Battle will commence in the regional heats of our business competition The Pitch 2010 this summer. Do you have a new company good enough to impress the judges? If so, read on
Join our social media discussion group and share your Twitter username with other BusinessZone members. Click here.
We're putting together a list of business owners' must-haves. Tell us yours here.
Dragons' Den judges James Caan and Deborah Meaden and social entrepreneur Karen Darby are some of the successful entrepreneurs who feature in our exclusive videos. Watch here.
Top 10 ways to deal with customer complaints
How to turn prospects into paying customers
Lord Davies: Business Link is here to stay
Teenage kicks: Do you really know what your customers want?
I've been at Music 4.5 today, an event in London focusing on start-up businesses in the music industry. One of most interesting sessions took place earlier this afternoon when a group of brave entrepreneurs took to the stage to present their businesses. Nothing new I here you say. But this group of 'investors' weren't Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden or Duncan Bannatyne; they were a bunch of teenagers!
Organised by entrepreneur Julia Shalet, the five 16-18 year olds are part of the Digital Youth Project, an initiative which connects young people with technology businesses.
I've seen a few pitching sessions in my time and most of the entrepreneurs taking part have been pretty nervous but this lot looked particularly scared as they presented their online music ventures to a group made up of their exact target market.
Dan Martin: Editor's Blog
Productivity Tips for Nomads
In the old days life was fairly simple. You had a place of work; which probably had a desk and all the essential office equipment: desktop computer, phone, calculator, Spice Girls calendar, etc. However, roll forward a few years and its amazing how that model has changed. Thanks to technology and a certain amount of liberalisation, most people can work anywhere.
I am one of those people. Armed with my laptop, 3G stick and mobile phone I tend to work wherever and whenever it suits, on the train, in the office or at home.
However there is a disadvantage to this nomadic lifestyle; keeping everything in sync can be difficult. Having a process is essential otherwise things fall through the gaps, and quickly.
Rumblings from the world of IT and E-Commerce
Good SEO means getting the basics right
Images:
Having a great looking website is of little use if no-one can find it. With a search engine being the starting point in most customer journeys nowadays, the importance of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has never been greater. However, as with a lot of things internet related, there is a lot of misunderstanding and confusion as to how best to get your website recognised by search engines. Unscrupulous digital and marketing agencies can take advantage of this and try and scare people with talk of keyword density, PPC and black hat SEO. The reality is that if you have a logical and coherent design to your website this, along with considered copy, can get you a long way down the road of SEO.
Marketing Tips for Small and Medium Sized Businesses
What do you hate about Websites?
Go on, have a moan about the frustration of the many websites you visit! Let it out!
By businessforbusiness
6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Instructing a Design, Marketing or Advertising Agency.
Images:
One of the biggest issues that affects the relationship between a design agency and their clients is lack of communication. Many businesses come away from a design project without the result they were hoping for, out of pocket and with a low opinion of the marketing industry. This is an industry that charges on an hourly rate and constant amends and meetings often lead to higher costs.
Marketing Tips for Small and Medium Sized Businesses
LIVE BLOG FROM NEW YORK: Small Business Summit featuring Seth Godin
Businesses angry over National Insurance hike plans