News
Small firms 'forced to pass on costs'
13/05/2008
Small manufacturing companies are being forced to pass on costs to the consumer, as demand slows and the economic climate remains unfavourable, it has been suggested.
Manufacturers are facing their "strongest cost pressures" for 20 years, according to the Confederation of British industry (CBI).
A survey carried out by the body revealed... read more
Loyalty schemes 'must be new and inspiring'
13/05/2008
Companies looking to improve sales performance should consider introducing loyalty schemes, according to Business Link.
Before establishing such programmes business owners are advised to carry out research on their customer base and collect data regarding shopping habits and store loyalty.
Business Link adviser Kerry Kyriacou commented: "It is about continuous... read more
A basic continuity plan 'is vital for business'
12/05/2008
Having a basic continuity plan in place is vital if businesses are to protect themselves against "major incidents", the Institute of Risk Management (IRM) has warned.
IRM marketing manager Ian Fraser said the failure to put emergency plans in place would make it difficult for a business to survive a major... read more
Research indicates north-south 'entrepreneurship divide'
12/05/2008
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is calling for more entrepreneurial support to be directed to people in the north of England, after a recent report suggested the existence of a north-south business divide.
Research carried out by the University of Hull, Cranford Business School and the University of St Andrews... read more
FSB warns of 'work experience threat'
12/05/2008
Work experience placements are under threat over government plans to introduce "complicated and expensive" checks on employers, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has suggested.
In a letter to Ed Balls, secretary of state for children, schools and families, the FSB said work experience placements, which benefit businesses and students, are... read more
Workers 'lose faith' in leaders
09/05/2008
Just 48 per cent of employees trust their senior managers, according to a new study by HR consultancy BlessingWhite.
It has been suggested that the "vision" of business leaders is not being effectively passed down through organisations, with middle managers also lacking trust in their superiors.
Tom Barry, BlessingWhite's European managing director,... read more
VoIP 'improves out-of-office communication'
09/05/2008
Voice-over Internal Protocol (VoIP) technology can greatly improve the ability of business owners to communicate with employees while outside of the office, it has been suggested.
According to the Internet Telephony Services Providers' Association (Itspa), business owners can use VoIP services to have voicemails forwarded to their inboxes and have calls... read more
New employee 'offender database launched'
09/05/2008
New plans have been announced to launch a national database of "workplace offenders", in order to help business owners recruit honest employees.
The scheme, which is said to be backed by the government, will be officially launched at the end of the month, Personnel Today reports.
Employers using the database will be... read more
Staff medical insurance 'can benefit employers'
08/05/2008
Employers are "seeing the benefits" of providing staff with private medical insurance packages, one organisation has suggested.
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), employers are increasingly using private medical cover as a way to "recruit and retain thee best quality staff".
Jonathan French, a spokesperson for the organisation, said companies... read more
CBI applauds employer training levels
08/05/2008
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has welcomed the news that investment in skills training has reached record levels in the UK.
According to an announcement made yesterday by the Learning and Skills Council, employers are spending a record £39 billion annually on training schemes - a £3.5 billion increase, in... read more
