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Becoming a cost-conscious organisation

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A pound of new sales generates a few pence of profit. A pound saved goes straight to the bottom line. Ray Tammam, associate at Expense Reduction Analysts (www.erauk.net) explains how to develop a cost-conscious culture.

Read more here:
http://www.enforbusiness.com/smetoolkit/becoming-cost-conscious-organisation

Women told to start own businesses if talents overlooked

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One of Australia's leading female executives has urged women to throw in their corporate jobs and start their own businesses if their talents are not being recognised. Deena Shiff, the group managing director of Telstra Business, said women already ran one-third of the nation's small and medium enterprises, and the proportion rose to half when home-based businesses were included.

Read more here:
http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/startup/women-told-to-start-own-businesses-if-talents-overlooked-20110302-1begn.html

The Negotiation Book, by Steve Gates

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As you might expect from someone selling a book on negotiation, who runs a negotiation consultancy, Steve Gates says that improving the way we handle ourselves when doing a deal is essential to success. He claims to offer a "philosophy on negotiation" that will help readers secure better deals. This requires realising you are responsible for "making decisions based on your own judgement".

Read more here:
http://www.director.co.uk/MAGAZINE/2011/3_march/books-the-negotiation-book_64_07.html

'Know your Customer' Week, Part Five (Includes video clip)

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It's time for the final episode of Know Your Customer, Grow Your business week here on MT. Today we tackle technology, which in the arena of customer insight really has made some enormous strides in the past few years.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1058348/mt-special-know-customer-week-part-five/

Britain's Top 100 Entrepreneurs 2011

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MT reveals the cream of the UK's entrepreneurial talent - those who have proven it's possible to achieve growth, against all the odds.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtenterpriseweekly/article/1055789/britains-top-100-entrepreneurs-2011/

What does the digital future hold?

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Apple has certainly injected some much needed sexiness into the world of technology, especially if the hype around the launch of the iPad 2 is anything to go by, writes Emma Barnett.

Read more here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8360842/What-does-the-digital-future-hold.html?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d709c122d8a63c0%2C0

Smartphone grip of death is real

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While many smartphone users may feel like no proof was necessary, researchers at the University of Bristol have proved that grip of death is a real problem. Brought to public attention after the launch of the iPhone 4, the grip of death is where holding a phone dramatically drops the signal strength of the wireless network.

Read more here:
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/mobile-phones/1283197/smartphone-grip-of-death-is-real

Young entrepreneur's prize-winning wallet keeps fraudsters at bay

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The long hours, sleepless nights and personal sacrifices required to get new ventures off the ground can mean that entrepreneurs fail to recognise the moment they should realise that all their efforts will not reap the reward they are looking for.  It seems to me the ability to pause, take a step back and make a dispassionate assessment of progress is a key skill.

Read more here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/yourbusiness/brightideas/7601591/Young-entrepreneurs-prize-winning-wallet-keeps-fraudsters-at-bay.html

'Know your Customer' Week, Part Three (includes video clip)

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Time for part three of our video guide on knowing your customers and growing your business. Today's lesson? Generating truly effective customer insight.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1057872/mt-special-know-customer-week-part-three/

Large companies pay less tax than small companies?

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A study suggests that although big companies pay the lion's share of corporation tax, they pay out less of their profits than small companies, relatively speaking...

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1057900/large-companies-pay-less-tax-small-companies/

Ofcom calls for changes to broadband speed advertising

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Broadband services should be advertised quoting typical speed ranges rather than only 'up-to' maximums, Ofcom has said, as it published its latest study into average UK connectivity speeds. On Wednesday, the regulator said the average UK broadband speed was 6.2Mbps, whereas the average advertised speed is 13.8Mbps. Cable and fibre speeds turned out to be closer to those advertised, when compared with copper-based connections.

Read more here:
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2011/03/02/ofcom-calls-for-changes-to-broadband-speed-advertising-40091996/

Britons caught out by booby-trapped web ads

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Tens of thousands of people could have been caught out by cyber criminals who put booby-trapped adverts on popular webpages.

The criminals racked up the victims by compromising the computers used by ad firm Unanimis to display adverts to popular websites

Read more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12608651

Tax getting more taxing as HMRC feels the squeeze

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A study suggests dealing with the taxman is getting increasingly difficult. But is it really HMRC's fault?

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1057491/tax-getting-taxing-hmrc-feels-squeeze/

MT Special: 'Know your Customer' (Includes video clip)

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Our panel of customer experts and business people debate what it really means to know your customers, and how insights into customer behaviour and into what makes your own business tick often go hand in hand.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1057510/mt-special-know-customer-week-part-two/

Are emerging markets too risky?

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A new survey has found despite their potential for growth, emerging markets are seen as risky by SMEs.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1057012/are-emerging-markets-risky/

There's No Clear Winner in Google's Search 'War'

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Google has supposedly declared war against "content farms," yet has never come out and said that. In fact, all Google says in a Thursday blog post is that it has launched "a pretty big algorithmic improvement" to how it ranks search results. Google writes that its goal is to improve rankings so that supposed "high-quality" sites will rank higher than "low-quality" content.

Read more here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20110227/tc_pcworld/theresnoclearwinneringooglessearchwar

Put yourself in the buyer's position to partner up with a major retailer

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John Timpson explains how to spot a candidate who doesn't really want a job, and offers advice for small businesses looking to work with the multiples.

Q: As a new business developing its distribution network, long-term success rests in being able to get an established retail chain on board. What advice do you have for small businesses looking to supply to retail multiples?

Read more here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/8350656/Put-yourself-in-the-buyers-position-to-partner-up-with-a-major-retailer.html?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d6bd072d237eb27%2C0

Q&A: How will the ECJ gender ruling affect my insurance?

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The European court of justice (ECJ) has ruled that "gender discrimination" is illegal when it comes to how much people pay for insurance, and the income they receive from their pensions when they retire. Here we answer questions about the ruling.

Read more here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/mar/01/ecj-gender-ruling-insurance

Forget Google – it's Apple that is turning into the evil empire

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Once upon a time, when Apple was mainly a computer manufacturer, people used to liken it to BMW. That was because it made expensive, nicely designed products for a niche market made up of affluent, design-conscious customers who also served as enthusiastic – nay fanatical – evangelists for the brand. It was seen as innovative and quirky but not part of the industry's mainstream, which was dominated by Microsoft and the companies making the PCs that ran Windows software. This view of Apple was summed up by Jack Tramiel, the boss of Commodore, when Steve Jobs first showed him the Macintosh computer. "Very nice, Steve," growled Tramiel. "I guess you'll sell it in boutiques."

Read more here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/06/john-naughton-apple-dominates-market

TalkTalk and Tiscali pay £2.5m refunds for bogus bills

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Two telecoms firms, TalkTalk and Tiscali, have repaid nearly £2.5m to customers who were billed for services that had been cancelled.

Read more here: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12595391

Advertising watchdog to monitor website words

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How companies talk about themselves on Twitter feeds or Facebook profiles is to be policed like adverts. From 1 March, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) gets powers to police the claims companies make on websites and social networks.The rules cover statements on sites that can be interpreted as marketing, even if they are not in an advert.

Read more here: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12597934

UK manufacturing growth stays at 'record' high

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The UK's manufacturing sector maintained its recent record pace of growth in February, according to the latest Markit/Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) survey.

Read more here: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12605735

Tracking the UK economy

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How the jobs market has changed in recent years

Read more here:  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10604117

Davies report calls for more women in boardroom

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Firms have been told to more than double the number of women on their boards by 2015, or face government measures. Former minister Lord Davies of Abersoch has urged FTSE 350 companies to boost the percentage of women at the board table to 25% by 2015.

Read more here: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/12560121

Put yourself in the buyer's position to partner up with a major retailer

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John Timpson explains how to spot a candidate who doesn't really want a job, and offers advice for small businesses looking to work with the multiples.

Q: As a new business developing its distribution network, long-term success rests in being able to get an established retail chain on board. What advice do you have for small businesses looking to supply to retail multiples?

Read more here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/8350656/Put-yourself-in-the-buyers-position-to-partner-up-with-a-major-retailer.html?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d6bd072d237eb27%2C0

OFT wants 'no surprises' in small print of contracts

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Consumers should expect "no unwelcome surprises" in the small print of contracts, a regulator has said. One in five people experienced a problem with contracts in the past year, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) found during an investigation into the clarity of contracts and small print. It said 70% of its consumer workload related to contracts.

Read more here: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12557996

Royal Bank of Scotland: Not yet mended

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"Having just stepped off an overnight flight, I am even less tolerant than usual of the pea soup that is presented by a mega bank such as Royal Bank of Scotland as its annual results.

To be fair to RBS, its figures - which run to 273 pages of tables and written interpretation - are only slightly more baffling than Barclays' were last week."

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2011/02/royal_bank_of_scotland_not_yet.html

LinkedIn hit as China clamps down on dissident talk

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Business networking site LinkedIn appeared to have been blocked in some parts of China, the company said. No explanation was given for the move, which LinkedIn is still investigating. However, it comes amid a renewed clampdown on internet discussion groups and micro blogging sites by authorities in Beijing.

Read more here: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12576401

Generation Gmail gives thumbs-down to work email

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A survey has found that under-25s are spurning corporate mailboxes, sending work-related emails from their personal accounts. The youth of today, eh?

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1056656/generation-gmail-gives-thumbs-down-work-email/

Twice as many women by 2015, says Davies

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Lord Davies has sensibly stopped short of calling for mandatory quotas. But if we don't get to 25% by 2015, that might change.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1056898/twice-women-2015-says-davies/

Comedy CVs: the gift that keeps on giving

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Apologies for revisiting that hoary old chestnut of CV howlers. But clearly stupidity's still thriving in the downturn.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1056092/comedy-cvs-gift-keeps-giving/

How women can help men to raise their game

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In this guest column, entrepreneur Julie Meyer argues that women must appeal to men's rational self-interest if they want to get ahead.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1056011/mt-special-women-help-men-raise-game/

MT Expert's Ten Top Tips: Building a dynamic company website

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A company's website is often the first thing a customer will see - so it's vital to make sure it's working as hard as it can.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1055866/mt-experts-ten-top-tips-building-dynamic-company-website/

Touchless payment coming to mobile phones

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Much of the discussion at Mobile World Congress has been about turning the mobile phone into a payment device. Handset manufacturers, network operators and even the boss of Google have been talking-up Near Field Communication (NFC). The technology allows nearby devices to exchange data - for example a sales transaction - and is seen as a way for mobiles to replace the plastic in people's wallets.

Read more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12478643

Offline hits back in online chart

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Established brands such as John Lewis and Argos now account for half the places in the UK's top 50 web brands, according to new statistics. It includes media brands such as the BBC, Sky and the Telegraph. But the top five remains dominated by web names, including Google, Facebook and Yahoo.

Read more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12535508

Bank of England split widens over interest rates

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Some say the Monetary Policy Committee doesn't know what it's doing. Its latest minutes won't convince them otherwise.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1056607/bank-england-split-widens-interest-rates/

SMEs still lacking confidence (in Government)

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The latest data on the public finances might have been moderately encouraging, but the Government's economic policy still doesn't seem to be filling SMEs with confidence. A survey by accounting software company Sage has found that just a third of the UK's small firms are feeling more positive about the business outlook than they were this time last year. And the consensus was that a lack of support from the Government is a big part of the problem . . .

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1056556/smes-lacking-confidence-in-government/

Ask the expert: savings and investments

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Savers' returns are still being outstripped by inflation, as banks and building societies offer low interest rates for customers. So, with the Bank rate still at a record low, how can savers make their funds work harder for them? Last week, we asked for your questions about savings and investments.

Here, Anna Sofat, an independent financial adviser at Addidi, answers a selection of those questions.

Read more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12452673

iPhone 5 rumors: Everything we know so far

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We round-up the many rumors surrounding the iPhone 5, including the possibility of an iPhone Nano, keyboard, 4-inch screen, A8 chip, NFC, 4G, GSM-CDMA chip, cloud computing, and more!

Read more here:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/iphone-5-rumors-everything-we-know-so-far/

Britain's bureaucrats trump the Indians

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As a regular visitor to India to see my son and Indian daughter-in-law, I have commended before the ingenuity of Indian officialdom, which insists that, as a journalist, I must pay nearly twice the normal rate for a visa valid for only three months rather than six, and on condition that I do not engage in journalism while in India.

Read more here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/air-passenger-duty/8335636/Britains-bureaucrats-trump-the-Indians.html?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d6134e2a54be2e7%2C0

30 ways to save tax

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• Which? tax advice to help save you money on your tax bill
• Income tax advice for employees, the self-employed and pensioners
• How to save on capital gains tax
• Tax and your children, tax and your partner and tax on your property

Read more here:
http://www.which.co.uk/money/tax/guides/30-ways-to-save-tax/

Women still face a glass ceiling

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Survey finds 73% of female managers believe barriers to advancement still exist, compared with only 38% of menMost women aspiring to senior management positions believe the glass ceiling to career progression still exists, according to a report by a leading UK management organisation.
Read more here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/21/women-glass-ceiling-still-exists-top-jobs

UK online shopping up 21pc in January

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UK shoppers spent a total of £5.1bn online in January, equivalent to £83 per person and an increase of 21pc over January 2010, according to new figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

Read more here:
http://www.businessandleadership.com/marketing/item/28508-uk-online-shopping-up-21pc/

How to stop information overload crippling your business

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Some potential solutions to a very modern problem: how senior execs can withstand the data deluge and keep a clear head...

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtenterpriseweekly/article/1055633/how-stop-information-overload-crippling-business/

Rumour: iPhone nano being developed by Apple

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Apple could be developing a budget iPhone in order to ward off competition from Google Android handsets. A prototype version of a smaller, cheaper Apple handset than the iPhone 4 is said to exist, although this is no guarantee such an iPhone will ever make it to market.

Read more here:
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/rumour-iphone-nano-being-developed-by-apple-927923

Why 'Go Between'?

Here at Venture Link, we're pretty excited about this new site that is in the final stages of development. It is a brand new way for entrepreneurs and investors to check each other out and create a match in the fastest possible way.

For a taster click here:

Matching entrepreneurs and investors intelligently
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StBpBGmbZPg

Why we need more female mentors and role models

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JoJo Maman Bebe's Laura Tenison argues that providing greater support for female entrepreneurs is a good way to reinvigorate the UK economy.

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtenterpriseweekly/article/1055115/mt-special-why-need-female-mentors-role-models/

UK firms battling with up to 60 regulations

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A new report confirms what UK business owners will already know: the amount of red tape they face is excessive, confusing and very time-consuming...

Read more here:
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/bulletin/mtdailybulletin/article/1055513/uk-firms-battling-60-regulations/

Google Squeezes Apple With Paywall Service

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Google has again faced up to technology giant Apple - this time by launching a digital subscription service just a day after its rival.

Called One Pass, the new system allows publishers of online newspapers and magazines to charge readers to access their articles and videos.

Read more here:
http://bit.ly/fpCjTM

Royal Mail to raise prices for business services

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Royal Mail has been given permission by the postal regulator, Postcomm, to increase prices on some business mail services.

Read more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12488156

Getting Your Product Onto Retail Shelves

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Business owners with a product to sell often dream of winning shelf space in the Wal-Marts and Targets of the world. But these days, with the recovery dragging, it is a challenge to get shelf space in any store. Here is how Brian Chossek, the president of Garlic Gold in Ventura, Calif., won his first account — at Gelson’s, a Southern California grocery chain that now has 18 stores.

Read more here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/business/smallbusiness/21sbiz.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Unrepentant governor

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Mervyn King defends the Bank's interest rate policy

Read more here: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/stephanieflanders/2011/02/the_unrepentant_governor.html

UK cyber crime costs £27bn a year - government report

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Cyber crime costs the UK economy £27bn a year, the government has said. The figures, published for the first time, are a mid-range estimate and the real cost could be much higher. They are made up of £21bn of costs to businesses, £2.2bn to government and £3.1bn to citizens.

Read more here: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12492309

UK business faces red tape confusion, NAO says

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Each business typically has to comply with 60 different regulations overseen by a number of official bodies, a report has said.

Many breached the rules because they did not know which regulations applied to them, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.

Read more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12493061