors in Nottingham which provide services to people from the surrounding area.
Whether you are a Nottingham resident, just visiting, or planning to move to the city, you will find a place that has a vibrant and extensive history. As well as this it has all the modern amenities you would expect in a city of its size.
Article by Alan H
March 28, 2012
Filed under: Business Advice,Employees — admin @ 3:48 pm
Successful firms have a secret “X” factor – the factor which can massively enhance sustained productivity and competitive advantage. Want to know what is? In a word: training.
OK, it’s not the only factor but it’s certainly a major one. Yet struggling firms in our tough economic climate are frequently tempted to cut training budgets as a means of keeping costs to a minimum. In many respects this is a misguided and counterproductive option as an unskilled workforce is bad for business, bad for profits and bad for customers.
For one thing, if you want to keep costs to a minimum, try warding off recruitment fees. When employees leave and posts need to be filled, recruiters trouser a tidy sum of your firm’s hard-earned money. Providing training and opportunities for professional development for staff is known to increase both their motivation and their loyalty. Instead of recruiting from outside the firm, when you’ve skilled your own people up, recruiters don’t get a look-in – you can promote to senior posts internally if your workforce has been equipped with the requisite skills.
Providing administrative staff with accountancy courses, for instance, can hugely increase the efficiency of your firm. Industry-recognised, relevant accountancy courses needn’t cost an arm and a leg: distance-learning options are highly economical financially and in terms of the time investment required to complete the course. Employees don’t have to take days off to attend campus-based training events, and the skills they acquire rival those obtained in traditional classroom-based courses. All they need is a little time (a few hours a week, even the occasional lunch break) and access to the internet.
Training your staff to remain current has other business advantages; staying on top of new policies and rules means that you achieve much better compliance – and that means fewer expensive mistakes and massively reduced risks of wince-inducing litigation. Well informed employees tend to please your customers, too.
Another plus is being able to spread the benefits. One good policy to adopt is to require staff who skill up on training to share their knowledge with others. To stay with the example of accountancy courses, arrange some informal lunchtime meetings for the employee-student to share his or her new knowledge to a group of relevant staff. Your workforce can feed themselves with new skills at the same time as they feed themselves with lunch. In other words, training doesn’t just benefit one employee – you can see to it that they benefit all relevant staff, too.
Don’t underestimate the impact of training on individual employees, either. Research consistently shows that their productivity and efficiency increases, as does their commitment to the company. People don’t enjoy stagnating, doing the same things day in, day out, with little prospect of progression. Training opens doors, improving employee career prospects – prospects which they are much more likely to pursue in the company that trained them.
A final suggestion: the more able you are to allow employees to choose the training which interests them, the more likely and palpable the loyalty and productivity spin-offs become.
In short, this isn’t just a question of train and survive; its train and thrive.
Article for icslearn.co.uk
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