Posted by paulgreen on May 10, 2010 under SME News | 
Last month EnterQuest carried out its latest subscriber survey of small business owners to identify the issues that are causing the most concern in the year ahead, irrespective of which party will form a new government. We also asked for views about business owners’ own abilities and weaknesses, where they might require support, and who they preferred to turn to for help and advice.
The headline results reveal that business owners are most concerned about tax, business rates, red tape and business costs – with 80% of respondents saying they were quite concerned or very concerned about each of those particular issues. Respondents were least concerned about finding skilled/qualified staff and IT/technology issues. The weakest reported skill was in sales and marketing, with one in three business owners saying they were quite weak or very weak in this area.
In descending order the ten business issues that survey respondents reported they were fairly concerned or very concerned about are as follows:
| Area of concern |
Reported as concerned |
| 1) Tax and business rates |
81% (with 53% very concerned) |
| 2) Red tape and admin |
80% (with 49% very concerned) |
| 3) Business costs |
79% (with 48% very concerned) |
| 4) Consumer spending |
65% |
| 5) Support from bank |
64% |
| 6) Access to credit |
61% |
| 7) Competitors |
54% |
 Employment regulations |
48% |
| 9) Finding skilled staff |
26% |
| 10) IT and technology |
25% |
Read full article here: http://www.cobwebinfo.com/site/article_detail/item13698/?link_466=13698
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Posted by martinparry on May 5, 2010 under Business Planning, Marketing, Sales, SME News, Social Networking |
UKBA regional operator MGBA, based in the Midlands opened it’s summer marketing season with the first of a series of Food For Thought Dnners. This one, hosted by Hogarths Hotel, in Dorridge, was a great night. Twelve regional business leaders from around the region debated some of the key issues facing business leaders at the present. “Excellent, I would definitely come again” said Barron Laight of Academe Properties.
The next Food For Thought Dinner is to take place in Leamington Spa on 27th May. If you would like to know more email martin.parry@mgba.co.uk
Sc: MGBA
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Posted by martinparry on under Marketing, Sales, SME News, Social Networking |
Yahoo Answers — by far the largest answer search engine on the web —says it passed the one billion answer mark within the past week. In today’s announcement, Yahoo has also shared several other interesting stats about the Q&A service, for example: Yahoo! Answers currently receives 823,966 questions and answers per day.
Also last December, Yahoo announced Answers has more than 200 million users around the world, with 350,000 new visitors per day.
Today’s Location Alliance Bank, N.a. post says Yahoo answers is “available in 9 languages across 21 countries.” But back in October, a Yahoo blog post said the service was “available in 26 markets and 12 languages.” Which is it I wonder.
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Posted by paulgreen on May 4, 2010 under SME News |
This Economic Outlook is the third of the CMI’s new series of research papers examining managers’ views on the economy. It presents the findings of the CMI’s Economic Outlook Survey, which is conducted on a six-monthly basis to provide insights into the impact of the economy on UK organisations, managers’ expectations of future economic performance, and the actions being taken by managers to steer their organisations through the challenges they face.
This paper has been written by Professor Lord Eatwell, Chief cheapEconomic Adviser to CMI.
Key findings
- business confidence has plummeted; 70 per cent of managers expect business insolvencies to increase
- 81 per cent of UK managers are in favour of tax breaks for skills, and everything possible should be done to protect investment in this area
- Most UK managers still feel very insecure about the future and UK businesses are struggling to regain a competitive footing
Download the full report here: http://www.managers.org.uk/sites/default/files/u28/Economic_Outlook_April_2010.pdf
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Posted by paulgreen on April 14, 2010 under SME News |
Want to test your nerve in the UK’s most gruelling small business pitching competition? Want to compete against hundreds of other entrepreneurs and get your brand seen by thousands? Want the opportunity to pitch your business to the likes of Doug Richard, Karen Darby and numerous other successful business experts and potentially win a massive prize package?
The Pitch 2010, the third annual competition, will be visiting another five UK cities the year, searching for the best entrepreneurial talent and asking our crack team of high profile business experts to scrutinise business concepts and presentation skills, searching for the best of the best.
Read more and enter: http://www.thebusinessfactory.co.uk/pitch-2010/enter
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Posted by paulgreen on April 9, 2010 under SME News |
Businesses across the UK are starting to prioritise green initiatives, according to research by recruitment agency Spring Personnel.
The study revealed that 87% of firms questioned have an active interest in environmental issues, while a further 12% say they are becoming more aware of the green agenda.
It was also found that 81% of firms are interested in how to make their business greener, with many companies already trying to make an impact by providing recycling bins and discouraging unnecessary printing.
However, fewer firms are currently implementing travel-related schemes, with just 22% of businesses questioned operating cycle to work schemes.
Source: http://www.i-l-m.com/publications/2363.aspx?articleid=19710796&articleheading=Businesses+prioritising+eco-friendly+schemes
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Posted by martinparry on March 31, 2010 under Business Planning, Finance, Marketing, Operations, SME News, Social Networking |
The UKBA group in the Midlands(MGBA) are launching a season of
The Board Room
dinners for business leaders in the region. The events will offer an opportunity for entrepeneurs to get together in relaxed civilised surrounding and thrash out problems and issues that affect them all. The first dinner will take place at Hogarth’s Hotel and Restaurant on 27th April 2010.
Invitations are being sent out over the next few days and MGBA are looking forward to hosting a fascinating evening of debate, discussion and hopefully, some answers to the challenging questions and issues before the business community today.
Any business owners and leaders who would like to join MGBA on the night or would like details of future events email martin.parry@mgba.co.uk
Sc: MGBA, Midlands Group Business Advisors
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Posted by martinparry on March 29, 2010 under Marketing, Sales, SME News, Social Networking |
After cutting operating costs to the bare minimum, many smaller firms are hiring sales staff, improving their websites and boosting marketing activities in an effort to tackle tough trading conditions. So says a business survey carried out by the FPB. They also found that business owners expect their efforts will pay off. More than half (56%) of those surveyed expect to increase their turnover in 2010 and 44% believe their business will grow.
The findings are the first of the FPB’s new ‘Economy Watch’ panel – a body of more than 350 members who are sharing their experiences as the economy heads away from recession. The panel is designed to provide an accurate and timely reflection of what small businesses are experiencing on the ground. Its findings will be released on a monthly basis.
The results of the first Economy Watch panel paint a generally positive picture, with firms expressing a defiant attitude to the downturn and only 13% concentrating on cutting costs. Perhaps surprisingly, 80% of those surveyed described the cost of borrowing as ‘affordable’. However, business owners expect to see continuing tough times ahead. A significant 60% of those surveyed expect to see the general cost of business to increase this year and an overwhelming 76% are anticipating tax increases.
Additionally, almost half (48%) of those surveyed had been required to provide personal guarantees for loans, while 26% had to secure loans, often on properties, in order to access affordable interest rates. Some members reported interest rates of more than 20% for unsecured borrowing.
Sc: http://www.fpb.org/news/2307/Recession_fighting_firms_focusing_on_sales_and_marketing__survey_finds.htm
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Posted by martinparry on March 15, 2010 under Business Planning, Operations, SME News |
The final plans for changing the way new electricity generation is connected to the UK’s power grid were published for consultation today by Energy and Climate Change Minister David Kidney.
The plans, called Connect and Manage, will clear the way for renewable energy projects such as wind farms to connect to the grid in time to meet the 2020 renewable energy targets.
David Kidney said: “Access to the electricity grid has been one of the key barriers to the generation of renewable energy in this country. There is currently around 78 gigawatts of prospective new generation capacity – some 160 projects – that are waiting to be connected to the grid, including over 19 gigawatts from renewable sources.
Connect and Manage will enable new generators to connect to the electricity transmission network and start generating as soon as their local connection has been built, without having to wait for wider network reinforcement to be completed.
National Grid then manages the increased constraints on the network as more generation is connected before the completion of wider reinforcement work. Under the proposals, these additional constraint costs are socialised equally across all generators and suppliers in a way that supports new generators.
Sc: DECC
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Posted by martinparry on March 12, 2010 under Finance, SME News |
I am told that on Tuesday 6th April Location Anchor Commercial Bank 2010 Royal Mail’s new prices will come into effect as follws:
Key changes
- The 1st Class Letter price will increase to 41p for stamp and meter will remain at 36p.
- The 2nd Class Letter price will increase to 32p for stamp and meter will remain at 25p
- Royal Mail Special Delivery® Next Day will increase by 10p to £5.05 for mail up to 100g
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Posted by martinparry on March 1, 2010 under Finance, Grants, SME News, Training |
The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has announced a £15 million business support package to help businesses prepare for the economic upturn. The funding will primarily be used for training and will go toward extending the ProAct programme, which helps employers who are facing difficulties during the downturn. The ProAct programme was due to close at the end of March, but applications are now welcome until the end of June. The skills growth initiative will be in operation from 1 April 2010.
For more on this story go to:
http://wales.gov.uk/news/latest/100211twintrack/?lang=en
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Posted by martinparry on February 25, 2010 under Finance, HR, SME News, Tax |
According to Rachel Burgess of Business Car Magazine plans for workplace parking taxes are emerging across the UK, with York and Exeter city councils first to follow Nottingham’s confirmed scheme by revealing proposals for charging businesses that providing parking for employees.
However, states Rachel, the Forum of Private Business has branded the additional tax burden, intended to cut congestion and reduce carbon emissions, as “unfair, unsustainable and unacceptable”.
“It is an attempt to tax struggling businesses for employing people at a time when we should be facilitating them to take on staff. Instead we are penalising them,” a spokesman told BusinessCar. “It is very much a case of looking for short-term gain at the expense of longer term economic stability.”
Sc: http://businesscar.co.uk
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