All Blog Posts (783)

With recent government showing that 80% of the population who reside in our cities and towns have a real  fear of their home being vulnerable to crime.

So wouldn’t it makes sense to take “sensible precautions” to ensure that not only is your property safe but also your family, and that you have the added security of “peace of mind” as well with the help of a Burglar…

LinkedIn is taking a page out of Facebook's, er... book!

Facebook's just fun for kids and socialising, right? Serious businesses use LinkedIn - the…

f you are planning sending out a number of emails to several customers and clients that you are hoping will jump on board and buy your products or services, then you need to make sure they do not click on the delete key the moment they set eyes on your header or subject line.

It’s no secret that companies are still sending out emails by the thousand to attempt to get potential customers interested. In fact the practice has been increasing in recent years and despite all this those…

I've added a great video to the site here, with links to four more, which together provide a fascinating analysis explaining the European and global economic crisis  in laymans terms - well worth a look!

I'm grateful to Robert Craven (of Directors' Club fame) for drawing my attention to…

Business Link the organisation was wound up last November with the demise of the RDAs around the UK.  Now the national businesslink.gov.uk website is to be amalgamated with Directgov into a new web presence called GOV.UK.

I have a certain nostalgia for the site having been involved in writing some of the content a few years ago, but that's progress for you!

Here's some…

This is Ian Hamilton again (of the infamous "Free Lunch" seminars!) reporting on 3 more interesting events I attended recently.

1.  Law of Attraction events on 25 Sept & 03 Oct in London. After some serious upheavals these past few months I'm warming to this group of diverse characters seeking inspiration & direction weekly.  Too much info to divulge here but I'm well impressed!!  Business people who run seminars etc. do take note that the host makes a point of buying all…

This week saw the introduction of the long-awaited “Automatic Enrolment” regime for workplace pensions. Conceived by the last Labour Government, it is now being implemented by the Coalition, with the intention of encouraging the large number of employees without access to a workplace pension scheme to get into the habit of saving for their retirement.

Perhaps surprisingly, a recent survey by Scottish Widows found that more than half of the UK…

Figures from housing charity Shelter have found that 56% of borrowers would struggle to keep up with their mortgage payments if interest rates rose by 1%.

More worryingly, 11% said they would be unable to pay monthly payments altogether.

Campbell Robb, Shelter's chief executive, said: “These shocking findings show that over half of mortgage holders are living on a…

Just take one quick glance at your email inbox, and the spam folder too; you will see it contains a plethora of different subjects and header that promise a better sex life, millions of dollars if you believe some Prince in west Africa, offers of 10% off your shopping and a free bet if you sign up to an online bookmaker. The list just goes on and on. There will be in among there, mail from family members and Facebook notifications and Twitter direct messages. Let's face it; it is…

Thank you to all for attending our networking event on Friday - it was fabulous!. We had a fantastic turnout and I am pleased with feedback from attendees who both enjoyed the lunch and made useful contacts.

As well as local business and current clients…

We save up for months, sometimes years, to go on holiday for a week or even two, so what do we do if the accommodation or location don’t live up to expectations................?

Whether staying in the UK in a B&B accommodation to a Luxury Cruise, I think we all look forward to our time with family and friends and having a relaxing or even crazy time.

But what if…

Dear Surrey community,

Hot Yoga is growing in popularity this is not only because it is quite a challenge to practice yoga in the heat, but the benefits are huge. Here are some of the fantastic benefits of Hot Power Yoga. At the wonderful Medicine Garden in Cobham, Surrey we have the Zen Dome on the green. This is where we practice Hot Power…

BT and Surrey County Council have struck up a deal worth £33 million that will provide the whole county with superfast broadband.

As a direct result, Surrey's economy could also be boosted by as much as £28 million per annum, according to World Bank research. 

While Ofcom's 2012 broadband performance report identifies 9Mbps as the UK's average broadband rate, the high-speed network to be…

Tis the season to be organised! Seek out that fabulous venue that is going to give your Christmas Party the wow factor for food, feel and atmosphere. Some companies have already arranged the date and venue, others will still be looking at the beginning of December!

It can be daunting arranging the company Christmas Party, after all everyone is looking forward to it, nice meal, great atmosphere and enjoyable…

It’s a common situation. You are finally in front of that ideal potential new business prospect, you’ve researched their business & competitors as per my previous post & you are keen to start firing questions. After all you want to impress them with your knowledge, years of experience & show them how keen you are to…

Life insurance premiums for women will rise by up to 15% before the end of the year with implementation of the EU Gender Directive due on 21 December 2012.

So if you want to do something about it, the time to do so is rapidly running out.

Although life cover has been traditionally cheaper for women because on average they live longer than men, premium costs are likely to…

This is Ian Hamilton (of the infamous "Free Lunch" seminars!) reporting on 3 interesting events I attended recently.

1. Sat 18/8/12  "Mapps" with Yuliana in Croydon.  I really only went to support my 'friend' but was in for a real treat!  Not only did I meet new, exciting people but I caught up with some 'old' friends too.  Best of all, 3 totally random groups worked avidly together preparing 3 separate (almost working!) business plans from scratch within an hour!!  Such was…

There have been many articles written along the lines of ‘Sponsorship – More Than Just Branding’. Whilst it’s plain that sponsorship has evolved into far more than straightforward logo placement, it’s important not to forget that branding – be it via naming rights, advertising hoardings or shirt sponsorships – is still relevant within the sports and sponsorship field and most importantly, still deemed hugely valuable in the eyes of…

Santander UK intends to increase its Standard Variable Rate from 4.24% to 4.74% from 3 October 2012.

There will also be an increase in the lender's SVR cap margin – the maximum amount above the Bank of England base rate that it can charge – from 3.75% to 4.99% from 24 September.

Santander said its competitors increased their SVRs by similar amounts earlier this year,…