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<title><![CDATA[ BusinessZone.co.uk ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ BusinessZone offers a wealth of news and features covering all aspects of small to medium business: starting up, finances, technology, managing people and more... ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk</link>
<language>en</language>
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	<url>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/images/logos/businesszone.gif</url>
	<title>BusinessZone</title>
	<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Top five hiring mistakes small businesses make ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ The main small business employee recruitment traps to avoid.   ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/177584/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Six ways to lower your recruitment costs ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ How much is recruitment costing your business? I bet it's more than a few Starbucks!  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/184310/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Kill the politics not the business ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ If there's one disease with the potential to kill a business, it's internal politics. Playing politics is not only bad for an organisation, it can make life miserable for its employees.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/183874/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Flexible working: The tools an SME needs ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ With Work Wise Week and National Work From Home Day happening this week and next small and medium sized business owners across the UK are, once again, considering the merits of flexible working.   ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/183554/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Managing talent ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ With the labour market showing no signs of immediate change, more businesses are recognising that effective talent management is the key to making a difference. The current shortage of candidates with the right skills and experience has created a fierce arena in the battle for talent. Since business success hinges so heavily upon having the right people in place, it is essential businesses have an effective talent management strategy integrated into their business plan.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/183476/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Getting the most of flexible working ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Entrepreneurs of new and established businesses are recognising that technology is now available to allow them and their staff to work productively and efficiently outside of traditional working patterns. With more people demanding a better work-life balance, flexible or remote working seems to be the answer to this hot issue.   ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/182003/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Hiring staff: Getting the basics right ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that starting your own business can pose a number of challenges. With so many factors to consider, including premises, IT and suppliers, juggling all your responsibilities as a business-owner can seem overwhelming.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/182148/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Corporate manslaughter: The impact on company drivers ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ On 6 April 2008 the government implemented the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007 which has huge implications for companies with employees that drive either company or their own vehicles (cars, motorbikes, vans, etc) on company business.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/181813/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Winning the management battle ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Management is a complex business. It is not about sitting in an ivory tower, issuing instructions and keeping an eye open to see if people need chasing to be sure that they are executing them properly. Growing any business involves people performing well and delivering results and to achieve this, whoever they are and whatever they may do, they need managing.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/181249/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ DIY recruitment ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Recruiting good staff is not getting any easier, with the demand for talent exceeding supply in many industries. This has led to increased recruitment costs as companies have become ever more reliant on using recruitment companies for sourcing new employees. However, many organisations are now starting to realise that they can actually save a considerable amount of money by initiating their own direct recruiting methods.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/180089/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Considerations for employment contracts ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Almost every business will require legally binding employment agreements, and when writing an employment contract it is necessary to take account of the most relevant legislation.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/178238/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Incentive travel: Motivating on the move ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Incentivising staff is a tricky business: first you have to get them motivated; then you have to maintain that excitement right up to the time the successful staff receive their reward; and then finally, you have to deliver so well that those who missed out promise themselves to do better next time.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/177066/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Overcoming employee stress ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ As a professional mediator, I frequently encounter examples of corporate conflict where the trigger points for disputes are aggravated by the stresses faced by the parties concerned. Under pressure, many of us say or do things that we wouldn't ordinarily consider appropriate.     ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/176349/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Recruitment made easy! ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Many people think recruitment is easy and it can be if you follow a few simple principles. Recruitment is not just about inviting a potential employee in and asking them a few questions and if you like them offering them the job. The danger is that you could be taking on someone who isn't suitable and may not possibly be able to do the job.<BR>  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/175940/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Staff productivity in the Facebook era ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Whilst I'd argue that that the recent news that Facebook is costing 233 million hours per month is somewhat wide of the mark, there is no question that the addictive nature of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace do pose a serious threat to productivity to the UK SMEs.  ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/175943/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ What yet more holiday! ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ On 1 October 2007 the Working Time Directive 1998  introduced 24 days (4.8 weeks) paid statutory annual holiday for those employees who work a five day week (pro rata for part time). The figure includes paid bank holidays. This applies to all employers w...   ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/174205/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Avoid tribunals with mediation ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ The system for arbitrating sex discrimination cases is straining under the increasing number of tribunals, according to Jenny Watson, the outgoing chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission, who also warned that this business blighting phenomenon,...        ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/173947/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Mind your language ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ The UK skills shortage is rapidly becoming a big problem for small and medium sized companies. One of the most significant issues limiting international business success, and therefore the ability of UK companies to compete in a global market, is a defic...      ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/173577/1095/1097/1096</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ Not too small to flex! ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Sandra Beale argues that offering flexible working to staff is no longer only for the big boys.   ]]></description>
<link>http://www.businesszone.co.uk/item/173587/1095/1097/1096</link>
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