A chain is as strong as its weakest link, and this saying holds true for a small business and start-up business, like SOHO-, SME, SMB-, Micro-, Lifestyle-, Home-, DIY-, Hobby-, Boomer-, Personal businesses also. It is crucial that employers look into the work-life balance of their employees and motivate them to stay healthy and fit.

With the working day extending to more than the 9 to 5 routine, often employees are sitting in front of the computer for hours at end and this affects their health as well as their energy level.

Peninsula Businesswise conducted a survey to study the health of office workers and 82% respondents said that their working hours and conditions did not allow them time to exercise and this was affecting their health and well being.

Start-up-, personal- and small businesses need to motivate and encourage their employees to exercise and stay fit and could consider offering them discounted membership to local gyms. With global business practices office workers are often working at odd time and work conditions should be such that allows them relax and keep fit.

“Employers simply need to be aware of this growing issue in the modern business environment, whilst also ensuring they carry out the duty of care they must have for their employees,” says Peter Done, the managing director of Peninsula.

Flexible working conditions should be considered and an online office can help keep remote workers to stay in touch with the office.

I guess the start-up-, personal- and small business owner should take the same advice for themselves.

Hat-Tip to GrowingBusiness.co.uk

Contrary to what Stephen Timms, the new minister for small business said in an interview in The Sunday Times - I wrote about it and asked if the aid for small business had been canceled - new research by the University of Sheffield shows alarmingly a fall in the business start-up rate.

While small businesses are known to contribute greatly to the U.K. economy it is quite surprising to note that the small business, like SOHO-, SME, SMB-, Micro-, Lifestyle-, Home-, DIY-, Hobby-, Boomer-businesses start-up rates have actually gone down in the last decade. However personal business, like contractors, freelancer, self-employed, sole-trader and virtual assistants rates remain as they were.

A report by the University of Sheffieldís Management School says that some government policies such as the closing of the Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) and increased red tape have curbed the entrepreneurial spirit.

Start-ups and new entrepreneurs need technical and financial support from the government and the report suggests that the government adopt a more focused approach when it comes to business start-ups. It says that less taxes and red tape and promotion of enterprise in schools would encourage start-ups.

“With increased levels of public sector employment, individuals may be less inclined to take risks. However, it is still largely the private sector that creates value and is the engine of growth and economic development,” remarked Dr. Huggins.

Entrepreneurs need to be well informed of the business infrastructure that is available today to help small and micro businesses a success. Business owners of start-ups need to use online IT solutions and bootstrapping techniques to their benefit so that they can give time and attention to the core productive activities of the business instead of getting distracted by peripheral processes such as accounting.

Some of the information going around is a little conflicting, here we know the start-up rate is going done, while at the same time the Government will have us believe the number of failures among start-ups is decreasing, are these trends correlated?

Yesterday I wrote “What the hell, let’s do it” and today there is a story about people in the United Kingdom not believing in themselves enough to start a business.

Whether it is their natural tendency to stick to the time tested and traditional route research indicates that while the British have great business ideas they don’t have enough faith or belief to make turn them into reality. This is an alarming trend as the growth of our economy is dependent on the innovation and versatility of its entrepreneurs.

In a research study by business advisers Inventva it was reported that while 13 million people in U.K. have a business idea not even three million actually do anything about it.

The Director of Inventva, David Thomas says that potential entrepreneurs need to ask themselves five basic question before they decide if they should do something about their business idea and these include:

* Does the business idea fill a gap in the market or is there a need for it?

* Is it worthwhile to try to make the business work?

* Would you enjoy working on the start-up?

* Is it viable from a business point of view?

* Do you have the resources to make it possible?

Budding entrepreneurs need to make the most of the technology that is available to them and should look for a business infrastructure and IT solutions for accounting, cash-flow, etc. They should also consider outsourcing certain business processes that would leave them free to focus on core business activities.

As I wrote before if your fail, who cares(?) - the most important thing is you gave it a go - so, come on, what the hell, let’s do it. If you don’t try you will always wonder what could have been. Starting a small business, like SOHO-, SME, SMB-, Micro-, Lifestyle-, Home-, DIY-, Hobby-, Boomer-, Personal businesses can be fun and is not that difficult, some times doing it part-time can be the answer.

Hat-tip to startups.co.uk.

Whatever you are planning a personal business or a small business, like SOHO-, SME, SMB-, Micro-, Home-, DIY-, Hobby-, Boomer businesses, the time has never been better for starting a business. Many politicians will have you believe that the current up-rise in personal and small business activity is due to their policies, that is b*** s****, it is due to the greatest platform for entrepreneurial activity to date - the internet and related technologies.

Anyone between the ages of 13 (apparently) and 81 (?) can be a first time entrepreneur, and best of all - thanks to the technology available - it:

1. Does not need a lot of capital: bootstrapping and outsourcing techniques allow you to start your business on the side at less than what you spend on a meal out.
2. Only need very little business experience: we live in a time when business processes are rewritten, and much happens online, information, advice and tools are available for free, communities help you to build online networks and make starting easy.

So if you ever had a dream or goal in business, now is the time to start, some people make their hobby into a business, others their DIY skills and some even start social businesses for giving someone else a helping hand - the reasons and opportunities are truly limitless.

What business would you like to start today?

The Small Biz Labs has the answer to this question in it’s posting of today Small Business Volatility Decreasing:

“…. While volatility is not a clean proxy for business or employment risk, it is an indicator of risk. It is interesting that our research shows that employees see working for big companies as increasingly risky, and small business ownership and employment as less risky than it used to be. Because of this, small business employment or ownership is seen as a viable alternative to large company employment by more people. It is starting to look like the data at least in part supports this view….”

This is good news for small businesses, like home-, micro-, lifestyle-, mobile-, SME-, SMB-, SOHO-businesses and personal business, like contractors, freelancer, self-employed and virtual assistants.

Maybe the time has finally come when the big boys are seen for what they are, by that I do not mean they are bad employers, but that they are not any better than small business, just different.

The most important part of a business idea is the passion and interest that goes with it. If you are thinking of starting a small business or a home business then it is important that you select something that you know about and truly enjoy, because starting a business takes a lot of time, effort and dedication and a business idea that truly inspires you is very important.

If you enjoy the beauty of antiques and have an eye for them then you can actually make a business of your hobby. To start with you would need to collect enough antiques and have a ready stock that you will sell. Next comes your market; the internet is a great way to sell any product and you can create a special niche for your antiques.

Whether you sell on eBay or eventually decide to open your own online store, it is a great idea to have a web office where you will have all the crucial data about your business available at the click of a mouse. And the best part is that you can access your office from anywhere and at anytime.

Such an online office should be able to take care of your accounting and such business needs and help you focus on your main task or hobby, discovering beautiful treasures and finding a market for them.

Online is a great place to be with a “niche” business, you are easily accessible and word of mouth works well with “niche-businesses” - these make great personal businesses and small businesses, like home-, micro-, lifestyle-, mobile-, SME-, SMB-, SOHO-businesses.

Small businesses, like home-, micro-, lifestyle-, mobile-, SME-, SMB-, SOHO-businesses, can benefit tremendously by using online IT effectively. Not only can it make daily tasks in a business easier but also create a potential market with an online shop and cater to an audience the business may not have reached out to in the past by traditional means, resulting in more successful businesses.

To create an online shop and strengthen e-commerce it is first important to understand how business is done over the internet. You would have to select the domain name and the website addresses thoughtfully and would need to ensure that the design and content of the website reflects your business style. Content should be appealing and should motivate visitors to come back to your website time and again.

It is also crucial to analyze the internet service provider that your business uses so that you are in touch with your online clients in an efficient manner. An online office and on-demand small business infrastructure can integrate the many processes that are crucial to a business and this is especially true for small businesses having less than six employees.

Your e-commerce should be secure and assure your clients that their crucial financial information is safe on your website. It is important to manage your IT requirements for e-commerce on a daily basis so that your business doesn’t suffer because of any slip ups or technical failures.

When you think about starting up your business, e-commerce should be high on your list of priorities, even if you are starting a personal business, like Contractors, Freelancer, Free-Agent, Self-employed and Virtual Assistants.

Remember, there is always a nice “market - niche” to be had, products to be sold the big boys will not touch, because the turnover is not high enough for them - but it may be the nice little earner you’ve been looking for.

While most of us want to achieve professional success a majority of working people are now unwilling to do so at the cost of their family and health. Employees are preferring to turn to businesses that offer them flexible working conditions that allow them an opportunity to find a balance between work and home.

This is a strong equalizer when it comes to compete for the employees with big business. An interesting research study by Mitel indicates that small businesses are more open to adopting flexible working conditions not only for the employees but also for the business owners. Small businesses are willing to utilize the internet and IP telephony to allow remote working.

” ….. 72% of small businesses were willing to allow their workers to work from home as compared to the 44% of bigger businesses and corporations. …”

Small businesses are making use of online business infrastructure and using it effectively to focus only on core activities. Having an online office is an excellent way for employees and employers to keep in touch with the office and also with clients and customers. Since the internet can be accessed at any time it really doesnít matter where one is and can log on and make crucial business decisions.

Working styles are changing globally and on-demand small business infrastructure is paving the way, not to forget it is more eco-friendly too.

I usually complain about the Government not knowing what small business needs.

Here is an example of some good advice for small business, the Health & Safety Executive has a web-page called “Myth of the Month“, you should have a look at it .

One myth I would have believed is the myth of the month July 2007:

The myth: All office equipment must be tested by a qualified electrician every year.
The reality: No. The law requires employers to assess risks and take appropriate action.

HSE’s advice is that for most office electrical equipment, visual checks for obvious signs of damage and perhaps simple tests by a competent member of staff are quite sufficient.

There are more “Myth-Busters” on the web-site.