The B-Daily Business Network has just reported that commercial behaviour experts are citing UK small businesses as the leading influences of global business trends. This is great news for the UK economy and will provide some much needed encouragement to start-up companies all over the country. Most business owners today know that the internet is the future of a company’s success and so monitoring of online business trends is now just as important as the monitoring of offline developments. Here are some of the top online trends for business over the next year. Because the economy is still in recovery...

For the environmentally conscious business owner, using promotional products can pose a dilemma; you want to promote your company and show your appreciation to customers and employees, but you also want to maintain an eco-friendly standpoint. The solution to this problem is to use Eco promotional products, which are just as functional and affordable as standard products, but are made from materials which benefit the earth. The use of eco friendly promotional products can only help your business; after all, these products are a reflection of your business and environmentally friendly items will show...

Whilst the general promotion of a company is a top priority for almost any business owner, the promotion of a new service or product usually requires a separate marketing plan which takes a fresh approach. This can be challenging, to say the least. This is where promotional pens can be particularly useful. By using a pen which perfectly reflects the new campaign’s brand colours, style and message, a promotional pen can help in familiarising customers with the company’s new product or service in a subtle but highly effective way. Because a pen is something used on a daily basis, it is a great item...

The Golden Globes, held this January, were a roaring success; from the gossip about the designer gowns, to the after party celebrations and everything in between. It would seem odd for a year to pass by without our favourite actors and actresses receiving recognition for their on screen performances; the Oscars and the Golden Globes are some of the most watched events in the world. However, when it comes to celebrating work achievements in the ‘real world’ of business, we are less inclined to give credit to those who have earned it, with an awards ceremony. Many business owners are now realising...

Business Week recently wrote about the most used work in the English Language today; the results may or may not surprise you. ‘Twitter’ was found to be the most popular word. According to the article, Twitter is billion pound industry leader in social media. Almost all businesses today are familiar with some form of social media; a Facebook or Twitter account can be a great help in marketing and branding. Many companies are expanding their social media use to include customer service. However, not all social media platforms are alike; Twitter seems to be leading the way in terms of speed of...

It was recently announced that the company Nestle are planning to streamline one of their more prominent coffee factories in a bid to streamline. This comes as no surprise in what is still an economic downturn. With economic conditions still making business success difficult for many, it seems that streamlining is fast becoming a popular choice. This response may seem drastic, however it does not necessarily imply that jobs must be lost in the process; there are plenty of other methods which can help to cut costs during challenging times. One simple way to streamline is to reduce paperwork. Organising...

Whilst the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on dry land is to be held in Windsor Castle, London will be having its very own Diamond Pageant, on the Thames River! On the Sunday afternoon of June the 3rd this year, there will be more than one thousand boats floating along the Thames River. These boats will be lead by Queen herself down along the waters of the Thames, in honour of the Diamond Jubilee. It is to be one of the most extravagant flotillas ever on this famous river. The flotilla itself will be surrounded by a stream of passenger boats, which are expected to hold more than thrity thousand members of the...

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations will see that the Royals are kept busy for several months; as part of the celebrations, the Queen is planning to tour all over the UK, with the Duke of Edinburgh. The rest of the Royal family’s schedules will be just as hectic, with visits to 15 other countries planned; each country in which the Queen is the head of state will be a part of the itinerary, as well as many of the Commonwealth nations. The Duke of York will be making a trip to India, whilst Prince Harry will be visiting the Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize, according to the Buckingham Palace Diamond Jubilee...

In Sacbee, it was recently reported that there is a clear link between how engaged staff are and overall efficiency, which leads to great profits. If, as an employer, you feel that staff are lacking in enthusiasm and interest in the goals of the company and their personal workload, there are ways to improve their motivation and enthusiasm. The first thing to do, is to let go of any unhelpful, negative presumptions about employees; if they have not been working at their best, there could be a myriad of reasons for this and holding onto grudges will not help to move forwards and improve their engagement....

As we are approaching January’s halfway point, the nostalgia from New Year celebrations is calming down. It is now time to look forward and do so by looking forward to one of the most anticipate events of the last few years. The Olympics. I, for one, am indifferent to this fortnight of sport. I honestly cannot make my mind up whether it is worth the billions of pounds of investment or if it will flop and embarrass the UK on the international stage. Whichever side you are on, the simple fact is that the Olympic games are going to happen and we are stuck with it. So what are we to expect? Well, a skip...