How to avoid an online traffic jam

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Hostway's Neil Barton on avoiding website overload in the face of high traffic volumes . . .

Recent figures from the UK Online Measurement Company (UKOM) revealed that British internet users are spending 65% more time online than they did three years ago. The average surfer now spends 22 hours and 15 minutes on the internet each month and this upward curve is likely to continue. For businesses this trend is good news as it can potentially mean more traffic visiting their websites. But how prepared are today’s websites for this increase in online traffic?

Link
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/channel/TechnologyInnovation/news/1018077/mt-expert-it-avoid-online-traffic-jam/

Be more emotionally intelligent

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Don't expect staff to buy into your strategy because of your brilliant figures and flip-charts . . .

These are uncertain times; staff in both the private and public sector are nervous about their prospects, and are looking to their managers to steer them through the difficult months ahead. So it probably won’t be enough to bombard them with PowerPoint slides explaining the financial argument behind your brilliant new strategy – you also need to find a way of enthusing them about the journey. This is where ‘emotional intelligence’ kicks in – the ability to relate to people in a way that appeals to their hearts, as well as their heads. It’s something that few great managers can live without. So we asked Richard Brown of Cognosis for his top ten tips on how to bring your strategy to life . . .

Link

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/channel/Leadership/news/1022264/mt-experts-top-ten-tips-emotionally-intelligent/

Barclays rebels against lending targets

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Targets could encourage irresponsible lending, says the bank's SME chief in a bizarre role reversal.

"Get your tin hats out, the apocalypse is on its way. We only say that because, in an unprecedented reversal of roles, a bank has managed to find a way to accuse the government of being irresponsible. Steve Cooper, the man in charge of business lending at Barclays, has dug his heels in over lending targets the Government wants Barclays to sign up to. Cooper says he’s worried the targets could encourage banks to take a reckless approach to lending. In the great battle between banks, businesses and the Government over the state of business lending, it’s the first line of reasoning from a bank that has actually made sense. We think we spy the four horsemen in the distance . . ."

Link

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/newsalerts/dailynews/news/1022164/Barclays-rebels-against-lending-targets/?DCMP=EMC-Daily%20News

Small businesses bear the brunt of slowing bank lending

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“Business lending by banks dropped £3.5bn in June - and SMEs suffered the most. Surprised?

The Bank of England said today that business lending fell by £3.5bn in June. And guess who bore the brunt of that? That’s right, small businesses – who, unlike their larger brethren, don’t really have other sources of funding to fall back on. The banks argue that there simply isn’t much demand from this end of the market – and while there may be some truth in that, the sky-high interest rates currently on offer aren’t exactly helping. The Forum of Private Business also reckons that SMEs are not getting a fair deal on property valuations when they apply for asset-backed loans. Not particularly encouraging, is it?"

Link
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/channel/Finance/news/1023278/small-businesses-bear-brunt-slowing-bank-lending/