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Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 277
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| Thought for the week: "Reality can be beaten with enough imagination." Anonymous |
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In this week's issue:
Get that job ad right
Hiring staff can be a legal minefield. Employment law is now so complex that it is extremely difficult to understand the basic principles in recruiting and managing people.
When recruiting, you must be sure not to discriminate on the grounds of age, race, sex, disability, trade union and religion. Any adverts should not contain elements referring to these areas that are directly or indirectly discriminatory.
You have to be careful what you say. Avoid using any potentially discriminatory language, eg 'Man Friday wanted', as this clearly discriminates against female candidates. 'Waiter' is not acceptable, 'waiter/waitress' is. 'Manager' is acceptable - it is not necessary to say 'manager/manageress'.
Also, under age discrimination law, you can no longer advertise for a 'young, enthusiastic' candidate, nor for a 'mature' person.
Be sure you do not introduce requirements that would indirectly discriminate by requiring a standard from an applicant that the job does not demand. Once you know what the job is and what it requires of the individual, the advert can then be drawn up.
The job title should be the prominent heading. Adverts with the salary displayed may attract a larger and more relevant response. Display skills requirements prominently or too many unqualified people will apply.
You should also highlight the benefits, not just financial but growth or promotion opportunities, and the fact it is a go-ahead, growing business. If your job is not as attractive as others on the page you will lose the best applicants.
Consider where and when to advertise and target carefully. Take time to decide precisely what the job is, what is required of the individual and how this can be best translated into an advert.
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This tip is an extract of an article from EnterQuest's sister publication, BETTER business magazine. Subscribers to the magazine can read even more articles to help them run a better business. |
To receive a free copy of BETTER business magazine simply send us your name and address to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com, putting 'EQ magazine offer' in the subject box.
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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Motorbikes for women. Women motorbike riders have complained that traditional bikes are too heavy or too high. Wicked Women Choppers is an example of a business that sells female-friendly motorbikes.
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Electronic equipment vending machines. Best Buy vending machines have been launched in eight US airports and aim to attract travellers looking for last-minute gifts. The machines vend products including USB sticks, digital cameras, travel adaptors, chargers and MP3 players.
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 'enervate'?
a) energise, invigorate
b) to unnerve, frighten
c) mentally weaken
d) pronounce, explain
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) A recent survey by Train 4 Trade Skills has revealed that, as immigrant workers return home, they're leaving gaps which can be filled by home-grown talent. Which specific profession will benefit from training UK-based people?
a) restaurant chef
b) plumber
c) bricklayer
d) estate agent
2) UK small business owners are working up to 50 hours a week, according to a survey by the Bank of Scotland. A quarter of those surveyed say they expect to work these hours for how long?
a) another month
b) two months
c) the remainder of the year
d) until the next tax year
3) Internet auction site eBay has announced plans to introduce new measures on 24 September which will make it easier for entrepreneurs and retailers to do which specific activity?
a) omit their address from any parcel they sell
b) list products at fixed prices
c) receive international payments
d) leave negative feedback about buyers
Answers at the end of the Bulletin.
Free mail order business e-book
The Making it With Mail Order e-book has been written by Simone Nelson who has run two successful mail order businesses. It is available free if you register your details on the e-book's website. The book covers topics such as writing terms and conditions for sale, dispatch, packaging and carriers, and the Consumer Protection Distance Selling Regulations.
Free broken link tracker for your site
The bigger and older your website, the more chance it will include broken links. Xenu's Link Sleuth is a free downloadable programme which will hunt down and report back on any links that lead to nowhere.
Track the reputation of your business
When people could be talking about your brand or business in blogs, or discussing your competitors on bulletin boards, it pays to keep an eye on what they're saying. Trackur is a subscription service that automatically tracks individual businesses and lets you know if your reputation is thriving or struggling.
Tips for entrepreneurs from video streaming channel
Your Business Channel has launched a site full of business news and interviews. The first videos feature experts talking about everything from online marketing, to management techniques and export strategies, typically lasting 3-5 minutes.
Win an e-commerce web programme worth £400
EnterQuest has teamed up with Actinic, developers of e-commerce software for small businesses, to give a lucky reader the chance to win a copy of one of the top e-commerce web programmes.
Actinic Catalog is ideal for small businesses looking to sell their products over the Internet. It provides a range of e-commerce features and design flexibility needed to build and manage an individual and highly functional e-commerce operation.
The programme enables you to handle customer account management, taxation and shipping options, stock monitoring, content management, mailing list production and digital delivery for products. It also integrates with a wide range of online payment services.
Actinic is offering one lucky reader the change to win a copy of Actinic Catalog, worth £400. To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question:
Q. According to a survey by the Bank of Scotland, small business owners in the UK are working up to how many hours a week?
E-mail your answer, together with your name, address and daytime telephone number, using "Actinic Competition" as the e-mail subject line, to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com.
All entries must be received by 31 August. EnterQuest and Actinic will use the information you provide for their own marketing purposes only and your details will never be shared with any third parties (except to arrange delivery of the prize). Competition rules are available on request.
This book helps you to increase your persuasiveness over others by 50%. It presents problems, experiments and solutions that can be used to help you persuade potential customers to commit to the deal you're offering. Check out:
Just one word answer
The answer is c).
Enervate means to mentally weaken or deplete.
The entrepreneur's vigour was enervated by the burden of ever increasing employment laws. |
How's your business radar? The answers
1) The answer is b) - The opportunities for home-grown plumbers are expected to increase as more migrant workers return back to Eastern Europe.
2) The answer is c) - Small business owners expect to work longer hours for the remainder of the year, the Bank of Scotland reports. This is largely due to the credit crunch, they say.
3) The answer is b) - The new measures will enable entrepreneurs, retailers and other eBay sellers to meet demand for bulk products at fixed prices. |
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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. |
