News
The follow news articles are supplied by businesszone.co.uk. All links open in a new window.
Entrepreneurs offered mentoring by social enterprise leaders
Social entrepreneurs are being given the chance to win one-on-one mentoring from the likes of Big Issue co-founder John Bird, The Apprentice winner Tim Campbell and Divine Chocolate boss Sophi Tranchell.
Organised by the Social Ambassador Programme, the competition offers access to the 28 entrepreneurs and business leaders who represent UK social enterprise.
As well as Bird, Campbell and Tranchell, other ambassadors include Penny Newman, chief executive of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Foundation and Tim Smit, creator of The Eden Project.
Current or aspiring social entrepreneurs as well as social enterprises and organisations interested in using business to create social and environmental change can enter the competition with each ambassador giving two hours of mentoring to the winners, as well as a tour of their social enterprise to get the inside story on how it works.
(03/10/2010)
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Live web TV show: Better bookkeeping with Five's Business Inspector
Join us for a live web TV show on 17 March with entrepreneur Hilary Devey, the star of Five's new television show The Business Inspector.
Are you running one of the 1.5m small businesses whose poor record keeping is preventing you from making the money you should be? Well, we can help!
'The Business Inspector', a four part series launching on Five at 8pm on Wednesday 17 March, aims to remind small businesses of the importance of keeping good records. Each week presenter and award winning entrepreneur Hilary Devey, visits two small businesses and advises them how to improve their processes, systems, strategy and direction.
Immediately after the first episode at 9pm on 17 March, Devey will take part in a live, interactive Web TV show in which she will answer business owners’ questions. She will be joined by Mike Allcock from HM Revenue & Customs in giving top tips on bookkeeping and all things tax. Use the comment box below to pose a question in advance. The comment box will be replaced automatically by the live web TV show.
(03/10/2010)
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Business Finance Survey: The results are in - Did you win the laptop?
Late payment was one of the key problem areas highlighted by small companies in BusinessZone.co.uk's recent Business Finance Survey.
BusinessZone.co.uk's huge Business Finance Survey has now closed. Over 450 respondents completed the survey, providing a fascinating snapshot of how UK businesses are dealing with their finance and cashflow issues, and how they plan to meet the challenges in the year ahead. The vast majority of entrepreneurs said they were expecting an improved financial performance from their business in 2010, though late payment is increasingly becoming a worrying issue for many small business owners.
(03/10/2010)
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EFG lending - an urban myth?!
Those of you who have been following this blog will know that i've been awaiting feedback from Bank 2 on my application for Enterprise Finance Guarantee lending.
After Bank 1's rejection, I was pretty much expecting another 'no'.... which is exactly what i've got!
Two reasons were quoted - firstly that it's still early days in terms of sales (despite the fact we've just got in to a big supermarket) and the second - lack of security. Their response on the EFG aspect is very telling...what they told me is that because the scheme involves many restrictions, they are now not looking to lend any funds under the scheme, although they have done in the past.
I've been advised to come back when I have confirmed orders (fair enough, although I already have email confirmation) and alternative security to offer.
(03/10/2010)
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International Women's Day: Five inspirational female entrepreneurs
To mark International Women's Day, we've put together a selection of five of our favourite video interviews with female entrepreneurs.
Video: Entrepreneur Karen Darby on the business of doing good
Although serial entrepreneur Karen Darby, who started energy price comparison service Simply Switch and sold it for £25m just three years later, has reaped huge financial rewards, her business ventures have also had social aims. In an exclusive video interview, Darby argues that social enterprise is the way forward. Watch the video.
(03/10/2010)
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Lord Davies: Business Link is here to stay
The small business minister has publicly backed Business Link after claims by the Tories that they will scrap the advisory service if they win the general election.
Lord Davies said despite criticism by shadow small business minister Mark Prisk that the organisation is poor value for money and should be closed down, it will remain in place. "Business Link is a tried-and-tested service and reaches out to companies that don’t have internal resources. It is here to stay but that doesn’t mean we can’t improve it," he told the Sunday Times.
(03/10/2010)
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