Be pragmatic – paper is still the best tool for some jobs and overall “usability” is the aim of the system. Involving users will highlight some areas where 100% “paperless” just won’t work. Sometimes a piece of paper is the best way to capture or share information – accept this and look at complimentary technologies to produce documents and capture the data from paper. This isn’t failing to “go paperless”; it’s just providing a solution which is fit-for-purpose!

Select key short-term goals to win support for the initiative
Pick the “low hanging fruit”. Having a particular team or business area lauding the benefits they’ve had from document management will create interest from everyone else. Even if you want to have a “big bang” change, someone has to go first and this should be managed carefully.

Set realistic measurement parameters and make sure they are used to appraise progress against the plan.
Ideally these measures should be quantitative – which can sometimes require a creative way to define ‘softer’ benefits. There is nothing quite like a number to prove the benefit of the system. It’ll also tell you how well your project is progressing.

Get management buy-in across the organisation. This is important even in the areas that aren’t going to be paperless straight away. Sharing a vision creates energy and avoids pockets of naysayers.

Be aware that information is used for many purposes As well as allowing for efficient retrieval, think about how information is created, collected and modified (forms, updates and extra notes added to existing pages). What are the appropriate tools for each situation and what technology is already in place?

Think of who needs to see the information and where. Accessibility is vital to a successful implementation, without it you’ll just have printouts. Ensure you are making access easy for those who need it, otherwise you will have failed before you’ve begun.

The flip side to accessibility is security– make sure yours is upgraded. Paper can be lost or stolen but so can electronic data – rapidly and in vast amounts. Many board directors are nervous of this,so build in appropriate security from the start.

Think about the structure of what you’re storing. (A taxonomy, in the jargon). Consider what indexes are required to allow information to be retrieved quickly. Take care with this because once you start storing information you will be locked into a structure which can be hard to change.

Consider the different ways that information comes into the organisation (i.e paper, e-mail, electronic data) and aim to consolidate this to a single path based on purpose rather than managing by where it came from – this is the next step towards managing your processes as well as controlling your paper.

These all seem obvious things to do but we’ve seen plenty of examples where one or more has been missing – always to the detriment of the overall initiative. It is possible to reduce your paper usage in the office and improve your business processes at the same time – but only if you have a clear plan.

The post Guide on Sustainable Working Practices: The ”Less Paper” Challenge appeared first on Business Matters.

In addition, defining performance can be a minefield and it can be difficult to distinguish between mid and top- performing people. Many mid performance staff stay at that level not because they lack potential, but because those defined as the top maintain their own level by not providing information that might help others to follow in their footsteps. Line managers also contribute to the problem by creating a culture in which the top level are promoted, regardless of whether they are adding value in reality or keeping to the company’s value. Setting targets act as a incentive for everyone but striving for the unachievable is disengaging and can lead to extreme behaviours such increased risk-taking, Meanwhile, those at the top are likely to underperform, even on easy goals, if their only reward is likely to be setting harder goals.

Barney Ely, Director, Hays Human Resources, says, “Good performance is not just about getting the best results. How people behave within an organisation also plays an important role. On occasions, bad or damaging behaviour can be overlooked if the individual is high-performing. If all employees are genuinely regarded as talent, then staff will see that high performance really is something for everyone and not the preserve of the privileged few. With such a message at their heart, organisations might hope to create a performance culture that will help them survive and grow into a successful future.”

The post Developing High Performing Teams appeared first on Business Matters.

Website Construction
The important first step to setting up online is to create a website which clearly displays your goods and services. Making a decision about your domain name and hosting site can be overwhelming, but off the shelf, all-in-one e-business packages are available. These are often a very simple and cost-effective way to create your online presence.

Banking Essentials
You will need to open a Merchant Account – a bank account specifically designed to process online credit and debit card charges, and to transfer the funds before you set up online. Although these services are readily available from several banks and financial institutions, their specifics can vary so it is worth doing some research before you sign up. It is important to ensure that your provider accepts all payment methods, including multiple currencies, and offers fraud screening services so that you have peace of mind and don’t have to work with multiple suppliers.

Legal Regulations
E-business trading brings with it a few extra regulations that you must comply with, such as Distance Selling Legislation, HM Revenue & Customs, Health & Safety and the Data Protection Act 1998. These include terms and conditions that your customers can print off, displaying information such as your business name, address and contact details plus clear prices and logos for the cards that you accept. It’s crucial that you adhere to these.

Fight Fraud
The most important step is to establish a fraud policy setting out what should be done if fraud is suspected and ensure that all members of your staff are trained to act. When an order looks too good to be true, it probably is. Frequent, late night, high quantity or high value orders where a shopper orders an unusually large amount of an item without preference for the size, colour, make or model should be investigated. Identifying fraud can be done in two ways – manually and automatically. A combination of both is the ideal scenario.

Make the most of industry tools like Cardholder Authentication, Card Security Code and Address Verification Service checks. Use these along with fraud screening measures that include technology to filter card transactions, UK third-party name and address checking techniques and methods of validating cardholder data. Screen your transactions and consider applying risk scoring and alerts to flag suspect activity that merits further checks. You may be able to design your own in-house system or ask your payment service provider.

Manual checks include comparing new shopper information to data you already hold, and keeping records of previous fraud attempts. Look for patterns such as similarities between transactions and repeat use of the same shopper name, e-mail address or IP address. Test their contact details to see if they work – send an e-mail and call the telephone number. You may also ask for copies of utility bills, card statements, passport or driving licence (with any sensitive details obscured). Investigate further anything that you consider suspicious.

We also recommend that you regularly search the Internet for websites using similar names to your own. These may have been set up to impersonate your company illegally.

Offering online shopping to your customers can greatly increase your revenue, and setting up online is relatively easy. Just make sure you following legal and banking codes to set up, and that you are careful to screen transactions.

The post Guide to Setting Up eCommerce Payments appeared first on Business Matters.

Have you read any Webmaster Guidelines?
To begin, it’s vital that your link building strategy remains 100 per cent ethical at all times. Therefore, we would highly advise reading up on the webmaster guidelines provided by the major search engines, such as Bing and Google. This will ensure that there is zero chance of any manual or algorithmic penalty being placed on your website.

Whatever strategy is currently in place, it would be incredibly frustrating to lose years of work as a result of a demotion within the search engine results pages. So try and keep up-to-date and know the difference between the ethical and unethical means of link building.

Building a natural backlink profile is key to creating sustainable rankings within the search engine results pages.
This touches upon the previous tip. Search engine algorithms have advanced a lot in recent years and can detect numerous kinds of patterns and unethical activities that break the webmaster guidelines. Therefore, it’s wise to avoid the older link building techniques, such as:

• article spinning
• mass directory submissions
• buying links

Don’t fall into the trap of believing that building a set number of links per month/year is the road to success. Doing so will only leave you chasing your tail.

Instead, the aim should be to source a range of backlinks from relevant and authoritative websites. These will help build trust and act as a clear quality signal towards your website.

It is vital to create a link building strategy that focuses on long-term goals and combines a variety of activities and functions. These include building long-term relationships and being pro-active with existing and new content, whilst also leveraging social media and other means of outreach.

Don’t forget that content plays a significant role in every SEO campaign. As they say, “content is king”.
The importance of content is often underestimated and many times considered an after-thought, especially when there is a new site build planned. However, the implementation of a content strategy should always be at the heart of every SEO campaign.

Updating existing content and creating new content, including resources, on a website is a great way to keep content fresh and can also be a great way to build assets that can provide a lot of value over time, especially when you consider fresh content being a ranking factor.

Content can be used to bolster link building activities to help increase a website’s competitive edge, and its ability to attract links. For example, creating what is known as ‘evergreen content’, ranging from simple step-by-step guides to content that may have a seasonal element, can help reduce any gaps or reduce what may have previously been thin content, thus creating focus and drive that will become part of a long-term link building strategy.

Don’t forget, out-of-date web pages may drive visitors away, and reduce conversions.

We believe that link building accounts for 55 per cent of the SEO mix.

The SEO mix is split between technical elements (10%), on-page work (35%), and linkbuilding (55%). Search engine optimisation involves a complex blend of activities that will be carried out at specific points during an SEO campaign, with each playing an important role regarding search engine performance. Therefore, understanding the importance of link building is important, but ensuring the foundations are built right is the only way to improve within the search engines.

Try weeding out your very own website’s backlink profile.
If you own a website that was impacted by the Google Penguin update (that was introduced on the 24th April 2012), or have received an unnatural link warning within Google webmaster tools, it may be worthwhile getting to know your backlink profile. Intimately.

Conducting an in-depth backlink audit on any website can help identify unnatural links and prevent any future algorithmic penalties. Although it may sound difficult and time consuming, there are many structured step-by-step guides that make the process simple. Here is a blog written by myself on the specific topic of carrying out a backlink audit and identifying unnatural links, suitable for beginners.

Once you have isolated the individual links that may be causing a problem, contacting your webmaster to have the links removed will be the first step. The second step will involve a re-inclusion request (carried out through Google) and if required using the link disavow tool.

The post Simple Webmaster Guide To Building An Ethical Backlink Profile to get Google to love your site appeared first on Business Matters.

So what exactly are the benefits of using 4G and where should you start? Mike Tomlinson, Director of Small Business at EE, shares his ten top tips on how companies can use 4G to innovate and beat the competition:

Get more done out of the office
An estimated 20 per cent of UK employees (over 6.5 million people) now work while out of the office, according to cyber security organisation, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure. 4G download speeds are up to ten times faster than 3G, so small businesses can send and receive more data in less time from mobile devices.

A small photography company that took part in a recent 4G trial in Cumbria last year, for example, has slashed the time it takes to transfer an image to its clients from five hours to one and a half. This has transformed their business, vastly improving productivity and customer satisfaction.

Take advantage of the mobile cloud
The days of returning to the office to back up mobile devices are well and truly over. With 4G, small businesses can automatically back up their documents, images, settings and address book whenever and wherever they are. As a result, free cloud applications (such as Google Drive) are growing in popularity among small companies, as employees use 4G to instantly access their work while on the move 

Enhance customer experiences
Small businesses can use 4G to provide a better service to their clients. For example, architects and surveyors can download 3D CAD plans while on site and review them instantly with their clients, rather than waiting to send them over a fixed line connection back at the office.

Set up a new business location instantly
Getting to market quickly is crucial for small businesses, yet many have to wait for a fixed line connection to be installed before they can begin trading properly. 4G lets new businesses set up instantly, rather than waiting a month or more for a telephone line and internet connectivity to be installed.

Give your marketing a boost
Videos and photos really improve online visibility and can help small companies bring the human element of their business to life. 4G’s superfast upload speeds mean small businesses can instantly upload videos to Twitter, Google+, Facebook and YouTube. For street food sellers, videos profiling their cooks and of food being prepared on the stall, all help to market the business more effectively.

Reinvent and innovate
Small businesses can use 4G to introduce new ways of working. For instance, service engineers on the road can instantly connect to office systems. This improves information to customers on fault fix times, which in turn improves quality of service and customer satisfaction.

Save time waiting for downloads
Downloading image-heavy attachments can cost businesses time and money. A 20MB document takes 8.3 seconds on average to download with 3G. Downloading the same attachment using 4G can reduce this waiting time to less than a second.

Take creativity to another level
Supercharge business ideas by organising brainstorms in unusual and inspiring locations, be it a park, castle, or riverboat. With a 4G mobile wi-fi device, your team will have instant access to online research and background information. At the end of the session, they can upload ideas and supporting documents to the cloud for use back at the office.

Foster a good work-life balance
One of the benefits of remote working is it allows employees to maximise time during the office commute or avoid these journeys altogether at times of travel disruption. With 4G, they are able to connect and work at a moment’s notice. This allows workers to organise their time in a way that suits them, rather than being governed by location or time.

Follow the four steps to 4G connectivity
Finally, there are four steps to getting up and running with 4G. First, check you are in a 4G coverage area explore.ee.co.uk/coverage-checker. Second, check you have a 4G-compatible device. If you do, then choose the 4G price plan that works best for you. Finally, obtain a 4G SIM card and enjoy all the benefits a superfast connection can bring small businesses.

The post Guide To Using Technology in Business: Serving up a productivity boost with 4G appeared first on Business Matters.

If you ask the question ‘why do businesses fail?’ many people will attribute the blame to problems with cash flow. But is this the true root cause – or a difficulty that businesses experience on their way to failing? As an accountant, it’s true to say that many of the struggling businesses that I have encountered have experienced cash flow issues, but these have usually been caused by other existing factors which were problematic in their business.

Why do businesses fail?
So, to identify the reasons why businesses struggle or ultimately fail, we have to go further back and analyse things more deeply. There may be certain things which went wrong or which were never right. For example, prices were set incorrectly, key contracts were lost, costs increased, sales and marketing wasn’t strong enough or maybe there were serious staffing issues.

However, whilst these are all significant problems, they still don’t get to the crux of why businesses fail.

The real reason is the management of a business and its failure to adapt or respond to whatever problems it is experiencing. In more serious cases, they may be unaware that there is a problem in the first place – until it is too late. Your accountant should play an intrinsic role in identifying any potential issues, as well as suggesting possible solutions.

The role of your accountant
An accountant isn’t just an add-on extra who crunches the numbers – they should form a key part of a company’s management, from creating a tax efficient company structure to identifying problems and monitoring profit and loss so any potential cash flow issues can be managed proactively. Much more than a trouble shooter, they should know your business and bring a fresh eye to its needs, suggesting areas for development, possible revenue streams and advising on issues such as minimising tax liability and research and development.

A simple formula
Being a numbers person, I’m a great fan of simplicity and often apply the following equation to my clients to help them both manage and grow their businesses.

E + R = O

E is event: something that has happened and cannot be changed as it is in the past. R is the response and O is the outcome. The variable factor in this equation is R; E is fixed whilst O depends on what the response is.

If we apply this in the context of the possible business problems I mentioned earlier, we see how the response influences the outcome.

Prices weren’t right (the event). If the company’s accounting information system is good it should identify that profitability is insufficient; this may be because prices are too low to earn enough or too high and sales volumes have dropped.  If management are made aware of the problem early enough, they can implement change (response), experimenting with different pricing policies for example, to find the right balance.

The SME issue
Identifying potential problems can be difficult for SMEs who may have very small management teams, lacking suitably qualified professionals to confide in who understand their business well enough to help. Due to pressures of time and money, many business owners are guilty of ‘working in’ their business rather than ‘on it’, which is why a good accountant is so fundamental to the success of SMEs, acting as a business mentor to help focus on the key issues.

Your accountant should be proactive, ultimately adding value to your business. They may not be experts in your specific market, but they should be able to help you with benchmarking so you are operating competitively with other organisations in your sector. With experience of many different kinds of businesses, a good practice will also have insight into a whole range of problems that companies experience – and how to avoid them.

Keep talking
Communication is key: it’s not enough to go through the figures annually when it may be too late to address problems that have become entrenched over the past 12 months. I encourage clients to hold monthly or quarterly meetings to discuss the business. This could be based on the SWOT method where strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are identified. Involve your accountant and aim to come out of every meeting with two tasks – one to strengthen a weakness, and one to build on an opportunity. If you act on these, and the advice that a proactive accountant can offer, your business will go from strength to strength.

The post Guide to Business Growth: How your accountant can help your business grow appeared first on Business Matters.

Here’s how it happens…

A prospective client contacts you with “a quick question”. They start to tell you their problems; they talk and talk, and ask questions. After an hour long conversation, they go away feeling great with their problem solved but you’re left tired, drained, and probably a bit frustrated.

You didn’t get the thing done that you needed to do. You have less time to market yourself and bring in the business that you need. You also have less time for the clients who HAVE invested in themselves on your programme, and you have less time for yourself and family. What you need, is a strategy in place to filter out the time wasters.

What to do if they want you to deliver part of your paid-for service for free.

Here is a script you can use when you are asked a question that will require you to use your hard earned skills.

• Check if it’s important to them or if they are “just curious”. “This is really important to you isn’t it?”

• If they say No then stop there and politely end the conversation, or you could ask them what IS important to them.

• If they say Yes. “Great. And because this is so important the best way I can serve you is with my undivided 100% dedicated attention and energy, you deserve that. So let’s book you in for a session where we can work together to solve this properly. The investment for this is xxx and I have a slot next Tuesday at 11.00am. Shall we go ahead and make the booking?”

• If they say No. Act surprised and say “Oh, I’m sorry! I thought you said this was important to you!” Make sure you stand firm. They may say they can’t afford it or have no money, or that their cat just died or any number of reasons why they think you should give your services for free. But the truth is if they really wanted that solution they would invest in it.

What to do if they dive into their life history or any other lengthy and irrelevant story.

Say – “I’m just going to interrupt you there. My guess is you’ve told this story a lot. And it hasn’t really helped yet. So would it be ok if I asked you some questions about where you are now in relation to what you DO want so that we can find ways to help you get that?”

Because you asked permission to interrupt, they will be fine about this.

Sticking to time limits and ending the conversation.

Have a clock in your eye line. Don’t get so sucked into the conversation that you lose track of time.

When time is nearly up say: “We are nearing the end of the time I have available today. I just want to check in, have you got what you wanted?”

If they haven’t, this is where you let them know where they can get the solution to this problem and where you offer your product or programme.

With firm, clear boundaries you won’t always get the sale, but whether you do or not you’ll have stopped giving away your time and energy for free.

The post A guide to stop giving your time away for free appeared first on Business Matters.

Social Media
Rather than building a company website many start-ups rely on their internet presence through some of the myriad social media sites that are available. Some companies also use social media as an extension of their corporate websites. Facebook is very popular but it doesn’t suit everyone.

For short snappy company announcements, Twitter is invaluable. Both of these sites get picked up by the Google search engine, and also will contribute to your company’s page rankings.

Social media is a vital tool in terms of interacting with your clients, if your followers disagree with you or don’t like a new product, they’ll soon let you know; conversely if you receive a large number of Facebook ‘likes’ you know that you’re doing something right.

LinkedIn & Google
Another very useful tool that is increasingly being used by companies as well as individuals is the professional networking site, LinkedIn. This site is used as an invaluable method of connecting with potential customers, trade associations and discussion forums.

The newly introduced Google ‘Think Insights’ looks as if it is going to become hugely popular; it offers research and analysis as well as statistics so that a business can monitor the effectiveness of its brand message.

Imagery 
The old expression that ‘an image is worth a thousand words’ is as important today as it was when first coined. The very latest digital techniques mean that any photograph can be enhanced, manipulated and altered in order to make your company and products stand out from the crowd. ‘Guerrilla Marketing’ is the phrase that is used to identify quirky and edgy imagery that usually carries a memorable strap line.

These pictures will remain in any passer by’s brain for sometime, often thanks to the sheer novelty factor as well as the humour. This type of marketing campaign is most frequently displayed in bus shelters, on the sides of cars or even on the back of a bus. In an ever-competitive market place this strategy will definitely make your company more memorable.

The post Four Quick Ways to Modernise Your Marketing appeared first on Business Matters.

As a result of this change in the workplace the information commissioner has published guidance for employers to help them reduce the risk of breaching the provisions of the Data Protection Act.

The information commissioner has highlighted concerns about the risk to personal data when using personal electronic devices for work purposes especially if there is no formal written policy or guidance in place at work to control the access to information.

One of the risks which the information commissioner has identified is that the user of a personal device “owns, maintains and supports the device and this means that the data controller has significantly less control over the device that it would have over a traditional corporately owned and provided device”.

The guidance by the information commissioner recommends a “Bring Your Own Device Policy” and suggests that the policy should cover the following points:

• Who will be responsible for monitoring the policy?
• What type of personal data can be processed on the personal device and if it is stored on the device how can this be safely deleted when not in use
• Strong passwords to secure devices
• Automatic locks on devices to prevent unauthorised access of information, ensure the user knows when to delete information and maintaining a separation between personal data and data used for the purposes of work
• Which documents are allowed to be accessed through a personal device?
• How controls can be put in place if the device is lost of stolen
• Who pays for the cost of maintaining the device if it is being used for work purposes?
• What happens on termination of employment?

Recent surveys have revealed that over 40 per cent of employees are using their own devices for work without any guidance in place by their employers to ensure that they comply with the Data Protection Act. This guidance is therefore particularly helpful.

If businesses are unable to provide their employees with their own electronic devices then they should consider implementing a Bring Your Own Device Policy.

The post Guide to creating your own Bring Your Own Device to Work policy appeared first on Business Matters.

1.  Don’t stuff page titles with multiple keywords

One of the most important things to consider is the ‘title’ you give your web pages. The page title is not only visible across the top of your browser window but is also displayed on the search engine results pages. It is often this title that will encourage the person searching to click through.

Don’t be tempted to ‘stuff’ page titles with multiple keywords. Instead, keep each page title focused around a single search term, and stick to the 70 character limit to prevent it being shortened (truncated) on the search engine results page.

This ensures the search results are synchronised and relevant to the content of the page – making for a better user experience for the person searching.

2.  Don’t underestimate the importance of the main heading

The main heading (H1) on each page of your website, which can often be edited via the Content Management System, is a strong signifier of the relevance of web content to search engines. By tagging key phrases on your site as H1 you are signalling to the search engines what the page is about.

Many website owners are guilty of tagging their logo as the H1, or of including multiple H1 tags on a single page. This just serves to nullify what should be a highly effective way of informing search engines about the context of your page.

3.  Target one key phrase per page to rank well for a variety of terms

Don’t blur the focus of a page with mixed messages or more than one key phrase – the end result will be confusion on the part of the search engine, and the loss of potential ranking performance.

Of course, using secondary or synonymous terms on the same page to reinforce the message of the content is great, and can enhance the page’s ability to rank for your selected key phrase.

Don’t stray off topic, keep the content tight, and have a clear focus for each page.

4. Be more creative in your internal linking strategy
Internal linking is an important part of any SEO strategy, not only aiding a user on their journey, but also reinforcing the purpose of specific web pages.

Don’t use standard phrases like ‘read more’ or ‘click here’ as the linking text when a more creative alternative, appropriate to your website, could be used. To do so would be a missed opportunity – as you could be providing the search engines with additional context about the page being linked to.

For example, if you want to link through to a video about apple pies, the anchor text should be ‘apple pie videos’, rather than ‘click here’.

5. Include a strong call to action in the meta description
Meta descriptions are displayed beneath each listing on the search engine results. Although they have little direct value in determining ranking, the importance of the meta description must not be underestimated.

They give the user a clear understanding of what each page contains. Ensuring there are clear ‘calls to action’ in the meta description can make a listing stand out on the results page.

Consequently, this can increase click-through rates. Just remember to remain within the 160 character limit to prevent any information or calls to action being shortened.

The post The inside guide to Search Engine Marketing appeared first on Business Matters.

Obviously, if you are struggling to meet weekly or monthly repayments, you would probably be unable to make a single, much larger payment. At this point, the situation has already become unmanageable in the framework of the original credit agreement. Charges for late payment will also be added to the debt, for as long as the problem continues without intervention.

Negotiating a revised payment schedule with the creditor at the earliest opportunity is always the most effective way to avoid the bailiffs. By tackling the issue early, you could give yourself a fighting chance of clearing debts without incurring too many financial and credit-related penalties. By ignoring the problem, you could move a step closer to encountering the bailiffs.

After several weeks or months of requesting the borrower to clear his debt, a creditor is likely to hire a debt collection company to take over the account. Some debt collectors work directly for creditors, while others buy bad debts from creditors via a legal process, known as novation. Debt collectors tend to be more aggressive in their demands for payment, than high-street lenders, such as banks and retailers.

What happens if your debts have been passed to a debt collection agency?
A debt collection firm will typically send a letter to you to notify you of your duty to clear your debts. The letter might state that you have one or two weeks in which to clear the debt in full, otherwise solicitors will be instructed to initiate legal proceedings in the small claims court (depending, of course, on the size of the debt).

At this point, a debt collection company could write to you to tell you that they plan on using bailiffs to recover the debt or you could look to enter wither a Company Voluntary Arrangement or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement in order to solve the problem.

Reasons to avoid bailiffs
Unless appointed by a court to recover tax arrears, criminal fines or VAT, bailiffs cannot force their way into properties. They can, however, gain peaceful entry via a door that has been left unlocked or a window that has been left open. Once peaceful entry to a property has been made, bailiffs can return at a later date using force (on the property) to remove seized goods, which are then sold at auction.

How to avoid bailiffs and clear your debts
If you’re struggling to repay your debts, don’t panic! Although it can feel like a scary situation, it’s important to remember that there is help available that could enable you to get back on track – even if your debts have been passed on to a debt collection company.

No situation is hopeless, so try not to let things get to a stage where you’re constantly worrying about a bailiff turning up at your door.
Creditors must treat your fairly and they may be able to help you set up a new repayment structure. If not, then you can rely on the help of a professional debt management company to help you overcome your money troubles.

The post Tips on avoiding seeing bailiffs appeared first on Business Matters.

Anne Sharp, Acas Chief Executive, said: “These new free online guides are simple to use and help employers understand the basics of how to hire, manage and get the best from their staff.

“Some employers want to grow their business but are worried about getting employment law right or find it too time consuming as they just want to run their business.

“The step by step guides build on our knowledge as workplace experts to make it as easy as possible for small business owners to quickly pick up a guide that best suits their circumstances and get it right first time.

“A better understanding of the law can make the difference between managing staff well and potentially facing a costly and stressful employment tribunal when things aren’t handled correctly.”

The six step by step guides cover:

• Recruiting an employee
• Settling in a new employee
• The new employee’s contract
• Managing a complaint at work
• Managing staff absence
• How to get the best out of your staff

Acas has also announced the launch of a new online guide on managing discipline. The free guides include a legal checklist, useful tools and templates that can be downloaded from their website deal with the myths about common workplace scenarios which bring common problems to life.

Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson said: “We know that small businesses can find taking on staff a daunting prospect because of a lack of understanding of employment law. It is important to help employers better understand their responsibilities.

“This is why promoting the benefits of good communication, better management, and early dispute resolution is important as it can lead to the best outcomes for everyone and cut out the need for costly and stressful employment tribunals.

“The new Acas guides will provide small business with an invaluable free resource and give them greater confidence to grow their business which will in turn support a stronger economy.”

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has today also launched an online toolkit to help startups through the process of hiring their first member of staff. The “Taking on a employee” toolkit can be found at https://www.gov.uk/employing-staff

The post Acas launches six steps to success for small business appeared first on Business Matters.

For Babies
Cavallino Bianco day-care has baby experts on-hand daily to provide and care for babies aging from 1 month to 2 ½ years-old. The day care has a nap room, ball pit, and soft-play area so baby is certain to enjoy his vacation as much as his parents. Some of the in room baby amenities, on request as needed, include bottle warmer, baby bath with thermometer, high chair, bibs, baby food, changing station or potty chair.

For Children
So many exciting adventures await children of all ages at Cavallino Bianco. Professional multilingual attendants are on staff to provide help for children ages 2-5 years. Other professionally trained child and baby care staff are available for children ages 1 month to 15 years-old.

Indoors children will enjoy the massive play area, children’s theatre, baby and child swimming pool, fairy-tale area, giant Lego building, labyrinth-fun park, miniature sports arena, and much more. Outdoors kids can play on the large, safe playground, enjoy the petting zoo, children’s car racing area, a garden for babies to crawl through, and other fun activities.

For Parents
Adults receive the royal treatment at the Aqua-Sana wellness centre. Parents can relax with several types of massage, five types of saunas, tepidarium, solarium, beauty salon, shiatsu, whirlpool, sole bath, and more. Some of the Aqva-Sana spa amenities are not included in the room price.

There is a fitness centre for adults and children, as well as use of free guest kitchen and laundry facilities.
If parents plan a special night out, evening sitters can be acquired for an extra fee.

Dining
The on-site children’s restaurant provides free drinks and ice cream to kids all day, as well as supervised lunch and dinner meals. The hotel restaurant offers breakfast and lunch served as a large buffet, dinner is a five-course meal. During the summer, barbecue may be offered outdoors.

Other Activities
The Cavallino Bianco offers walking, hiking and biking excursions. Skiing is free, skiing guides are available to help all levels, beginner to expert, enjoy a variety of slopes. Once a week the hotel organises a horse coach ride through Ortisei. There are other organized activities for all age groups, depending on the time of year. The Cavallino Bianco Family Spa Hotel certainly has a great variety of recreational and relaxation activities for, quite literally, the entire family.

The hotel is in the Alpine region of Italy, near the border of Switzerland. South Tyrol, also called Alto Adige, is a beautiful blend of mountains, rolling hills, medieval castles, forests, orchards and vineyards. The entire area is akin to a magical wonderland, with rich history, fine dining, and many more things to please any traveller.

The post Reviewed: Child friendly hotels in South Tyrol appeared first on Business Matters.

This book zooms straight in on that moment of truth providing a set of proven tools and techniques for getting to ‘yes,’ every time. The author  instils readers with the confidence to ask bigger, more often and even ask for the impossible – and to get it.

Based on sound psychological principles, Straight To Yes! offers tonnes of winning ways to make requests that get you to ‘yes’ Wholly practical in style and content, the book features accessible, straightforward techniques readers can put into actio

Haider does have a nice, friendly writing style, but there are little hints to go to his website and ‘sign-up’ for things that aren’t in the book….and my ‘marketing alert’ hat went on, and I declined.

I suppose marketing and selling hasn’t changed that much over the years. I’ve had plenty of selling training and Haider covers all the possible permutations of getting someone to say ‘Yes’.

To his credit he includes passages urging the reader to only use the techniques for legal/honest benefit, which I was glad to read.

But do we really need to ‘get’ people to say yes quicker? Which is the premise to the book…. Do we really need to constantly do things quicker and with more speed?….maybe I shouldn’t expect the answers to philosophical questions from a book written to help sales-people and ‘persuaders’ to get quicker results.

If you work in sales – or should be selling more – you’ll enjoy what Haider has to offer.

The post Reviewed: Straight To Yes! appeared first on Business Matters.

Most startup/entrepreneur books mirror say if you want to succeed, be prepared to sacrifice anything and everything, and it will all be worth it in the end. You’ll be the next Facebook/Twitter/Google/Yammer … you get the idea.

However Startup Life, by Amy Batchelor and Brad Feld, is a reassuring read for entrepreneurs. Its story is essential as books on marketing, or funding, product dev or community building.

The theme of Startup Life? Balance is worth striving for. You can have a life and still be successful. Feld and Batchelor thoughtfully tackle the issues that nearly every businessperson faces — no matter whether Internet or bricks-and-mortar. These are the universal challenges: Money (lack of it, or suddenly an abundance of it — which has its own issues).

Time. Priorities. Sleep. Friends. Fights/Relationships. Divorce. Marriage. Illness. Family — children, siblings and parents. More than just the next UI rev, these are the things that can keep entrepreneurs up at night, and potentially tear them apart.

Batchelor and Feld start off by explaining how their own relationship nearly failed. They go on to share practical tips that helped them have a healthier foundation as a couple, from which to build successful individual lives as well.

The pair also interview other entrepreneurs to include their differing stories and perspectives (Mindful that they don’t have children of their own, they share the lessons and insights from friends with kids who had to balance time with family vs. the often urgent needs of a growing business — which was helpful).

In short, Batchelor and Feld pay some overdue attention to the people behind the business (and those who love or must cope with them).

The post Reviewed: Startup Life appeared first on Business Matters.

What’s the 2012 Infiniti M35h like to drive?
The V6 petrol engine in the M is powerful and it makes the car rapid. This is true whether you’re nipping away from the lights under electric power or using the engine at higher speeds. The switch between battery and electric power is very smooth, too.

However the brakes are a little keen for town driving (queuing).

What’s the Infiniti M35h like inside?
The M35h has a classy interior built from a selection of high-quality materials that look and feel great. The model we had featured lots of pale dark wood which dated it slightly, however there are black inset options available.

The biggest downside is the vast amount of space the battery robs from the boot; the standard diesel and petrol models’ 450-litre space falls to just 350-litres, which is a long way short of the class best.

There’s room for four adults inside, but this is definitely a 2+2 as there is a large transmission tunnel eating into rear foot space.

Should I buy one?
We were very impressed and overall this car was better than the diesel Mercedes E Class it displaced for this week long trial. Given the CO2 output of sub 160g/km, the fact that for London users there are Congestion Charge advantages over rivals like the BMW 5 series, and the very personal service you get from owning an Infiniti over its, mainly German, rivals we would seriously suggest taking a look.

The post Motoring Review: Infiniti M35h appeared first on Business Matters.

Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks described the book as a ’Part rant, part outpouring of useful knowledge gleaned from 20 very successful years in business. There is a great deal here that is good’.

A must-read for inspiring entrepreneurs, probably the best book available on the subject’

In Start It Up, Johnson sets out to inspire – and guide – every budding entrepreneur. He tackles the issues that really matter: finding the right idea, sourcing funds, and getting the best from the people you meet on the way – chiefly yourself.

‘For the budding entrepreneur, this clear, thoughtful and passionate how-to guide will be an excellent first investment

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It’s a story that can be enjoyed by anyone and by definition is a very light read and delivers eight simple lessons to guide innovation initiatives to success. It prepares business leaders to avoid some of innovation’s most toxic myths, teaches how to build the right kind of team, and shows how to learn quickly from experience.

£8.96

The post Reviewed: How Stella Saved the Farm appeared first on Business Matters.

I have been doing this myself and allowing my employees to do the same for a few years now and I believe business owners’ objections are out of date and misguided. You don’t need to see all of your staff everyday, you just need to know that they are working everyday!

The Capital Business Media office is in London’s Canary Wharf and prior to last years Olympic and Paralympic Games I received numerous warning from about 18months out about how bad the traffic flow through the area was going to be and how staff should avoid the peak hours. A problem when you have a staff of twenty five in a deadline based business!

We all know that todays technology allows employees to be productive from almost anywhere. One member of the editorial team says that some of his best writing is done at the local Starbucks or while sitting at home of an evening un-pestered by the phone, colleagues, or the ping of incoming emails. I myself far prefer to look at detailed spreadsheets of an evening for similar reasons.

We are not alone. Companies large and small have implemented flexible work schedules, including full home-working and offering this option can definitely lead to a happier and more productive workforce.

The direct costs to an employer in offering this facility is also far less than you would expect, and when factoring in physical office costs + a possible boost in productivity it will probably add and not detract from your bottom line.

But that’s not to say a work-from-home policy is something to enter into lightly. It must be implemented correctly to get the greatest benefit.

It is also not just established companies who should be re-thinking their processes as why if you are just starting out do you need to have an office cost on your overhead?

Entrepreneurs and small business owners are a bunch of rule breakers, part of the whole benefit to being a small company is that you can react to things at a James Bond Sunseeker’esq pace compared to the Oil Tanker manoeuvre pace of larger rivals.  Most SME owners are therefore opposed to having too many rules and policies, preferring to keep the company structure loose and flexible, I know I am.

But for issues like home-working, I have learned it’s important to set the ground rules for your employees. Many workers actually perform better with a clear structure.

The guidelines need to include direction on when and how you will allow home/flexible working. A prime example is the recent disruption following the snow fall. If a staff member is going to battle their way in arriving at 10.15 and wanting to leave at 4.15, why make them do that?

Also is this something that employees have to earn? Do they need to reach a certain job title or have been with the company a specific length of time?

Is there a limit or a framework–a certain number of days per month or per week? How do work from home days link to school holiday periods or holidays? Employees always want to “work from home” the days before or after a holiday: Are you ok with that?

Can a home working policy be universal or are there specific roles in your organisation which are not possible or suitable?

Use home working to your advantage.
Provide a clear distinction between what is a work from home day and what is a ‘holiday/annual leave’ day. For example, I encourage employees to work from home if they have a doctor’s or dentist appointment. In my experience, coming in and out of the office around the appointment is disruptive and unproductive. Keeping the day flexible allows the employee to get their tasks accomplished on their own schedule.

On the other hand, if an employee needs to stay home with a sick child, that may not qualify as a home working day, since their focus is not likely to be on their job.

You might also think about using home-working as part of a salary review process. I am quite happy for London Underground to give my staff a £1,500.00 bonus as they no longer have to buy an annual season ticket to get to work, it means we don’t have to!

Trust & control measures are key
In all of my conversation on this subject, their biggest objection to home working was reduced productivity. But in the same breath most admitted they spend a lot of time on work outside the office, often accomplishing a great deal. In most case their barrier was pretty basic: a lack of trust in their employees.

A year out from the Olympic Games we closed the entire office for a whole week as a dry run to what we would plan to do during the games themselves and productivity went up by just over 20 per cent. There was also more creativity and new ideas coming in, and whilst staff didn’t know it at the time we were able to see what time what time their turned their office phone on and logged into the server and, on average, it was the time that they would leave the house to begin their commute, so there was an average of two hours extra per day being worked.

Yes, we repeated the exercise during the games themselves and whilst there was a general reduction of business activity across many parts and sectors of the UK during the games and we definitely benefited from this decision.

We have invested very heavily in cloud based applications to enable this to work seamlessly, our cloud based phone system means that regardless of where the staff member is sitting – Canary Wharf, deepest Essex or in my case recently Washington – as long as it is plugged into a Broadband line it will ring and react identically. Other staff members can see when it is on, when it is engaged, can transfer calls as though they were sitting feet away, and the office-wide voicemail system tuns identically and is backed up in the cloud.

All stall now have laptops and we have moved to Google Business Apps for email and traditional data storage, which each member of staff having 100GB of space.

Our contact database runs on the SalesForce platform as does some bespoke applications that we have had developed for Trends Research surveys and email newsletter management for our magazines and marketing solutions.

We would have lost a great team member recently if we had not taken this route, as the financial controller for Trends Research, who after giving birth to her first child, felt unable to return to work which involved a one and a half hour commute both ways.

That wasn’t a problem as that company runs it’s accounts on KashFlow and when linked to our booking system and by either emailing or using viapost to mail invoices and statements it doesn’t matter where she is! Plus as a cloud based system, if I want to pull up a report I don’t have to go to her desk and ask her to do it and hang around the printer for it to pop out, I log in and do it myself in seconds. The only thing she can’t do is bank cheques, but we have a process for that.

If you’re concerned about productivity or accountability, have clear ground rules that apply to employees working from home. For example, presence in meetings is still expected. If you have or want to introduce conference or video calling this is easily done and very cost effectively.

Phone calls, voicemails and emails need the same level of responsiveness as one would expect from those working in the office. Across the Capital Business Media group of companies, we use instant messenger linked to both our phone system and SalesForce Chatter to communicate, and it is a requirement that a work from home employee be signed into the system so they are accessible.

Simply put: This is a day away from the office, not a day to ignore the office. Employees are expected to participate even if not present.

So how do you quantify if home or flexible working is for your business? With many roles this is easy to quantify. It might be the number of calls a customer service representative handles in the office vs. when working from home.

Our Trends Research staff do a lot of report writing for our customers and there was a marked improvement in the report progress completed at home versus in office. In fact so much so, that our analysts roles are now home based and they only come into the office for meetings. The same is in fact true of some of the digital team working on Business Matters including this very website.

For other jobs, it may be a judgement call to determine if productivity remains at least consistent or improves. I did find that a productive and effective sales team need to thrive off each other and the sales target looming large on the whiteboard above their heads, and our creative studio, with their 30″ monitors, scanners and photo libraries also need to remain office based.

Allowing employees the flexibility to work from home at least one day a week, and more with others, also helps solve the problem you have when growing a company as bums on seats, the desks, all of the hidden never calculated costs that goes into taking on additional staff is either reduced or removed.

Home working also reduces your company’s carbon footprint, which is an essential requirement when you are tendering for local or central government projects or work from large organisations.

Home and flexible working also increases employees’ quality of life, and since we have been operating this system our staff retention rate has increased to over 90 per cent.

Know when it’s not working.
Managers need to be flexible and adjust their management style. A micro-manager may not embrace the idea of not seeing people at their desks and may need some coaching on how to loosen the reins and trust their employees to get the job done.

I used to be a terrible micro-manager and obsessive about detail, but by choosing systems and procedures carefully you can actually get more detailed data and at an instant. Just moving from an Act database and external mailing system to an integrated SalesForce application saw our capital expenditure cost repaid in three months. That was 18 months ago…

If some of the roles are non-client facing, but deadline driven the results are in deadlines still being maintained and the work produced at the same consistent standard. Working with the founder of a fashion company I have invested in, we changed the company ethos and he now spends at least two days out of the office working either from home or at one of two members clubs the company joined and sales have risen as he is seeing, and being seen by more clients whilst also being able to gain energy and inspiration from his surroundings and not the same four walls of his office and the staff on the payroll.

What I try to impress on entrepreneurs and fellow business owners is that home and flexible, when handled effectively, can, and will, give your company a competitive advantage. In addition to boosting productivity, it can also be an important recruiting and retention tool to differentiate your company from your competition.

The post Increase your company productivity: Tell staff to stay at home appeared first on Business Matters.

Sharkonomics
No, it doesn’t refer to Shark Tank, the US version of Dragons Den but to the book, Sharkonomics: How to Attack the Market Leaders, which talks about how brand leaders are hunted and devoured by competitors wanting to steal market share. The key to Sharkonomics is to learn from others mistakes and start planning long before your competitors strike. But the most profound piece of advice is move or die; businesses that don’t innovate, evolve and remain relevant are overtaken.

Participatory marketing
Customers want to interact with the brands in rewarding and interesting new ways and the most successful marketing campaigns recognise the need to market with people, instead of at them – which defines the overarching principle of participatory marketing. The focus has thus shifted to generating high quality content with a brand personality and story that can be communicated with customers through multiple touch points, so that they want to interact with it.

The F-Factor
Don’t worry, you haven’t missed the launch of another terrible reality TV show, on the contrary, the F-Factor refers to the increasing importance of second-level contacts or so-called friends, fans and followers, which have been powered by the growth of social media. Brands marketing at customers are increasingly interested in not only their initial target customer but also that customer’s circle of influence.

Gamification
Despite the name, gamification doesn’t typically apply to computer games but rather how the competitive element of gaming is being introduced to real life products and processes as a way to encourage engagement. Often Gamification works by making a real world task more engaging by allowing users to collect points or badges to reward completion – just like in a computer game.

SoLoMo
SoLoMo is the fusion of social, local and mobile and represents the growing marketing trend of targeting content or promotions at consumers based on their current location, via their mobile. This type of marketing is designed to be shared by the consumer with their F-Factor networks via social media. The importance for brands is that smartphones and the continuing growth of mobile and 4G means that having a local presence can enable marketers to maximize on location patterns.

Likeconomics
If developing a brand ever feels like taking part in a popularity contest, then Facebook’s ‘Like’ button is partly to blame. Likenomics is a spinoff of attraction marketing, the idea that consumers start to like brands which their peers like. Therefore being ‘liked’ (Facebook) ‘followed’ (twitter), ‘plussed’ (Google+) or ‘pinned’ (Pinterest) on a social media platform impacts the economics of a brand.

Plusification
Plusification originates from the ‘plus’ in the Google+ social network platform, which is a form of Facebook ‘Liking’. However, when integrated with Google’s other platforms such as search engine searches or YouTube views it means that Google can now reshape the content you view based upon what you and your closest contacts have publicly ‘plussed’ – giving it even more reach and potential power, if it takes off.

Tradigital
In some sectors of the industry, digital marketing has developed separately to traditional marketing principles and Tradigital is the realisation that to design and launch successful holistic campaigns you need to be applying the traditional principles of branding and marketing to the digital space in order to maximise your campaign effectiveness.

In-sourcing
In-sourcing is increasingly being used to describe the flexible approach to staffing where a third party outsourcer is brought in to work within a business as one of the team. As businesses seek to remain leaner and more dynamic, many have turned to in-sourcing business solutions – employing individuals, and sometimes whole teams – either for a set term, or part time in an on-demand and flexible way. This is what The Nurture Network model is based on; with most new business not having the resources for full time heavy-weight marketers, you can get one just when you need it.

Big Data
Recent social media IPO’s are testimony to the financial power of the data that online platforms collect about users. Big data has evolved from two parallel but interrelated concepts; namely that companies today store such vast quantities of data that they have had to start innovating about how to collect, store, organize, analyze, share and most importantly, utilize it in such a way as to create a competitive advantage.

Have you heard any undecipherable or entertaining buzz words lately? Add a comment below with any new ones and we’ll shed some light.

Christina Richardson is a business marketing specialist and Founder of The Nurture Network, the on-demand marketing department for ambitious SMEs. With a proven track record in leading high profile marketing campaigns for entrepreneurial brands, The Nurture Network are a partner of GrowthAccelerator, working with business leaders who are passionate about growing their business. GrowthAccelerator matches businesses with experts to define a tailored growth plan to accelerate and realise their growth potential – opening the doors to external funding, new business opportunities and boosting innovation and leadership. Christina’s extensive experience working with entrepreneurs and dynamic businesses mean she is a much in demand thought leader, a business mentor at University College London and regular speaker at industry events including The British Library.

The post Navigating the latest ten Marketing Buzzwords in the Boardroom appeared first on Business Matters.

If you are working from home, you’ll probably end up working harder and longer hours according to BT, but you must take care to ensure a proper work / life balance. Here Olivier Chameyrat, managing director of Pixmania-PRO, highlights top tips for those working from home:

Create an office space
Set up an area within your house or flat that is specifically dedicated to you working from home – this is not to be shared or used by other members of the family and when you’re working in this area of the home it is clear you are not to be disturbed or distracted.

Define your working hours
Keep to your usual working and sleeping patterns, and try not to stray outside of this. This will help define when your working day is over and when you can take that all-important time to relax and wind down from the stresses and strains of the day.

Me time
Make sure you switch off your computer / phone at the end of the working day so you are not tempted to start on another piece of work. When you’re done for the day, shut down and ensure your co-workers know you have finished for the day.

Keep in contact
We are naturally social animals and being isolated from human contact can have an adverse effect – make sure you stay in contact with your work colleagues over the phone, over email and even over social media channels, such as Twitter. Make sure you go to networking events, join online communities and forums – don’t be alone during the day.

Take regular breaks
Just as you would in a normal office environment, make yourself a coffee, grab a glass of water, get up and walk around the house to stretch your legs. Go out at lunchtime to get a sandwich from the shops, get some fresh air and avoid the cabin fever.

Stay professional
When you get up in the morning, avoid heading straight for your workstation still in your pyjamas. Have a shower, get dressed, have a proper breakfast and start the day as you would in the office. This will also help you stay motivated throughout the day.

Don’t be distracted
Turn the TV off, put away the Xbox and the PlayStation, and stay focused on delivering your workload. Get together a ‘to-do’ list for the day and don’t allow yourself to hang out the washing or log on to Facebook until you’ve ticked off a certain number of tasks.

The post Top tips to effectively work from home appeared first on Business Matters.

2. Why do I need one?
A trade mark protects your business names and brands, including stopping unscrupulous traders trying to derive benefit from using your trade mark or a very similar trade mark to do business which could also damage your reputation in the process.

3. A rebrand could cost you dear.
Without a registered trade mark, your competitors could register your trade mark and force you to rebrand. A rebrand can cost tens of thousands of pounds in costs when you factor in new design work, replacement signage, all stationery, stock changes, the need for a new website and in addition, if the website domain needs to be changed this can be doubly harmful as search engines will need to ‘find’ your site all over again. Then it’s impossible to put a figure on the loss to a business of its good name.

4. Don’t rely on Companies House:
Registering your company at Companies House does not give you any rights to the name nor does it stop anyone else trade marking the name.

5. The myth of domain names:
This also applies to domain names. Owning a domain name does not offer you any protection under the law. If you want to protect your brand, you must register your trade mark.

6. Tell me the benefits of a trade mark?
Without a registered trade mark, your brand is insecure. A registered trade mark:

- Belongs to you, so you can sell it, or let other people have a licence that allows them to use it;
- Will help to put people off using your trade mark without your permission;
- Lets you take effective and inexpensive action against anyone using your trade mark without permission;
- Allows the authorities to bring criminal charges against counterfeiters.

7. How long does it last?
A registered trade mark lasts forever with renewal fees payable every ten years but think carefully about what it should cover as it’s not possible to expand a trade mark’s scope after registration. Therefore if you’re currently selling cosmetics but are thinking about expanding into clothing as well, then it’s worth applying for both classes, otherwise you would have to fund a second application from scratch.

8. Can two businesses own the same trade mark name?
Two businesses can register the same trade mark provided their areas of trade do not overlap, e.g. Tunstille Estate Agency and Tunstille Tree Surgeons.

9. How do I decide on a name?
To be registrable, trade marks must be distinctive for the goods and services you provide. A registered trade mark must allow consumers to differentiate your goods or service from another company’s. Made up words, for example AVENT iQ (baby bottle and warmer) and Viagra, are often the easiest way to be sure of obtaining a trade mark.

10. Don’t delay your application.
Too many businesses put it off until too late when someone else has already registered the company or product name they have been using. They then have to rebrand and start trading under a new name, which can be a very costly process. A trade mark can cost from as little as £470 including VAT.

The post Top Ten Guide to Trade Marks appeared first on Business Matters.

Companies falling foul of the law risk their reputation and possibly their business as the ICO is ramping up its fines which can run into six figures for data law breaches, in addition businesses that have been successfully prosecuted and fined can be struck off tender lists and lose customers through a diminished reputation.

Data destruction and IT asset disposal are heavily regulated and complex areas but ignorance is not bliss and will not let a business off the hook. No matter who is responsible in the organisation for the operational aspect of data protection and destruction, the chief executive or managing director is ultimately accountable.

This is even the case where an external company has been hired to destroy data. In one recent high profile case a Scottish council was fined £250,000 after sensitive documents were found in supermarket waste bins. The Scottish ICO said the local authority had ‘taken their eye off the ball’ when outsourcing and not carried out sufficient checks on the provider.

The process for disposing of redundant IT equipment and data can overlap a number of departments and functions, including IT, procurement and data governance. Mistakes often happen because just one person is given responsibility, leaving other areas of significance overlooked.

So what are the necessary steps businesses can take to ensure that they are fully compliant?

· If you handle any sensitive or personally identifiable data then you must have provision to destroy it securely and prove it when required. Check your internal processes and systems making sure that you have robust protocols

· Have someone senior in charge who can bring relevant departments together and who understands the consequences of poor security procedures

· Run regular staff training for key people on information security procedures. If necessary bring in specialists to advise

· Be mindful of data classifications. “Aggregation” and “Accumulation” of data often occurs at the disposal stage, where assets of all types are merged together, you therefore have to treat ALL assets as “Worse Case” scenario.

· Ensure you accurately identify all equipment marked for disposal and its data bearing status and maintain accurate records; you may be required to provide full end to end traceability

· Data Destruction Certification – you have to be able to demonstrate and prove your data has been destroyed using approved data destruction methods

· When using a third party be extremely diligent when checking their credentials and ensure that you are confident about their systems and their personnel. For example, have they carried out Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks and Counter Terrorist Checks (CTC) on staff, including any agency workers? Remember you are still liable for their actions!

· Have robust service agreements in place. This will show you have done your “Due Diligence”, carry out regular audits and remember a contract does not relinquish your responsibility. However, it may provide you with a course of action against the third party providing you can prove they are in breach of contract

· As you remain responsible, you must remain involved. Don’t allow your data to leave your premises, as out of sight is definitely not out of mind. You will find you are not insured against data loss whilst in transit

· If you are the CEO or MD ensure that you know what is happening to the destruction of sensitive data in your business.

The post Tips on avoiding paying the heavy price of data destruction ignorance appeared first on Business Matters.

Trend 1) The shift towards online systems

In this digital age, more and more services have become available online and payroll is no exception.. With an online payroll system, you can run the payroll at any time, using any computer with a web browser, or even from your smart-phone. The information isn’t stored on your computer, so you can use different computers at different times and it lessens the risk that one of your staff will sneak onto your computer and see what their colleagues earn. Online payroll systems are offered on a subscription basis without the need to buy a new package at the start of each tax year. The software provider also has the ability to update the system when any legislative changes are made, meaning that you don’t have to worry about it. The term cloud computing is sometimes used to describe online systems available on a subscription basis. This term can cause confusion because it has more than one meaning and it suggests that the system is not in a fixed location but in this case it is. Your employees’ details are covered by the Data Protection Act.1998, so you’ll want to know whether the payroll system is based within the European Economic Area. Fortunately, despite the cloud metaphor, it is easy to check the company’s website or ask where your information is stored.

Trend 2) Accounts system integration

Innovation within the accounting software sector, particularly when it comes to online accounting systems, has led to many more accounts packages coming onto the market. Many of these are aimed at an international audience, which gives the product a much further reach. On the other hand payroll is specific to each country and the expense of developing separate payroll systems has meant many accounting systems do not offer payroll options. If you use one of these systems, you will need to find a separate solution for payroll. The good news is that many of the accounts systems have an Application Programming Interface (API) that allows other programs to add transactions automatically, and payroll systems can take advantage of this. A good payroll system will have integration with your accounts systems so you can export your payroll figures rather than having to manually retype them. This helps to ensure accuracy and also saves a little bit of precious time.

Trend 3) Electronic payslips

Email is now a common way to communicate, with businesses and individuals comfortable about receiving information in this way. With many businesses fighting to keep costs low and to run as efficiently as possible there has been a shift towards sending employee payslips out electronically. Large businesses led the way, seeing big efficiency savings by removing their printing, sealing and distribution costs. Now even systems designed for small businesses come with this feature included. This advance in technology means that at the click of a button you can send payslips instantly to all employees without the need for paper copies. As emails can travel across the internet unencrypted, some systems allow the payslips to be password-protected. On receiving the email, the employee must enter a password before they can see their payslip. As well as saving time and money, electronic payslips can reduce the delay between calculating the pay run and paying the staff, because the Employment Rights Act 1996 dictates that payslips must be received at or before the time the employee is paid. By using electronic payslips and the Faster Payments Service, it is now practical to calculate the wages and pay the employees on the same day, even if they all work at different locations.

Trend 4) Online filing and RTI

In 2005, the government asked Lord Carter to undertake a Review of HMRC Online Services. His report recommended a move to online filing for businesses and IT-literate groups by 2012. As a result, electronic filing has been introduced in stages over the last few years, beginning with the larger employers. Now almost all businesses that employ staff must file their PAYE returns electronically. In 2010, HMRC began a consultation on ways for employers to send even more information to HMRC electronically and this will culminate in the implementation of Real Time Information (RTI) for small businesses in April 2013. RTI is intended to improve the information received with regards to PAYE, and to enable the Department for Work and Pensions to more accurately assess universal credits for individuals. Under RTI, you will be required to submit information to HMRC every time you pay your staff, rather than the current system of sending a summary once a year, plus notifications when someone starts or leaves. Similar to payslips, the rule for RTI is that the return must be sent to HMRC on or before paying the employees.

These four trends illustrate the direction small business payroll systems are moving, ignoring the stable features that we have all come to expect. As these trends continue, small businesses will end up with faster, electronic communication between the payroll system at the hub, the users, employees, HMRC and accounting systems at the edge. The common theme behind all four trends is better communication, enabled by technology.

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2. Social isn’t just for communicating to the public.
Social media is more than just for sales and marketing; it could be a valuable tool for internal communications, too. Software like Yammer or SalesForce Chatter can help you set up an internal social network for your business.

3. Don’t try to be everywhere at once.
Figure out which social network has the most impact for your customers and focus on that network. It’s better to excel in one and establish a strong, meaningful community than to two or three badly.

4. Foster community and customer service.
Social media is a two-way street. You can’t only respond to the positive and ignore the negative. Show your customers you care, and they’ll keep coming back even through the inevitable bumps.

5. Tie in your social media plan with your business plan.
To start a social media plan, begin with your overall business plan and think about how to integrate social media with all parts of your business (e.g., Twitter for customer service, LinkedIn for HR, Facebook for customers).

And, just to show that social media does impact the bottom line, one of our staff said he he had a bad experience whilst checking in at a major hotel and tweeted #fail. A neighboring hotel saw it and responded, “Sorry you’re having a bad time, hope the rest of your stay is better.” The next time, he stayed at this neighboring hotel; not only that, his friend asked if he’d recommend it for a family reunion because of the tweet he saw. Twitter works!

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