Health and Safety provision is often an issue we take for granted when we walk into our place of work each morning. There is normally a general expectation that our employers will have addressed all the areas of legislation incumbent upon them in providing us with a safe working environment.

Unfortunately there are times when Health and Safety rules and regulations are not fully met, or issues within a working environment are not comprehensively risk assessed – factors that can lead to work related injury or harm.  The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 details the obligations of employers to ensure that staff welfare is protected.  When injuries or ill health due to work do occur within the workplace, it is certainly worthwhile using a personal injury lawyer to examine whether you have grounds for a damages claim against your employer.

Health and safety law is of extreme importance for any businesses’ workforce, not only in order to ensure that they are safe at work and that the risk of injury or harm is minimal, but also in order to ensure that productivity is not impaired. The working environment must be conducive to the nature of the business with appropriate safety equipment, procedures and staff training in place.

The duty of employers

Companies have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and indeed others who might be affected by the nature of the business. There are considerable punitive consequences if conditions stipulated by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 are not met.  The Health and Safety Offences Act 2008 afforded the courts greater sentencing powers and the ability to enforce increased financial penalties where companies are found to have breached or contravened Health and Safety law.

Personal injury lawyers

A personal injury lawyer is perfectly placed to advise on all issues of injury and illness related to, or resultant from, company negligence or omission to correctly act on Health and Safety legislation.

When an individual is injured at work as a direct result of Health and Safety failings, a claim for compensation can be made against the employer.  The amount of compensation that can be claimed will vary depending upon the injury or illness sustained, though the crucial factor in any claim would be proving that it was the employer’s negligence or breach of Health and Safety regulations that was a contributory cause.

A personal injury lawyer will advise on the extent of any claim, explaining in depth the compensation route, potential outcomes and a valuation of the claim.  Compensation claims generally focus around the extent of injury or illness, loss of earnings and medical costs.  Also included within any compensation claim would be issues such as pain and suffering, effect on lifestyle and any ongoing disability.  Compensation is also eligible to people who have suffered psychological illness or distress, such as post traumatic stress disorder, that alters daily living expectations or the ability to function normally.

Whatever the extent of the injury or illness, seeking the advice of a personal injury lawyer will help and guide you through the complex legal process of making a claim for compensation.

 

An interview with Henri Malosse, President of the European Economic and Social Committee’s Employers’ Group.        

Before becoming President of the Employers Group of the EESC, Henri Malosse was President of the EESC’s SOC and ECO sections, and was Co-President of the EU-Bulgaria Joint Committee, as well as member of the EESC Bureau. He is the Vice-President and founding member of the European Association of SMEs, SME Union in the European Parliament. He also lectures on European affairs at several European universities.

Q1. How long have you been fighting the corner for SMEs?

I have actually been working to improve conditions for SMEs for 30 years at European level. 20 years ago I initiated the SME policy of the European Union and created- as Adviser to the new European Commissioner, nominated for SME Abel MATUTES in 1987- the European Information Centre- providing information for SMEs in the European single market.

This is now known as EEN, the Enterprise Europe Network. I continually promote the network which provides advice and opportunities. It is a one stop shop for SME advice on all European Union questions, representing 80 per cent of business regulations and opportunities in all the countries of the European Union.

Today there are 235 EEN members covering all European regions, located in chambers of commerce and development agencies. They also provide information on possible partners through Europe, providing a network.

They employ more than 1000 people, mainly young women and men, multilingual, motivated and business friendly. This is something I am very proud of, although this network should be more known and used among SMEs.

In the last 5 years as President of the EESC’s Employers Group I have helped the group focus on two specific aspects.

Firstly, we are working with the EU to successfully implement the European Small Business Act. The act is in its third year but still requires a lot of input from us to ensure it has the desired effect. Under it, any European legislation should consider the concerns of small businesses as a priority. Previously big businesses were favoured by legislation.There is a similar act to this in the US.

Our current project with the Act is to ensure national governments within the EU simplify their legislation and implement the Act. The principle is “think small first”.After all, 99 per cent of all European businesses are independent and employ fewer than 250 people.

The second aspect of what we are doing currently involves a seminar in Brussels for young European entrepreneurs, currently in its third year. We invite those from all over Europe seeking to create their own businesses, giving them concrete, practical information and a network of help. We have also created, with Madi Sharma, a website for young entrepreneurs, giving them easy access to practical information; how to get funding, and develop contacts, for example. This will improve the development of young entrepreneurs in Europe.

Q2. Has your work with the UK Government resulted in any major obstacles?

All governments give support in principle. It is the implementation that is a problem. Mainly in the big countries like UK or France where there is a huge bureaucracy and tendency to privilege the big companies. What happens is the executives of large businesses have personal friendships with many politicians and policy makers which can often stretch back to their university years. This gives them an unfair advantage in influencing legislation.

The UK Government is doing a good job overall and the EESC’s initiatives exist to help them tap into the SME sector which, for them, like many governments, is a largely unknown world.

Q4. Can big businesses play a role in helping small ones?

No. It is not in their remit. They operate under totally different models. Small businesses need a free spirit to operate. They need to work together. In doing so they can find a voice and become a force to be reckoned with. SMEs need to help themselves.

Q5. Does Europe have a cultural appreciation of entrepreneurialism, or is it something that still mystifies us?

I don’t think Europeans are less entrepreneurial than anybody else. However, the spirit of entrepreneurialism is not expected within the education system but this is not necessarily a problem.

Such a spirit is developed throughout life. What we need to do is help people recognise that innovation is pregnant everywhere, in very simple things.

It does not have to be in the latest groundbreaking digital technology. It could be in food packaging or even within the baking of bread. Take the bakery Paul’s as an example. It started out as one shop in France and now has bakeries globally. The innovation came in their production of bread.

Also, if we want entrepreneurs to be seen as role models for young people, they should be more ethical. Unfortunately we have bad examples every day in the media. This is the reason why my actual priority is to focus on social responsibility of entrepreneurialism and to promote a European charter on ethics for European employers. This would be, in my opinion, the best way to promote entrepreneurship among the young European generation because they put ethics as a priority in their life.

 

The evolution of the internet combined with the ever increasing curiosity of human nature renders vast markets to be served and perhaps even more gaps to be filled within those markets. Setting up and running a small business has never been easier, in theory, as diversity and demand converge: people are looking for different or new ways of doing things. Of course, beyond your ideas you have to research, plan and execute well, before the world becomes your oyster.

Given most people now access the world through search engines, it is essential to have a clearly visible presence on them. With an authentic creative mindset, or at least the ability to outsource authentic creativity, you can utilise SEO to pull in a large audience, for your small to medium sized business.

By understanding the how to rules of SEO, your small business can seriously compete with MNCs. I am not saying your fruit and veg stall can turnover more than Tesco’s total UK profits. I am saying you can rise to the challenge they pose and make a healthy profit, as opposed to shutting up shop in the shadow of a giant.

Imagine you run a fruit and veg shop in a town where there is a large Tesco. You are struggling to make ends meet as the retail superpower has subconsciously become people’s first choice for fruit and veg. Despair not; you can fight back.

It is not as easy as it sounds but it is easier than sacrificing your freedom, shutting up shop and working for the minimum wage in their fruit and veg section.

You could create a website first of all and update it with blog posts providing advice on tips of the health benefits of all the different things you sell in store, as well as news of special offers. Tactfully embed keyword searches into your posts which may be, for example, fruit and veg home delivery in Elgin. Searches for such an offering are bound to be limited, so to attract visitors to your site you will have to utilise internet marketing in tandem with traditional marketing and PR. This could involve:

-distributing flyers advertising your new health tips blog (highly sought after information)

and

-getting a column in your local paper about local fruit and veg produce, or health tips, with your website’s URL at the bottom.

Once your site visits are up, use the content of your site to spread your USPs such as tailored service and customer care rather than malfunctioning self-service checkouts which increase blood pressure! By delivering excellent customer service in tandem with the above, word of mouth will spread and you will soon notice your revenue increasing.

Once you have reached this level, expand your business offering. Seek contracts to supply fruit and veg to local schools and offices, offering bulk buy discounts.

As this example illustrates, by utilising SEO carefully and thinking just a little outside the box, you can take advantage of people’s thirst for information, creating content that brings in site visitors. They can go on to become customers, providing you with platforms to expand your business and rise to the challenge brought by MNCs.

Whatever your industry or sector, if you run a small business that you want to grow, email Nafees Mahmud: Nafees(at)smediscounts.com for a free consultation. 

 

With the Easter Holidays just around the corner, pubs, restaurants, and other businesses may be considering hosting special events to attract the crowds. But changes to your day-to-day business activities can create new risks. Here are some top tips on how to organise a safe event this Easter:

 

• There is often a need to consult various authorities to obtain specific permissions and licenses. This can cause delays, so it’s a good idea to factor in extra time to get this sorted out.

 

• Business owners should conduct a thorough risk assessment in order to identify potential hazards. This will also apply to any equipment that you need to hire for the event. If you are using gazebos or temporary stages, you’ll need to ensure that these are safe and secure.

 

• Keep an eye on the weather. Whilst it might not necessarily mean that your event gets cancelled, wet and windy weather conditions can make temporary structures unsteady, so it is wise to consider alternatives if it is unsafe for them to be erected.

 

• Be aware of new slip and trip hazards, including extra cables, and paint or water spillages. All staff who are working at the event should be fully briefed on how to spot potential dangers; in particular, how to clean up spillages and where to locate signage for wet floors should there be a spillage. They also need to be made aware of what to do in an emergency, in case of a fire or where first aid is required.

 

If you are planning a Bank Holiday event over the Easter break, it’s often a good idea to check your business insurance policy as your insurer may have different terms and conditions regarding events. These must be complied with to ensure your business is covered, so it’s a good idea to contact your insurer if you are in any doubt.

Professionalism in presentation. It is essential for businesses. Most people will agree. They will say it is important to wear polished shoes, an ironed shirt and a tie that doesn’t have pornographic images on it, or a blouse with coffee stains. This, in tandem with a business card, that is not pulled from the back pocket, wrinkled at the edges and smelling of things most people pay to keep their armpits void of.

Then there is the website. Yes, you can hire cheap copywriters who may speak English as a fifth language. They will give you a a decent price, but will it be a decent job?

That depend’s on you’re ability whether you can spot difference btween good and bad copy. Lets say this though. If you can’t spot mistakes’ when you see them staring at you blatantly in the facce them the should be you in business.

Get the point? Invest with care for the right presentation.

You have gone to the effort of making a plush site with fancy business cards, as well as combing your hair before every meeting. You may even take an iPad to meetings instead of a conference folder. Is there anything else?

Yes. You could further improve the professional branding of your business by using 08 numbers supplied by companies like 08 direct and 0800numbershop.

There are a variety of numbers available including 0844 and 0845. You can opt for an 0800 number which makes it free for your customers to call from landlines and can increase enquiries to your business by up to 175%.

Why is this important?

Today, people are setting up businesses left right and centre.  Many people are working from home whilst doing so. But they don’t use their personal email addresses or home addresses for their  businesses. Why use your mobile or home phone number? Not only can an 0800 number make calls to your business free and improve your presentation, it can also allow you to separate business from personal life.

There are additional benefits too such as welcome messages, call forwarding and fax to email services.

In an age where customers increasingly demand ease, O8 numbers are a powerful magnet for customers. Take for example the increased power they can have in pulling in customers for you with things such as Google Adwords.  They have introduced a click to call functionality on smart phone touch screens.

Allow your customers to connect with you easily, and improve your company branding by getting an 08 number.

“Get your head out of the clouds”. No doubt, we’ve all been told this at times. However, technology is changing things. Now it is all about getting in the cloud. Not your head, but what your head produces: all the vital data and intellectual property of your business is being recommended to go into “the Cloud”.

 

Cloud computing allows data and software to be saved on a shared network with no physical location, on a “cloud” shared between organisations. It is environmentally friendly, saving on further hardware infrastructure and electricity and is also a more economic option than expanding one’s office size or buying more hardware to store growing files of data in this information age.

There is of course the argument that it could compromise security.  As the data will be accessed through web browsers and stored in “clouds”, rather than on desktops or servers within the business, there are fears it could increase the likelihood of hacking, but security measures are in place from the various cloud providers. It is unlikely to be any less safer than data viewed over the internet in cases of internet banking, for example. Large businesses have long been advocating the use of the cloud as a cheaper way of storing data. In this Not only could it benefit large businesses. Small businesses in the UK are expected to spend £13.7bn on IT investment this year. These costs could be reduced if the cloud is opted for.information age, data storage requirements for businesses are constantly growing. Expanding premises to store more computers and servers is costly and not geographically nor economically viable. Think of all the global headquarters that would require more physical space.

What is involved?

Storing  your business’ data in a secure cloud provider will allow you to:

• Have offline and local access with server and desktop syndication
• Have permission controls at any folder level
• Have centralised administration with real-time audit reporting
• Have configuration options to determine how users access files
• Customize your user interface for consistent branding

The process for your workers accessing networks and information will be much the same as it is currently. Instead of logging on to the intranet or accessing files on a desktop, they will use an app or web browser to gain access to what they need.

Given that businesses are moving into the use of cloud computing, inevitably personal data storage will soon be dealt with by “the cloud”. Just as the world has moved from libraries and encyclopaedias as a means of information, towards the internet, a similar transition will take place for data; from hardware to the cloud.

You can find out more about secure online storage from providers like Egnyte.

See www.Egnyte.com

 

As a content writer and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) consultant, I am constantly being asked the above question by small businesses and start-ups, at networking events. Many have heard of the phrase but do not understand how it is a necessary ingredient for business success.

Let me explain.

When you look for something these days; a product or service to buy, or some information, where do you look first? Yes, so do most other people. The Office of National Statistics revealed that 75 per cent of UK internet users will research a product or service online before they buy, 90 per cent of whom will start with search engines such as the high and mighty Google.

Google can be seen as a business directory, not just a search engine. People may never have heard of your business before but will be looking for what you offer. They will type in phrases relating to your offering, for example, “SME recruitment” and though those words may not be in your domain name, if you offer such advice or services, your website should come up at number one. How? Simply because you will have taken full advantage of Search Engine Optimisation in several ways:

• Your web designers/copywriters will have built in the keyword search phrases relating to your business. They will have researched what people most commonly type in when looking for what you offer. For example, if you are a driving instructor in Kelvinbridge, Glasgow, people looking for such a thing will likely type in “driving instructors, Kelvinbridge, Glasgow”, into Google, Bing and other search engines. Discovering this through specific research tools, your web designers/copywriters should then include that and other relevant keyword search phrases into your web copy, making it look as natural as possible. (The tricky part).

 

• You will constantly be updating the content on your website and, again as naturally as possible, include the keyword search phrases. This will keep your website ranked on top of Google. Because there are new websites appearing online every hour, you want to make sure a competitor does not come along with more usage of keyword search phrases than you and take: a) your number one slot on Google, and b) consequently, your customers/clients.

• How do you do this when most websites contain static information such as the About Us and Contact Us pages?  Simply by having a blog on your site. If you feel you don’t have the time, ideas or high quality writing ability to update a blog  at least three times a week, hire a freelance blogger/content writer or content management firm who can do it for you. If you feel you do not have the money to spend on hiring such a service, shut your business down and stick to a 9 to 5. If you are not willing to spend a little bit of money (these guys can be cheaper yet more effective for SMEs than large marketing agencies) on bringing in customers, what on earth are you doing?  Alternatively, start learning how to write well. (In addition to blogs, press releases, White Papers and surveys are good ways to keep your site updated with relevant, engaging content utilising SEO).

• Backlinks: Again this will require excellent writing ability. If you do not have the time, a good SEO/content management firm will handle this for you. It involves writing high quality guest blog posts on other relevant blogs and including embedded hyperlinks back to your site. Many companies will tell you this is simply another SEO tool. However, if you hire good writers you will get far more bang for your buck. These guest articles are a chance to engage and widen your audience, express cutting edge thought leadership and bring readers direct to your site/blog who then end up becoming customers/clients.

Now that you hopefully have a better understanding of SEO, beware. There are thousands of cheap SEO “experts”, who will bombard your inbox and offer you SEO content at low rates: i.e £100 or $100 a year, but with the lowest imaginable quality. If you don’t want to look unprofessional, remember, in the age of the internet, (high quality) content is King.

 

 

There are many ingredients for being a successful entrepreneur. In many cases one of the most valuable is failure. However, leaving that tricky one aside for one moment, let’s look at one of the least obvious: international work experience.

 

In a changing global economy, learning how things are done in other economies, particularly growing ones such as China, can be an eye-opening experience which leaves you with incredible insight for applying business success in your native country. Further, it can open you up to networks and contacts which can be utilised to boost your business back home.

If you are working for a large multinational and thinking of setting up a business of your own, being transferred to a foreign office can provide you with highly valuable experience.

If you have just left university and are uninspired by the job market in the UK, internships in China can provide you with the motivation to find openings in new areas. You may find ideas for highly profitable businesses rather than offers from straightforward graduate schemes. Given the Chinese economy is growing, despite a potential slowdown in growth this year, there are various opportunities for those with resilience and a keen eye for business opportunities.

 

 

 

 

Entrepreneurialism is officially the new black. Everywhere you go, possibly including your own office, you will meet people running a small business on the side. Since the recession slaughtered people’s perceptions of typical career progression, taking the future into their own hands has become dominant in the minds of many.

Yet funding is not easily available, not from banks anyway. When you attend business networking events you are very likely to bump into multipreneurs: people running two or more businesses with one funding another.

Often multipreneurs end up chasing their own tails; finding it difficult to get one business fully off the ground and generating sufficient revenue, whilst sucking money out of the other.

If you are or plan to become a multipreneur, there are certain types of businesses which can prove to be financially rewarding and more prone to success than others. For example, property investment.

You may be thinking of property investment as a means of supplementing your income anyway but if you pursue it through setting up a limited company in the UK you will be exempt from paying tax on your first £10,000 of profit.

 Further, taking advantage of property investing advice could help you find lucrative opportunities you never knew were open to you in the various realms of property such as overseas investment, “flipping”, buy to let and leaseholds.

Being or aspiring to be an entrepreneur in 2012 means there are vast opportunities to explore. It is understandable that people want to retain as much control of their ideas as possible and seeking loans and investment can jeopardise that.

Setting up a smaller business to fund another makes sense if you have the time and energy, particularly if the former does not require its own funding. If you have money to invest, from which you want to see vast returns which can be pumped into a grand project, property investment may be for you.

For more advice on property investment visit IPIN Global Services

One in five small business loan applications were rejected last year, according to recent research by business software and data provider Sage UK. This has highlighted the struggle that many SMEs continue to face when attempting to access funding they need to help build their businesses. But some small business owners may now be able to overcome one potential aspect of the downturn, thanks to one company who want to help.

Marketing budgets can be one of the first things to feel the strain when economic times are tough and it’s during these periods that the ability to promote your business adequately can help make or break it. For small and new businesses in particular, it can be tough to make an impact with limited funds. If you’re an SME owner that would appreciate a helping hand in this department, the latest competition from green printing outfit Flyerzone may be of interest.

Throughout February, the eco printing firm are asking small businesses and start-up organisations to tell them a bit about themselves as well as their needs and goals over the coming months in order to be in with a chance of bagging some marketing help.

Five firms that impress the company the most will win £1,000 of promotional printing and hopefully set their business off to a flying start in 2012.

On top of this initial helping hand, the brand are also offering coverage for the winning businesses on their blog alongside other promotional exposure.

Although Flyerzone aren’t asking competition entrees to submit formal business plans, they are looking for innovative ideas and enthusiasm.

They want to know what businesses are hoping to achieve in 2012 and how some free flyers or other printed promos can help them on their way.

If you want to express some creative flair and give your business a boost to boot, you’ll need to get your competition entry across to Flyerzone before 6pm on February 29th. The organisation will then take a look at the entries before announcing the winners. The prizes themselves can be claimed any time up until the end of 2012, so companies may choose to support a particular product event or launch through promotional materials, with points awarded for creative concepts.