The greener side of business We all know how important it is to adopt green practices, but making a business more environmentally friendly in a challenging economic market can seem daunting.

Are there too many benefits for women on maternity leave? Part 3 MEPs have backed an extension of maternity leave laws to 20 weeks, but what impact will this have on UK businesses?

Are there too many benefits for women on maternity leave? Part 2 There will always be the dilemma among employers over the best candidate. But can a change in the maternity law structure make it easier for both employer and their workforce?

The future of work is here today A recent gathering of business leaders and opinion formers hosted in London by IBM discussed topics as diverse as the impact of individual capitalism and networked business. Many interesting conclusions and points for future discussion. Here, Jacqueline Davey, Vice President of the IBM Business Partner Organisation, explores the main points of discussion, debate and disagreement.

Are there too many benefits for women on maternity leave? Maternity leave is a subject many employers can’t ignore. But when new mothers return to work part-time, should they still be entitled to the same benefits as a full-time employee?

Can you run a successful small business and raise children at the same time? The image of the working mum has evolved greatly through the decades. But if help as a working mum can be found at home, why can’t there be help at work when you’re the one in charge.

Why does everyone think they need a training course before they can do anything these days?
Training courses have their place in every business and we all have room to learn. But perhaps the day of standard training is over and better ways need to be found.

Problem solving is becoming the real work to make business grow Taking the lead in a business environment can mean often juggling your team's problems. But embracing problem solving could lead to a happier workforce.

Are ethical FairTrade™ products a fair compromise on quality?
FairTrade™ is a hot topic at the moment. Businesses and consumers have an opportunity to make it a part of everyday life but are ethical products of equivalent quality to their non-ethical counterparts?

Corporate gifts in this age of austerity For several generations, corporate gifts have played a traditional role in business culture. Here Rick Lay looks at what the gift-wrapped chocolates sent by the printer to the staff incentive scheme, we are fast approaching the season which carries expectations of recognition for loyalty throughout the year.

As Google launches Google Instant, should SMEs be investing in bricks and mortar not SEO?
As Google launches Google Instant, which displays search results immediately when starting to type a search phrase, is it becoming harder and harder for SMEs based online to appear at the top of the Google rankings?

And is this forcing some businesses to move from online to offline?

From car brands to Marks & Spencer and Oxfam, is everyone jumping on the scrappage scheme bandwagon?
The highly-successful car scrappage scheme has now ended, prompting businesses around the UK to consider how they could implement a similar scheme to drive sales. Marks & Spencer was the first company to jump on the scrappage scheme bandwagon and through a link-up with Oxfam manages to do its bit for charity at the same time.

Running a rural business: He who sows the wind, reaps a typhoon l am going to discuss a topic that owners of rural businesses up and down the country will be familiar with. Wind turbines. - If you don’t live or work near a wind farm, you probably haven’t considered their impact beyond the benefit in terms of wind power being a renewable energy source!

Dragons' Den investment breakdown So how much money has been invested within the television programme Dragons' Den? Who has invested and which Dragon has been willing to take the biggest risks. The new infographic below answers all of these questions in a graphical easy-to-see way.

If Lord Sugar can do it, why can't l?
It struck me recently that some of the most watched TV programmes at the moment all have something in common.

I am thinking of shows like The Apprentice, The X Factor, Dragons’ Den, Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, Mary Queen of Shops and The Hotel Inspector to name but a few.

They tell people the truth as they see it.

What are you great at? As the business world becomes increasingly fast paced, unrelenting and unforgiving, the solution to the myriad of problems that organisations face appears to become ever more complex.

Charlie Mullins: Can we have our billion pounds back please RBS There you go, what great news for a Friday morning! The people's bank, RBS, the one which is 84% publicly owned, has just posted a half year profit of £1.1billion - that's almost a billion quid we can cut off the deficit!

Why team building doesn’t work in a recession Hilary Briggs, London Chairman of the Academy of Chief Executives, talks about how in tough economic times lower sales trigger the need for cost reductions and why with a slimmed down workforce you can't build your team the normal way.

It’s that (recruitment) time again… “Where exactly is the ‘middle of nowhere’ please?”
With the latest figures on graduate recruitment showing that vacancies have dropped by nearly 7% in the year up to June 2010 following a fall of 8.9% in 2009, businesses might be forgiven for thinking that the lucky few to succeed in gaining employment would turn up on the first day with a strong work ethic.

Don't mourn the dream of the paperless office Is your business still chasing the dream of the paperless office? Do you and your employees have a footer on all your emails saying “do you really need to print this email?” Do you allow people at their desks to read the news online because you believe it’s better for the environment than buying a newspaper every day? Are you considering buying yourself or maybe your staff an iPad in order to save paper?