Business Babble

Getting Publicity for Your Website

August 18th, 2008 by admin

One of the best ways to get free publicity for your website is to send press releases to your industry magazines. Usually they are always on the lookout for good tips and resources to tell their readers so with a little thought and preparation you can take advantage of this.

You should be thinking about your website as a resource for your target market and have tools on there that these people need. An easy example to understand is the mortgage broker having a mortgage calculator on their site. Although this is now an overdone tool it will still be something that people hunting for mortgages will bookmark.

You should create a free tool that is very specific at helping your target customer and then this will also appeal to the magazine journalist. Here are some more examples of free tools

? Reflexology site ? free reflexology charts available via email
? Newly Qualified Accountant Recruitment site ? salary checker tool specific to first time accountants
? Search Engine Marketing Consultant for the travel industry ? free tool that checks a user?s websites current rankings and lists them against the top competitors in the travel industry

By making your tool specific to only your target customer you make it very useful and more newsworthy.

Once you have your tool sorted out you can then write a press release about the tool. Select and target one magazine and send them the press release. Mention that you are giving them an exclusive before a certain date and follow this up with a phone call.

If you do not get into that magazine broaden your press release distribution and target more industry magazines. After this then use online press release distribution sites.

Posted in Marketing & Sales | No Comments »

Start-up survival rates

April 22nd, 2008 by admin

Posted in Business Planning | 1 Comment »

UK’s largest union campaigns for restaurant staff

April 22nd, 2008 by admin

Recent reports from Unite claim that some staff are being paid below the minimum wage and restaurant owners are using tips to bring the hourly wage up to the legal minimum. Some firms keep part of the service charge paid whilst a BBC investigation found Italian chain, Carluccio’s paid some waiters �3.75 an hour, which is well below the legal minimum.

Restaurant groups were found to hold back a proportion of staff tips, including Pizza Express - which keeps 8% - and The Real Eating Company food chain in Sussex, which retains 22%. Staff at one Tootsies restaurant in the home counties complained the company kept 60%.

The Unite union is calling for changes to legislation to crack-down on those employers who use customers tips to pay their staff the legal minimum amount.

New businesses should ensure they adhere to minimum wage regulations.

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Posted in News, HR, Legal | No Comments »

Pregancy and the workplace

April 18th, 2008 by admin

Do you agree with Sir Alan Sugar?

It’s hardly a new issue for employers but despite its significance, many managers still seem confused by pregnancy and maternity rights.

The business case for providing decent maternity leave, support and flexible working for new parents has been repeated at length supported by considerable changes to related legislation over the years. Retaining women workers means retaining talent, ensuring diversity and ultimately benefits the company. Yet is seems confusion still reins.

When it comes to making decisions on maternity leave, pay, hours and when to go back to work, mother knows best. However, what’s best for mother and baby does not necessarily suit the employer - particularly now that parental rights have crossed the gender barrier, entitling fathers to time off to.

Read the full article here

Posted in News, HR, Legal | No Comments »

Budget 2008 How will the changes affect your Business?

March 13th, 2008 by admin

Chancellor Alistair Darling delivered his first budget yesterday and began his speech by announcing that the British economy was growing at a faster rate than all other G7 countries and reinforced that ‘Britain was one of the best places in the world to do business‘.

The main announcements that affect UK business are outlined below.

Tax & National Insurance - The limits for the different classes of National Insurance Contributions (NICs) rise in line with inflation, with the lower profits limit for the Class 4 NICs paid by self-employed people up to £5,435 and the upper profits limit for Class 4 NICs rising to £40,040. A package of 20 tax simplification measures to help reduce red tape costs and simplify tax calculations was also announced and the enterprise management incentive tax relief scheme will increase from £100,000 to £120,000

VAT - From 1 April 2008, the VAT registration threshold will be increased from £64,000 to £67,000 and the deregistration threshold from £62,000 to £65,000, and from 1 June 2008, revised legislation will be introduced to extend the cooling-off period to six months.

Corporation Tax - The main rate of corporation tax (CT) is 28% for the 2008/09 financial year. However, there is a lower rate of 21% for small companies with taxable profits of less than £300,000. Legislation will be introduced in the Finance Bill 2008 to set the main rate of CT at 28% from 1 April 2009. There will also be a 2p cut in corporation tax for large companies, from 30p to 28p in the pound.

Capital Allowances - As announced in last year’s Budget, with effect from April 2008, capital allowances for general plant and machinery investment will be reduced from 25% to 20%. Also with effect from April 2008, capital allowances for longlife plant and machinery investment will be increased from 6% to 10%.

Capital Gains Tax - Originally announced in January this year, small and medium-sized businesses will be charged a rate of 10% Capital Gains Tax (CGT) for the first £1 million of gains. SFLG – There will be an extension of the Government’s Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme (SFLG) to include all businesses and an increase of £60 million in funding the scheme.

Public Sector Contracts – The Chancellor has introduced a goal for small firms to win 30% of all public sector business contracts in the next five years.

Female Entrepreneurs - there will be a £12.5m fund to help and encourage female entrepreneurs.

Cars - From 2010, new cars that emit less than 130g of CO2 emissions will pay no car tax in the first year. Those that buy the most polluting cars can expect to pay higher road tax in the first year. The increase in petrol duty will be capped at 2p this year but will be deferred until October. However, the Chancellor also announced a fuel duty increase of 0.5p per litre for ‘environmental reasons’, to take effect from 2010.

Staff – The expansion and improvement of the Train to Gain scheme was announced along with Skills Accounts to be launched by 2010 and £60 million extra funding for adult skills.

International Trade - Introduction from 2010 of an online system to help recovery of overseas VAT for UK businesses.

Posted in Tax, News, Legal | 1 Comment »

New laws on employing migrant workers

March 5th, 2008 by admin

Parts of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 came into force at the end of February and require employers to make stringent checks on foreign workers. The measures impose tough fines on employers caught breaking the law and also introduce a points-style system which takes into account the skills of migrants who want to work or study in the UK. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has said that the new fines are draconian and unfair if imposed on employers who have no idea that their employees are working illegally. The Home Office has produced guides to help employers understand the new legislation.

Posted in News, Legal |

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