Government launches small business recycling charter
Representatives of local councils and small businesses will today sign up to a new charter designed to improve access to recycling services for small and medium-sized business (SMBs).
According to government figures, UK SMBs produce 30 million tonnes of waste a year and achieve recycling rates of over 50 per cent. However, there have been widespread complaints from small businesses that they often struggle to access cost-effective recycling services and, as a result, are forced to throw out materials that are useful for recycling.
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At last – a funding lifeline for the SME market place
A new UK bank has launched with a pledge to loan £250m in 2012 to cash-strapped SMEs that have been denied credit by the big four high street lenders.
A survey of more than 800 SMEs by Shawbrook revealed that 89% believe banks do not use common sense when making decisions about business loan applications, while 45% feel banks are too bureaucratic when dealing with SMEs.
Shawbrook chief executive Owen Woodley, a 20-year veteran of Barclays, said the bank would aim to change that by making it easier and more straightforward for credit-worthy SMEs to borrow.
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The enterprise schemes which lost millions – don’t you think this is disgraceful?
With money and funding for business tight, the following article just goes to show how the little money that is available to small business seems to be ‘squandered’ and wasted by organisations set up to provide potential sources of funding for the SME market place:
The government has published a list of 130 schemes, including many aimed at small businesses, which lost more than £31m in EU funding through financial mismanagement.
The projects, all based in England, were backed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) but due to various financial inregularities have either misspent or misplaced the money.
One of the worst offenders was the North East Business Support Network in Tees Valley where £1.8m is unaccounted for due to “audit trail and document retention issues”.
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Lessons from a recession veteran: Cash is king and don’t you forget it!
It is possible, even desirable, to start up in tough times, but your chances of success increase if you are prepared to listen to those who’ve been there before and survived. For John Sollars, founder of Stinkyink.com, this is his second recession and he’s on his third business; the first two failed but the third is thriving. In a series of articles John highlights the lessons he has learnt. The first covers management of cash flow which is critical to keeping tabs on the health of a business.What is cash?
Cash in its purest form has a picture of the Queen’s head on it and is the lifeblood of your business. However in these days of electronic commerce you will rarely see notes or coins and most transactions will either be by cheque, payment card, or even better, electronic bank transfer, known as BACS. These all combine to provide receipts into your bank account and hopefully give you a positive cash flow. Positive cash flow means that you have more in receipts than you have to pay out to your staff (wages), suppliers (stock) and overheads (rent, rates, energy and phone costs etc.).
What is the difference between cash and profit?
But it is important not to confuse cash with profit. Profit is the difference between the total amount your business earns and all of its costs, usually assessed over a year or some other trading period, such as monthly or quarterly. You may be able to forecast a good profit for the year, yet still face times when you are strapped for cash. And if you have no cash to pay your bills, you can face bankruptcy, even if you are showing a significant profit.
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Hiring a consultant: your essential checklist
Hiring a consultant can help you grow your business – but only if you make sure you hire the right person.
Here’s how:
Consulting is one of most accessible entrepreneurial professions in the world – almost anyone can set up a business at minimal cost and use the job title “consultant” to sell their services.
Herein lies a problem for businesses buying consultancy services, and is arguably the reason some consultants have received a bad press in the past.
So how can you spot the difference between a professional consultant and an opportunist?
1. Check you need a consultant first
Before recruiting, a client should be clear whether they truly require consultancy support or whether their need is simply for “resource”. They should also double check that no one within the company is capable of undertaking the project before initiating the recruitment process.
2. Plan, plan and then replan
Every aspect of the project needs to be scoped out, with expected outcomes before the interview stage. This will ensure expectations are set and the brief is defined fully and can be communicated clearly from the start. A successful consultancy project is one that is meticulously planned and managed well.
3. Shop around
Invite quotes, tenders or formal proposals from a number of consultants to get a clear understanding of who is out there, how they would respond to the brief and what they would charge. Testing the market is key to getting the consultant at the right price.
4. Interview checklist
Make sure the consultant demonstrates a full understanding of the business issues based on the brief and can deliver to meet the deadlines. Check if they have specific experience and a track record in the industry of solving similar business problems, supported by good client references.
Author: Huw Hilditch-Roberts – director of the Institute of Consultants.
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Patents Not Worth The Paper They Are Written On
Small companies in the UK are calling for better protection for their intellectual property, saying they cannot afford to pursue breaches in the courts.
The Forum of Private Business, a UK trade association representing a range of SMEs, wants the government to make it easier and less costly for small companies to defend patent rights. In a submission to the current Hargreaves Review of intellectual property (see UK announces wide reform of intellectual property laws) the Forum says its members have complained that breaches are going unpunished because of the steep costs involved in pursuing them in court.
In addition, the Forum says innovations are often manufactured under license outside the EU – with significant transfer of knowledge abroad, but no control over how it is used.
Read more: http://bulletin.sciencebusiness.net/news/75460/Patents-not-worth-the-paper-for-small-businesses
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Barclays launches Lending Clinics to bolster small business confidence
Barclays is launching a new national series of business lending clinics designed to bolster business lending by getting small businesses to think about borrowing and give them the confidence to invest for growth.
The clinics launch as recent statistics show that only 15 per cent* of businesses applied for borrowing in the last year, reflecting a crisis of confidence among businesses. The research also reveals that while 42 per cent of businesses think they will get a business loan before they apply, 75 per cent actually succeed, indicating that many businesses don’t believe they can get finance.
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Treasury set to announce tax breaks for small businesses
The Treasury is set to announce that angel investors in small businesses will benefit from a £100 million tax break to support growing firms.
Recently, the government received the backing of Brussels to increase the rate of tax relief available from 20 per cent to 30 per cent. It is also set to double the annual investor limit to £1 million.
The ambition of the Treasury is to encourage investment in some of the UK’s smaller firms, thereby helping to stimulate wider economic prosperity.
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From Business Cards to Branson
A business to business group buying site is offering start-up and SME owners a massive discount deal providing a once in a lifetime opportunity. SME Discounts, which was set up in June, has to date offered huge discount deals on website design and business cards. This month it will offer the chance to have drinks with Sir Richard Branson!
SME Discounts provides between 40 to 90 percent discounts on business to business products and services for SMEs. By building up a network of diverse B2B product and service users via social media it then pitches to providers to offer group buy discounts to win new clients.
There is no cost for users to subscribe nor for providers to create a deal. A discount is negotiated that will allow providers to make a healthy profit if a minimum number of people sign up for the deal, from which SME Discounts agrees a commission.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/09/13/prweb8774093.DTL#ixzz1ZcPj3BxW
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