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Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 352
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| Thought for the week: "I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself." Ronald Reagan |
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In this week's issue:
Tories say they will scrap Business Link - have your say
Shadow Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk has announced in The Sunday Times that if the Tories win the general election one of the first things they will do is scrap Business Link.
In his interview with the newspaper, Mr Prisk said that Business Link "is failing in its task" and he would like to see the return of business support being delivered by local enterprise agencies and local councils. He went on to say that Business Link is little-used and unpopular in the small business community, and that the Tories will fund business support through local agencies and councils for the first three years following the axing of Business Link, which currently costs the taxpayer £190 million annually to run.
Click here to read the article in The Sunday Times.
Prisk says that it is time for civil servants to "halt the meddling" in how small businesses are run and that Government should take a "more hands-off" approach to small business support.
This announcement clearly has major implications for how business support might be run in the future, not just for Business Link, but also for the many other local and national support agencies that currently operate in the support sector.
But more importantly it has major implications for the UK's small and micro business owners and start ups of the future, the very people that business support services and agencies are meant to serve.
To have your say about Mr Prisk and the Tories' plans for business support if they win the election click here to make your comments, whether you are a small business owner or work in a business support agency.
On a related subject, last week EnterQuest launched its latest small business opinion survey about the effectiveness of the national Business Link website. The survey has already attracted a sizable and fascinating response, with polarised opinions about Business Link. If you would like to take part in the survey (it won't take more than a couple of minutes) then you can do so by clicking here.
Each week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business ideas in the UK and elsewhere around the world.
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Memorial pottery business idea. This pottery business produces pots, vases and other decorative pieces that all have a common twist - they're urns to keep the ashes of loved ones in.
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Floating offices idea. This business builds floating offices at marinas and is aimed at small business owners and marina owners alike. A bit like the 'office in a garden' concept, it provides workspace solutions in a compact building - but at a waterside location.
Regularly improving your vocabulary is not just about learning a new word and its meaning. It will improve your general knowledge and make you feel and act smarter in all sorts of personal and business situations.
Do you know the meaning of the word 'peremptory'?
a) useless
b) compulsory
c) overbearing
d) insulting
Answer at the end of the Bulletin.
The following topical business issues have been recently reported in the media. Did your radar pick them up?
1) Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has had to write a letter to Chancellor Alistair Darling following a sudden increase in inflation from 2.9% in December to 3.5% in January. What has he pinpointed as the main cause of the increase?
a) the Christmas sales period
b) the increase in VAT
c) increases in energy prices
d) an increase in the price of foodstuffs
2) Research from the Institute of Directors (IoD) has revealed that the reluctance of banks to lend to businesses is causing a fifth of small firms to resort to using which type of finance in order to stay afloat during the economic slowdown?
a) their credit cards
b) venture capital
c) factoring
d) business angel
3) According to a survey by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), over half of people want to see more of which type of shops on their local high street?
a) local independent shops
b) franchises of well-known brands
c) fast food take-aways
d) charity shops
Answers at the end of the Bulletin.
Get to grips with Google Buzz
Buzz is Google's attempt at integrating its popular Google Mail service with social media. It promises a rich, fast sharing experience, public and private sharing, inbox integration and more. Social media experts are already predicting that businesses will use Buzz alongside Facebook.
Wordtracker Academy for expanding SEO knowledge
Wordtracker, the tool for tracking and analysing keywords, has a Wordtracker Academy facility that contains a mixture of free articles, tips and tools for anyone interested in improving their knowledge about keywords and search engine optimisation.
Essential word-of-mouth marketing tools
This blog post lists 18 essential word-of-mouth marketing tools and techniques. It includes popular applications such as Google Alerts as well as newer tools for monitoring social media conversations.
Get more from your website's call to action
If you use call-to-action buttons on your site, this article can help you refine them and get more results. It lists best practices and examples of some call-to-action buttons used by businesses.
You can get access to hundreds more online business tools, how-to articles, checklists, standard forms and business development resources by subscribing to the Better Business Adviser.
Win an I.R.I.S. package worth over £200
EnterQuest has teamed up with mobile office products manufacturer I.R.I.S. to offer readers the chance to win a package containing IRISnotes 1.0 and IRIScan 2 Express worth over £200.
The IRISnotes 1.0 converts scribbled notes and diagrams into editable text on your PC, while the IRIScan converts paper documents such as invoices and receipts into editable and searchable text files.
To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, just answer the following question:
Q: Mervyn King is the Governor of which of the following institutions?
a) Financial Services Authority
b) Bank of England
E-mail your answer, together with your name, address and daytime phone number, using 'I.R.I.S. competition' in the subject line, to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com.
All entries must be received by 31 March. Full competition rules are available on request.
This book is aimed at businesses with an online presence. It describes how to get the best from the Internet through search engine optimisation and social media. It covers blogs, micro-blogging, social networking, vodcasting and podcasting. Check out:
Just one word answer
The answer is c).
Peremptory means overbearing.
The peremptory demands of the landlord left the business owner with little room for negotiation on rent. |
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Good luck
The EnterQuest Team
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be sought where appropriate. |
