Editor's blog
Keeping the hacks happy
20-08-2008
Ask any journalist like me about their relationships with public relations representatives and they are likely to say it's very much a love-hate one. I'm happy to admit that my job would be a lot harder without them as trying to get in touch with company spokespeople and arranging interviews would certainly be tricky. However, on too many occasions PRs are often more trouble than they're worth and, perhaps more importantly, don't paint a good picture of the clients like represent. An experience I had last week was a case in point.
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20-08-2008
Ask any journalist like me about their relationships with public relations representatives and they are likely to say it's very much a love-hate one. I'm happy to admit that my job would be a lot harder without them as trying to get in touch with company spokespeople and arranging interviews would certainly be tricky. However, on too many occasions PRs are often more trouble than they're worth and, perhaps more importantly, don't paint a good picture of the clients like represent. An experience I had last week was a case in point.
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Benefiting from the credit crunch
13-08-2008
A year on from the start of the so-called credit crunch, businesses are bracing themselves for the worse downturn since the 1990s. With that in mind, I was amused by an advert I spotted recently. Promoting a Chinese restaurant in Bristol, it trumpeted a £3.80 deal as part of its 'credit crunch menu'. Clever marketing! When times are tough, people like to treat themselves to an occasional night out and what better than a cheap meal. The restaurant's tactic got me thinking: despite all the bad news, how many other businesses are actually benefiting from the credit crunch? After doing a bit of research, I discovered quite a few are.
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13-08-2008
A year on from the start of the so-called credit crunch, businesses are bracing themselves for the worse downturn since the 1990s. With that in mind, I was amused by an advert I spotted recently. Promoting a Chinese restaurant in Bristol, it trumpeted a £3.80 deal as part of its 'credit crunch menu'. Clever marketing! When times are tough, people like to treat themselves to an occasional night out and what better than a cheap meal. The restaurant's tactic got me thinking: despite all the bad news, how many other businesses are actually benefiting from the credit crunch? After doing a bit of research, I discovered quite a few are.
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The secret behind the Wispa revival
4-08-2008
If like me you're a child of the 80s, you were no doubt delighted to hear the news that Wispa is making a comeback. Pleasing sweet toothed people everywhere, Cadbury announced on Monday that the classic chocolate bar will return to the shelves on 6 October. The key driver for the resurrection of the iconic brand, which temporarily returned last October, were online social networks Facebook, Bebo and MySpace.
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4-08-2008
If like me you're a child of the 80s, you were no doubt delighted to hear the news that Wispa is making a comeback. Pleasing sweet toothed people everywhere, Cadbury announced on Monday that the classic chocolate bar will return to the shelves on 6 October. The key driver for the resurrection of the iconic brand, which temporarily returned last October, were online social networks Facebook, Bebo and MySpace.
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Booting out the late payers
22-07-2008
Late payment is the scourge of many an entrepreneur. An invoice settled promptly can be the difference between life and death for a small business. With limited cashflow, many simply can't afford to leave bills outstanding. The money has to come in on time so the company can continue to operate. Research has shown that ironically the worst offenders are the ones with huge pots of cash, the nation's big corporates who bully the small guys by changing payments terms and keeping their SME suppliers waiting. With this in mind, it was great to see a David getting one over on a Goliath this week.
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22-07-2008
Late payment is the scourge of many an entrepreneur. An invoice settled promptly can be the difference between life and death for a small business. With limited cashflow, many simply can't afford to leave bills outstanding. The money has to come in on time so the company can continue to operate. Research has shown that ironically the worst offenders are the ones with huge pots of cash, the nation's big corporates who bully the small guys by changing payments terms and keeping their SME suppliers waiting. With this in mind, it was great to see a David getting one over on a Goliath this week.
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Up the revolution!
11-07-2008
Small business owners are so completely and utterly peeved off with the UK's tax system, many may soon refuse to hand over what they should to the taxman! An outrageous statement you may think but it's a claim made today by the Professional Contractors Group.
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11-07-2008
Small business owners are so completely and utterly peeved off with the UK's tax system, many may soon refuse to hand over what they should to the taxman! An outrageous statement you may think but it's a claim made today by the Professional Contractors Group.
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Suited and booted?
9-07-2008
The entrepreneurs who recently took part in BusinessZone.co.uk's The Pitch were all every different but not just in terms of the businesses they were pitching. They also varied hugely in terms of what they were wearing.
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9-07-2008
The entrepreneurs who recently took part in BusinessZone.co.uk's The Pitch were all every different but not just in terms of the businesses they were pitching. They also varied hugely in terms of what they were wearing.
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Fail once and get promoted; fail twice and become the boss!
1-07-2008
I've adapted the title of this blog from a quote contained in a fascinating report released this week by the CBI and QinetiQ. Revealing how the world's most profitable service sector firms drive innovation, the study's key point for me is how the companies embrace failure.
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1-07-2008
I've adapted the title of this blog from a quote contained in a fascinating report released this week by the CBI and QinetiQ. Revealing how the world's most profitable service sector firms drive innovation, the study's key point for me is how the companies embrace failure.
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Glastonbury: It's not just about the music
27-06-2008
I'm writing this blog just 24 miles or so from the site of the world famous Glastonbury festival. If my current view out of the window is anything to go by, the thousands of revellers gathered at Worthy Farm waiting for the fun to begin are likely to be pretty wet. But I'm sure it won't dampen their spirits or it appears the passion of a bunch of entrepreneurs who every year benefit hugely from the festival.
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27-06-2008
I'm writing this blog just 24 miles or so from the site of the world famous Glastonbury festival. If my current view out of the window is anything to go by, the thousands of revellers gathered at Worthy Farm waiting for the fun to begin are likely to be pretty wet. But I'm sure it won't dampen their spirits or it appears the passion of a bunch of entrepreneurs who every year benefit hugely from the festival.
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Business Link: Things can only get better
20-06-2008
By now you probably know about my issues with Business Link, the government's flagship business advisory service - lack of consistency, too much box ticking etc, etc. In my seven years writing about entrepreneurs, these sorts of complaints have arisen time and time again. But I had hoped things were getting better, especially as a result of the government's so-called Enterprise Strategy announced earlier this year, but a conversation at an event in Bristol this week suggested the depressing status quo remains.
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20-06-2008
By now you probably know about my issues with Business Link, the government's flagship business advisory service - lack of consistency, too much box ticking etc, etc. In my seven years writing about entrepreneurs, these sorts of complaints have arisen time and time again. But I had hoped things were getting better, especially as a result of the government's so-called Enterprise Strategy announced earlier this year, but a conversation at an event in Bristol this week suggested the depressing status quo remains.
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The whole truth and nothing but the truth
12-06-2008
I'm sure I wasn't the only viewer who gasped at the moment Lee McQueen, the world's best reverse pterodactyl impersonator, was named Sir Alan Sugar's latest apprentice this week. My surprise was not just because he beat bookies' favourites Alex and Claire to the £100,000 a year job but also down to his securing of the position despite being exposed for lieing on his CV. Admittedly saying he studied for two years at Thames Valley University instead of the four months he actually spent at the institution isn't the fib of the century but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
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12-06-2008
I'm sure I wasn't the only viewer who gasped at the moment Lee McQueen, the world's best reverse pterodactyl impersonator, was named Sir Alan Sugar's latest apprentice this week. My surprise was not just because he beat bookies' favourites Alex and Claire to the £100,000 a year job but also down to his securing of the position despite being exposed for lieing on his CV. Admittedly saying he studied for two years at Thames Valley University instead of the four months he actually spent at the institution isn't the fib of the century but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
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