Mobile working is a trend that is emerging in all sectors of the market and is here to stay. It provides employees flexible working conditions that empower them and is also beneficial to the business.
Mobile working ensures that the business doesn’t have to worry about office space for the mobile workers but this however does not mean that the business owner is not responsible for ensuring that the employees are provided the same connectivity as the office bound employees.

A recent report of a study undertaken by CISCO underlines the need for good management when it comes to mobile workers. It is essential to keep communication optimum as both over and under-communication lead to problems. While under communication may make the employees feel isolated and unclear of work goals, over communication may lead to undermining the trust of mobile workers.

Stuart Duff, the author of the report is also an occupational psychologist at Pearn Kandola, says “As the mobile working phenomenon continues to grow, organizations must ensure that they have suitable leadership in place to manage teams of mobile workers.”

The recruitment of mobile workers is of utmost importance and business owners need to look for self motivated, confident, determined and independent workers. They also need to ensure that the mobile workers are given their due attention and acknowledgement in the business. An online office goes a long way in ensuring that mobile workers are in touch with the office and feel a part of it.

Tags: 7 Customer Service, Accountanats, AccountsOffice, BoomerPreneurs, Business Idea, Business Mentoring, Business Start Up, Business Success, Cash-Flow, CashBook, Contractors, CPAs, Entrepreneur, Freelancer, Home Business, IT, Lifestyle Business, Micro Business, MumPreneurs, Office 2.0, On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure, Online Shop, Outsourcing, Pearn Kandola, Personal Business, OnlineOffice, SaaS - Software as a Service, Sage Business Heartbeat Survey, Self-employed, Shell Springboard, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, SOHO - Small Office Home Office, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office, Vivid Economics, VSB - Very Small Business, Web 2.0, WebOffice, WinWeb Live

Across the country thousands of people leave their office computers on overnight, simply to save time opening them in the morning. What may be a choice of convenience is actually costing the company and the environment dearly.

According to a report by software solution provider 1E, market research firm Harris Interactive and Alliance to Save Energy, 104 million employed people work on computers everyday and a shocking 60% or 62.4 million do not shut their computers when they leave for the day.

By simply choosing to switch of their computers at night a company can reduce its energy costs by almost 50%, this percentage translates into close to $165,000 savings for a medium size company and close to millions for a larger corporation. This is money that can be utilized for more productive reasons and can well be controlled simply by adopting a policy to turn off computers at the end of the work day.

Every year we pump 14.4 million tons of CO₂ into the environment only due to the computers that are on at night, even if they are in hibernation mode. It is important for companies of all sizes, big and small, to start paying attention to green IT and to the risks of global warming. Shutting off your computers at night can go a long way in saving company funds and protecting the earth.

Tags: 1E, Accountanats, Alliance to Save Energy, BoomerPreneurs, Business Idea, Business Mentoring, Business Start Up, Business Success, E-Commerce, Eco-Friendly, Global Warming, Green IT, Harris, Harris Interactive , IT, MumPreneurs, Office 2.0, Online Shop, Outsourcing, Personal Business, Self-employed, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office, VSB - Very Small Business, Web 2.0, WebOffice

Rachel Bridge in The Sunday Times interviewed Stephen Timms, the new minister for small business on his plans for the Small Business Service.

First off it will be called Enterprise Directorate, now that should give you a hint of where this is going and sure enough:

“…. He said the name Small Business Service was also no longer appropriate because the service element had all been outsourced to Business Link. ….”

I’m not even going to go there - my readers will know how I feel about Business Link. But it gets even more unsettling:

” … But I think it is time for a new focus on growing the size of these businesses. ….”

This after he himself admits that 75% of small business owners have no ambition to grow their business. He wants to do more to encourage people to be more ambitious. We all know what happens when you get too ambitious, don’t we? It feels like Arctic winter.

The insults to small business carry on and on in this piece and I am left with a few questions:

1. What is wrong with wanting to stay a small business and have some life balance?
2. Why don’t they do the things we all pay them for, to make our lives easier, for instance by reducing red tape?
3. Why are politicians, who do not know the first thing about running a business, always try to tell us, the business community, what we should do?

But it is not all bad news he wants to hear from us, he asked us:

WHAT SHOULD THE MINISTER DO?
Write to him at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET or e-mail him direct at mpst.timms@berr.gsi.gov.uk.

Here is an idea, maybe one could stop changing names so often, it would save money i.e waste less of our tax-payers money, be good for the environment, get people less confused and could - although I’m not sure about this one - increase productivity in these departments, maybe?

Why not write to him, I will?

Tags: BoomerPreneurs, Business Link, Business Start Up, Contractors, DIYPreneurs, Enterprise Direcorate, Entrepreneur, Free Agents, Freelancers, Government, Home Business, Lifestyle Business, Micro Business, MumPreneurs, On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure, Outsourcing, Personal Business, Self-employed, Small Business Service, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, SocialPreneurs, SOHO - Small Office Home Office, Virtual Assistant, VSB - Very Small Business, WinWeb

An interest or hobby can be developed into a home business after you have done the required research to decide if your favorite activity can actually bring in profits.

Is candle making what impassions you? Then how about considering it as a home business? The National Candle Association of the U.S. states that the profession brings in $2.3 billion every year through retail sales.

For a successful home business it is first important to have a business idea that you believe in and one that you know you will enjoy working on. Next you need a business plan and then make the required investment to get the home business started.

Having an online shop is one of the best ways to get started and you don’t need to rent a physical shop area to sell your candles. You may actually create the candles and sell them or simply buy plain white candles and add embellishments such as dried flower or shells to it and sell the candles on line. 

If you have an eye for antiques and are capable of picking the right pieces of furniture you can make a great profit by selling them at your online shop or on e-bay. The secret to a successful business is a business idea that makes sense to you.

Tags: BoomerPreneurs, Business Mentoring, Business Start Up, Business Success, e-bay, Entrepreneur, Free Agent, Freelancer, Home Business, Lifestyle Business, Micro Business, MumPreneurs, National Candle Association, Office 2.0, Office/IT, On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure, Online Shop, Personal Business, SaaS - Software as a Service, Sage Business Heartbeat Survey, Self-employed, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, SOHO - Small Office Home Office, Business Idea, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office, VSB - Very Small Business, Web 2.0, WebOffice, WinWeb, WinWeb AccountsOffice, WinWeb CashBook, WinWeb Live, WinWeb OnlineOffice, WinWeb Virtual Assistant

It is interesting to note that the concept of a SOHO is not a new one but actually has been in existence since before the 19th Century. It is after the industrial revolution that larger industries and corporations came up in order to lower overhead costs.

However the mid 1990s saw several dramatic changes in technology and its affects of the manner in which businesses worked. It was no longer necessary to come to the office to work and productivity remained high as employees sought to work from home.

In the start of the 21st century the term SOHO or small or home office was coined and it was characterized by the fact that it had less than 10 employees and was more than often based at home.

With the rising cost of living many consultants, such as lawyers and architects, and businessmen are preferring to work out of their home and save on office space and on transportation costs.

Small and large corporations also prefer to provide employees flexible working conditions such as remote working. On-demand small business infrastructure and virtual offices have made this a possibility.  In fact a Harris survey indicated that 72% of Americans were considering starting a SOHO.

Tags: BoomerPreneurs, Business Mentoring, Business Start Up, Business Success, Entrepreneur, Freelancer, Home Business, Lifestyle Business, Micro Business, MumPreneurs, Office 2.0, Office/IT, On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure, Personal Business, Sage Business Heartbeat Survey, Self-employed, Shell Springboard, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, SOHO - Small Office Home Office, Harris, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office, VSB - Very Small Business, Web 2.0, WebOffice, WinWeb, WinWeb AccountsOffice, WinWeb CashBook, WinWeb Live, WinWeb OnlineOffice, WinWeb Virtual Assistant

The threat to our natural habitat due to global warming is a dramatic and urgent one that requires effort on the part of all organizations, big and small. And to provide SMEs an incentive to move towards this direction Shell Springboard is offering awards amounting up to £40,000.

In a research study undertaken by the Shell Springboard, the social investment program of Shell, and Vivid Economics it was reported that the climate change market was projected to grow 21% by 2007 and reach an astounding  £2.8bn by 2008.

It is important that small businesses understand and promote sustainable development. This will not only help reduce the company’s expenditure but also offer the clients and customers a company image that says that it cares about people and the future of the world.

Small businesses must look for financially sound business plans that support the company and also the planet. With growing awareness clients also prefer to work with companies that think green

Tags: 24/7 Customer Service, Accountanats, BoomerPreneurs, Business Mentoring, Business Start Up, Business Success, Contractors, Eco-Friendly, E-Commerce, Enterprise Storage Group, Entrepreneur, Free Agent, Freelancer, Green IT, Home Business, Institute for Social and Economic Research, Lifestyle Business, Micro Business, MumPreneurs, Office 2.0, Office/IT, On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure, Outsourcing, Personal Business, SaaS - Software as a Service, Self-employed, Shell Springboard, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, SOHO - Small Office Home Office, Vivid Economics, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office, Web 2.0, WebOffice, WinWeb, WinWeb AccountsOffice, WinWeb CashBook, WinWeb Live, WinWeb OnlineOffice, WinWeb Virtual Assistant

In a recent research study by Enterprise Storage Group (ESG) it was reported that as many as 52% respondents felt that their current data protection had scope for improvement and their back up and recovery systems were lacking.

Interestingly data loss is one of the main reasons that SMEs need to seriously consider data protection. Industrial espionage and misuse of personal information are equally relevant and important issues related to data protection.

Data protection can be achieved by using a bit of common sense and by keeping one’s wit. “A lot of data protection is actually just common sense: if you think about the sensitivity of personal information, and what’s the common sense way of ensuring its accuracy and protecting it, then you’re going a long way to complying with data protection principles – even if you don’t know it,” says Alasdair Warwood, of the Data Protection Forum.

Complying to basic data protection policies such as passwords, piracy software and settings, keeping back up hardware copies safely and IT security can make all the difference to any business.

On-demand small business infrastructure provides business owners the time and energy to focus on productive processes and also on data protection.

Tags: 24/7 Customer Service, Accountanats, BoomerPreneurs, Business Mentoring, Business Start Up, Business Success, Cash-Flow, Contractors, CPAs, Data Protection Forum, Data Security, DIYPreneur, Entrepreneur, Freelancer, Home Business, Lifestyle Business, Micro Business, MumPreneurs, Office 2.0, Office/IT, On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure, Outsourcing, Personal Business, Self-employed, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, SOHO - Small Office Home Office, Enterprise Storage Group, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office, VSB - Very Small Business, Web 2.0, WebOffice, WinWeb, WinWeb AccountsOffice, WinWeb CashBook, WinWeb Live, WinWeb OnlineOffice, WinWeb Virtual Assistant

The start point of any great venture is a terrific business idea, but when that business idea is not worked upon and turned into a concrete business plan and implemented, it often dies a silent death.

A research study by NatWest indicates that 17 million people in the U.K. were sitting on their business idea for years before they did anything about it. Business ideas are most often related to the need and demand of the hour and the market and if delayed for too long it may lose its charm and relevance.

The survey found that 30% entrepreneurs transformed ideas into business start ups and 26% intended to do so in a year’s time. It also reported that after six years only a third of the potential business owners had started their ventures.

However the Institute for Social and Economic Research reported that amongst people who decided to wait a year before starting a business only 1 in 7 actually did so.

It was also found that older men tend to start their businesses sooner than younger people and women tend to put off business start ups for longer. Another interesting trend that emerged was the fact that the unemployed potential business owner was more likely to put business ideas into action than the employed one.

Tags: Accountanats, BoomerPreneurs, Business Mentoring, Business Start Up, Business Success, Contractors, Data Security, Entrepreneur, Free Agent, Freelancer, Home Business, Institute for Social and Economic Research, Lifestyle Business, Micro Business, MumPreneurs, NatWest, Office 2.0, Office/IT, On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure, Outsourcing, Personal Business, Sage Business Heartbeat Survey, Self-employed, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, SOHO - Small Office Home Office, WinWeb Live, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office, VSB - Very Small Business, Web 2.0, WebOffice, WinWeb, WinWeb AccountsOffice, WinWeb CashBook, WinWeb OnlineOffice, WinWeb Virtual Assistant

Most potential business owners are known to shy away from actually starting their own venture simply because they are unsure about how get funding. The lack of capital is the most common reason that a business start up doesn’t work and closes down soon after it began.

A research study taken on by NatWest cites lack of cash flow to be the reason why as many as 42% potential business people don’t work on their business ideas.

This decision was welcomed by The Forum of Private Business (FPB) and it hoped that other banks will also follow suit and encourage new and upcoming entrepreneurs.
Matt Hardman, the FPB campaigns manger says, “The early stages of a company’s life are spent trying to keep costs to a minimum, and not having to worry about the cost of transactions or your overdraft can leave you free to concentrate on other matters.” 

It is important for start-ups to invest in on-demand small business infrastructure that will allow the business owners to concentrate on their core business activity.

Tags: BoomerPreneurs, Business Idea, Business Mentoring, Business Start Up, Business Success, Data Security, Forum of Private Business, Free Agent, Freelancer, Home Business, Lifestyle Business, Micro Business, MumPreneurs, NatWest, Office 2.0, Office/IT, On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure, Outsourcing, Personal Business, Sage Business Heartbeat Survey, Self-employed, SMB - Small Medium Business, SME - Small Medium Enterprise, WinWeb Live, The Forum of Private Business, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office, VSB - Very Small Business, Web 2.0, WebOffice, WinWeb, WinWeb AccountsOffice, WinWeb CashBook, WinWeb OnlineOffice, WinWeb Virtual Assistant

Arctic Systems maybe another example of the aggressive nature of HMRC when pursuing taxpayers, however, Arctic Systems is certainly not the first case in history where the Revenue ‘HMRC’ has pursued a taxpayer for arranging their affairs in a more beneficial manner for taxation purposes.

It brings to mind a case many years before I was born that led to Lord Clyde making the following statement:

"No man in this country is under the smallest obligation, moral or other, so to arrange his legal relations to his business or to his property as to enable the Inland Revenue to put the largest possible shovel into his stores.

The Inland Revenue is not slow - and quite rightly - to take every advantage which is open to it under the taxing statutes for the purpose of depleting the taxpayer’s pocket. And the taxpayer is, in like manner, entitled to be astute to prevent, so far as he honestly can, the depletion of his means by the Revenue".

Ayrshire Pullman Motor Services & Ritchie v CIR CS 1929 14 TC 754, Lord Clyde @ pp 764 or 765.

Tags: small business, limited company, SME, OMB, HMRC, Arctic Systems, Tax, Taxation, Dividends, Lord Clyde