Biz Net - Business News

Facebook offers small businesses free advertising

Alan — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:32:56 +0000

Social network site Facebook has announced that it is going to offer free advertising to small businesses all over Europe, in an effort to help companies reach a wider audience. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, told a Munich conference that over 50,000 new firms would be offered credits to the value of $100 that they could “spend” on advertising on the popular site, which has millions of members around the world.

As well as offering the free advertising space to UK firms, Sandberg revealed that Facebook has joined forces with the British Chamber of Commerce to run a series of events aimed at educating people with their own business on the importance of social media and how to build an effective Facebook page of their own.

The announcement came just as Deloitte was announcing the results of its own research into the impact that Facebook has had on UK business and society, including the creation of over 35,000 jobs and a £2 billion boost to the economy.

Speaking at the DND conference in Munich, Sandberg welcomed Deloitte’s findings, saying that it showed that Facebook could be a valuable business tool, able to support small companies that need all the help they cam get in the current economic climate.

Facebook has recently expanded its business support network, adding features such as Sponsored Stories and Facebook Places in an effort to encourage companies of all sizes to engage with their their consumers and users through the social media site. Free to use, Facebook relies on advertising to provide the bulk of its revenues.

Small companies which have already used Facebook to advertise their products or services were generally positive about the effect that social media campaigns can have on the bottom line.

Ryan O’Rorke, who founded the online business LoveOnlineDeals.com to allow users to search for the best bargains in their area, said that Facebook advertising had been more successful for them than other internet services, such as Google Adwords, as the social media site allows them to better target customers with the deals that are available in their local area.

While he was impressed with Facebook’s offer to provide $100 of advertising credit for European start-ups, he added that once firms had seen what the social media site could offer them in terms of increased revenue, it was likely that they would end up spending more money than they had budgeted for on further online ads.

However, blogger Adam Baker, who founded the journalism site Blottr.com, said that he felt Facebook advertising was very expensive compared to other online services. Adding that considering Facebook ads had a bounce rate of 70%, the number of people who leave a page as soon as they click-through to it, they were very expensive, especially when compared to other options.

With Facebook expected to sign up its one billionth user some time during the summer, there is no doubt that $100 of advertising will help small companies from across Europe reach more customers than they could have hoped to target on their own small budgets, despite any concerns about its effectiveness in the long term.

Recommendation Generation ignored by British businesses advertising time warp Independent research published today by Onva, a leading customer experience...
Small businesses now have option ton question bank load refusals Small businesses now have an option to appeal decisions that...
Small business needs to understand IT to move forward By increasing their understanding of different internet technologies small business...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Royal Bank of Scotland CEO bonus row

Alan — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:59:02 +0000

The Royal Bank of Scotland CEO has been pressured not to accept his yearly bonus that is valued at around £1m after the taxpayer owned bank confirmed that Stephen Hester would still receive a bonus. The payment is funded in shares and is 60% of what he would have received ordinarily, and could be worth even more by the time he is actually able to take it out in 2014. This bonus comes on top of the £1.2m that he gets every year in salary.

Treasury sources and the RBS defended the bonus as many people were quick to criticise the obscene amount of money. Chuka Umunna, the Shadow business secretary, stated in an interview that Hester should not be given the bonus because while he has done a good job that is what he is being paid to do and it is not an extraordinary feat.

He went on to explain that a bonus should only be given for something that is extraordinary and that most people get a base salary that is much lower without any hope of a bonus. Lord Adair Turner, the head of the financial watchdog organisation, stated that excessive bonuses that are given out to executives are not healthy for society.

Liberal Democrat foreign office minister Jeremy Browne also pointed out that even if Hester has a bonus opportunity written into his contract he is not obligated to actually take it. Browne expanded to say that it only takes him three days to get paid what a soldier earns in a year fighting in Afghanistan, and as a public servant working at a bank owed by taxpayers he needs to think more like a public servant would.

Also adding pressure is the fact that Chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio of Lloyds Banking Group announced that he would not accept his bonus this year.

Royal Bank of Scotland is heading back to the black The RBS, which was rescued by the state last year,...
Vince Cable wants to cut back the big bonus culture This week, Vince Cable is going to be announcing plans...
Bank of England holds firm with interest rates Once again the Bank of England held its rate at...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

How to build the ideal work environment in the heart of your home

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:55:24 +0000

Our tips towards sensible storage ideas and creating a healthy atmosphere for working from home

The internet has changed the way human beings think and interact. Since its early inception and commercial introduction in the 1990s, it has become a phenomenon which allows people in the most remote locations to connect.

What is more, the internet has transformed the way we work. As messages, articles, films, money and much more can be sent at the click of a button, the speed of the web has drastically shifted our perceptions of the importance of offices.

In 2012, the recent trend for off-shore, out-sourcing and work-at-home freelance employment shows little sign of decreasing. And whilst the office may be a thing of the past for new freelancers, there is still the question of creating that work feel in your house – with home office furniture and neat storage ideas available from companies such as Ryman.

The key to establishing an area in your house which is conducive to productive work is to know your boundaries. Make sure this is a space clearly delineated for work – otherwise you’ll be using it to chill out, play pool, invite all the family – and it will quickly lose its psychological association with working.

Lighting is key, in combination with your key central workstation. Try to maximize natural light as much as possible – so place your desk or table near a window or beneath a skylight if you have one. Be precise with the kind of desk you require – again, this is not just about comfort, it’s about practicality and function.

Consider the height of your desk and chair, the necessity for drawers and of what size – and whether you expect to be producing a lot of clutter on the surface, in which case easy moveable storage trays and tins will be an excellent idea.

Storage is the other essential point to consider when creating your home office. What type of storage do you need? Do you keep paper copies of your work? Do you have a lot of books and box files? Or is it all online or on hard drives? Either way, archive meticulously and remember to leave enough space for all the new material you will be producing in your ultra-efficient work environment….

Check out this useful article for more home office working tips.

The explosive rise of desk space rental Small businesses, freelancers and start-ups have really embraced the idea...
How Office Space Can Promote Communication and Interactivity Advertorial There are four major considerations that have to be...
Make Your Office Green by Recycling An Advertorial Feature If your office goes through a lot...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Vince Cable wants to cut back the big bonus culture

Alan — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:55:11 +0000

This week, Vince Cable is going to be announcing plans which are set to reduce the amount of remuneration that senior business executives get. This is expected to continue the political row over the enormous pay that some executives receive.

The announcement of these plans comes right after an announcement by Royal Bank Of Scotland that they are going to be paying their bankers bonuses totalling £2.5 billion. This roughly equates to bonus figures of £140,000 per banker. This figure includes salaries as well as benefits and the individual bonus figure is expected to be about £500 million.

Over 80 percent of RBS is owned by theUKtaxpayer after it was bailed out in 2008 for a figure of £45 billion. Investment bankers at the bank are paid less than their rivals but the large salaries are still an issue for ministers as well as the public. The Prime Minister as well as George Osborne have said that they want to see the financial services sector have some restraint when they are offering bonuses.

The Chief Executive of RBS’s Stephen Hester and he is expected to take a bonus of over £1 million. This year Mr Hester has managed asset disposals valued at nearly £5 billion and in the past has waived his large bonus.

Vince cable wants to introduce measures that will force companies to publish information about how much the Chief Executive is earning as a single figure, inclusive of bonuses and other additional pay.

This will make the figure easy to understand by people who do not know how to read financial reports. Plans also previously included the appointment of an employee of the company to sit on the company’s board however this initiative has been postponed despite an appeal from trade unions to have it implemented.

Apprenticeships are the way forward according to Vince Cable The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, made public a program that...
Virgin Media grabs back cable customers According to the latest figures, 6300 cable customers have returned...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Profit warnings issued by companies risen by 70 percent

Alan — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:52:53 +0000

The accounting company, Ernst & Young, have recently completed analysis which shows that the number of profit warnings being issued by companies has risen by 70 percent. In the third quarter the number of profit warnings was around 50 but in the final quarter nearly 90 warnings were issued.

This shows the biggest increase in this type of warnings in 10 years. Throughout the entire year there were nearly 280 profit warnings, which is around 80 more than aware in the previous financial year.

The number of listed companies issuing warnings increased nearly 15 percent, some of the most notable warnings came from Premier Foods and Mothercare. Currently, more profit warnings are being issued and have been seen since the start of the financial crisis back in 2008. Retailers are the companies issuing the most warnings and many expect this is simply because customers have less money to spend.

The head of restructuring at Ernst & Young is Alan Hudson who is stated, “There are still companies performing well in the market despite consumers cutting back their spending. Despite people having less disposable income they are spending money on items that they particularly value. The problem for many retailers is that consumers are generally cutting back on their spending which is affecting them negatively.”

It is not just retail that is being hit hard and many other sectors are releasing profit warnings. Computer services and software companies issued over 30 warnings in the last year which is the highest number since 2008.

About a fifth of the sector issued profit warnings during 2011. Mr Hudson continued, “The number of profit warnings being issued is an indicator of a change in the economy and it shows just what a hard year 2011 was for all companies, especially those involved in retail.”

Bad billing practice by energy companies may hurt SMEs An energy watchdog has warned that under-charging and supplier mistakes...
Pay not keeping up with inflation Figures have emerged that the growth of wages is way...
Companies Embracing Mobile Marketing, Survey Reveals Advertorial Feature Mobile marketing campaigns are set to be utilised...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This is the modern way to doodle

Alan — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:47:32 +0000

Signbox are the UK leaders in signs for the workplace, and they have just launched their brand new Doodleglass™, a brand new concept in dry wipe boards that have been sympathetically designed to blend perfectly into any contemporary office environment or modern meeting space.

This product has been produced using a specially toughened safety glass with radiused corners to give a clean and smooth effect. Aluminium project fixings that have been silver adonised are used to fix the board to the wall, complementing its smart appearance.

Available in a range of seven sizes (from 420mm to 970mm in width), Doodleglass™ is ideal for a variety of applications including meeting, training, function and smaller conference rooms or simply for use by individual staff to use for ‘to do’ lists or notes.

Doodleglass™ can be branded with company logos, supplied with pre-set grids or charts, and is available with either a clear, coloured or etched background to suit specific requirements.

Doodleglass™ is available now from Signbox’s online shop. For further information, or to view the full range of Signbox’s products, visit the website at www.signboxshop.co.uk.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Rockhopper Exploration Falkland Islands problems

Alan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:14:20 +0000

The company Rockhopper Exploration is involved in the discovery of oil in the region of the Falkland Islands, which is obviously a politically sensitive task. The project is worth $2 billion and the company is currently seeking a partner to work with on the exploration. According to Morgan Stanley, the investment bank, there are currently around eight companies interested in bidding on the project.

Morgan Stanley recently stated, “If interest is high enough in this project then the company would be willing to give operational control to the new partner.” The company said that they are giving access to the company’s figures to potential bidders as they require additional expertise and money in order to develop the project further.

An oil analyst forMacquarie, an investment bank, is Mark Wilson who has stated, “We expect that Rockhopper Exploration is going to want to sell a half stake in the project in return for the partner bearing all the costs of development.”

The financial consequence of joining this venture means that only well funded companies are going to be able to afford to step in. The announcement that the company was seeking a partner caused shares to rise 10 percent which leaves them at their highest point in the last half year.

Plans for the development of theFalkland Islandsfor oil production were announced by the company last year and the company said they’ve already been approached by several people looking to join in with the project.

It was initially thought that there would be a joint venture between Rockhopper and Cairne, an Edinburgh-based exploration company, but this company recently returned a large amount of money to its shareholders. This has led analysts to believe that it is going to be using its remaining cash for investment in other areas.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Unilever workers expected to strike

Alan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:08:56 +0000

Unilever workers in Norwich are expected to strike soon in protest of the changes to their pension scheme by the company. The union representing the Unilever workers is Unite, which has stated that strikes will be beginning on 18 January and will continue for 10 days. The strikes are expected to affect production of leading cleaning and food products by Unilever.

The company previously assured workers that their pension scheme would be retained but they have now gone back on their word and workers are set to protest in order for them to maintain their pensions. It is estimated that because of the changes to the pension scheme workers are going to lose between 20 and 40 percent of their savings for retirement.

Trade unions have been putting forward alternatives to Unilever in order to maintain the retirement scheme. These methods are shown to reduce the risk for Unilever and save the company money, but Unilever have stated that there is nothing the workers can do to persuade them to keep the current scheme running. Unite has recently stated that Unilever are now refusing to negotiate about the issue.

Jennie Formby, is the national officer for Unite and she has commented, “We want to reach a sensible solution with Unilever and we have asked them to come to the negotiating table. It is unfortunate that they have refused to do this and it shows that they are not interested in reaching a solution that is suitable for both the workers and the company.

This has left the workforce with no other choice but to withdraw themselves from work.

The first strike in the UK history of Unilever occurred last December and Unilever did not deal with the situation appropriately. Instead of coming to discuss the issue they spitefully cancelled the Christmas parties for its workforce.”

Companies could be hit hard by changes to agency workers law October 1st is going to bring a shock to many...
Government pension’s plans may be too much for business and workers to stand The government has recently revised proposals for pensions in the...
Workers who use their own cars are badly insured Trimble has conducted a survey that has revealed that over...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

National workplace mediation summit with boast expert speakers

Alan — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:19:45 +0000

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry have announced that they are to host the inaugural national mediation summit, which will have guest speakers from the UK government, BT and CIPD. This exclusive summit will be discussing the biggest shake up of dispute resolution for the past 20 years, and has been organised by the The TCM Group

There will be employment relations experts present to provide an overview of the new Government proposals for improving both mediation and resolution in the workplace. On the 19th of January, The TCM Group in partnership with the London Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a free ‘Breakfast Briefing Seminar’ on the Government’s response to the ‘Resolving workplace disputes’ consultation.
The Government’s response to the recent dispute resolution consultation states that mediation should become a preferred mechanism for organizations to resolve disputes without the needs to go to court :

“Our vision is for an employment dispute resolution system that promotes the use of early dispute resolution as a means of dealing with workplace problems. The consultation Resolving Workplace Disputes set out our ideas, which focused on the need to tackle problems early, before they got to the tribunal stage.”

Confirmed speakers at the national mediation summit to be held on the 19th of January 2012 include:

• Gail Davies from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills
• Mike Emmott from CIPD
• Helen Goss and Michael Farrier from Boyes Turner
• Mediation expert David Liddle from The TCM Group
• Caroline Waters, Director of People and Policy at BT

National workplace mediation summit with boast expert speakers

The Government response to the consultation is part of the Employment Law Review instigated by the Coalition. On the 30th of November the Coalition Government announced one of the most radical shake-ups of employment law in twenty years.

The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) have identified significant advantages to UK companies who use mediation. Reduced stress and increased performance were two areas identified in a recent CIPD report into mediation and dispute resolution.

David Liddle, Founder of The TCM Group and President of the Professional Mediators Association believes that this event reflects a major milestone in the development of effective dispute resolution for UK organisations. He stated today that:

“It is clear from the proposals that the Government supports mediation and will encourage companies to deploy mediation in order to resolve disputes without the need for legal remedies. I welcome this exciting development and I look forward to working with officials from the Government alongside other key partners to help foster a culture of early resolution and mediation as an alternative to costly and stressful employment tribunals.“

Event details:

• Venue: London Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Date: Thursday, 19th of January 2012
• Time: 08:30am (Registration ) – 11:30 am (End)
• Cost: Free: Coffee – Tea & Breakfast included
• How to book: To reserve a place please click here

First aid is still essential in the workplace Just how many first aiders should there actually be in...
25% of firms set to cut staff New research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development...
Aer Lingus and Ryanair dispute keeps flying Aer Lingus and Ryanair have had some ‘issues’ in the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Netflix launches in the UK

Alan — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:19:48 +0000

The battle between TV on demand and online films just got a whole lot more interesting, Netflix, the leading US player that boasts a membership of 24m has just launched its new streaming service to the UK and Ireland for £5.99 a month.

Subscribers will get access to a huge raft of content, thanks to the deal it has struck with Miramax, Momentum and MGM, as well as with TV providers in Britain such as Channel 4, ITV and the BBC. Effectively, the viewers will be able to watch practically anything from the Inbetweeners to Pirate of the Caribbean.

Netflix are banking on replicating their US success, where it has a listing on the Nasdaq and has a stock market value of almost $5bn, or £3.24bn. The UK market is unlike the US however, it is highly competitive and doesn’t enjoy first mover advantage. As a result, Netflix are offering a free month subscription to all users in the UK in an attempt to woo them into subscribing.

The CE of Netflix, Reed Hastings, flew to London for the launch, and claimed that he didn’t see LoveFilm, the established UK online player, as a serious rival. However, just like the sharp elbowed veteran of Silicon Valley that he is, Mr Hastings then went on to spend most of the time during his interview with the Independent criticising LoveFilm.

He said that many were saying that this was a LoveFilm Vs Netflix battle, but in reality LoveFilm were just a DVD by post service who then started streaming. The real battle was the one where Netflix and LoveFilm are competing against Sky Atlantic and Sky Movies. He does make a fair point when he says that Sky is the bigger competitor, but dismissing LoveFilm as just a DVD by post company is rather cheeky.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.