Articles

Until 1st October 2011, most businesses adopted the default National Retirement Age (NRA) of 65 for their staff. Under the then law, employers had the right to retire employees at 65, provided they followed the statutory retirement procedures. If such procedures were followed, such a dismissal would be neither unfair nor amount to age discrimination.

Helen Jacobi is Director of The Inspired PA and winner of National Outstanding VA of 2012 in the over two and a half years in business category. She was an Executive Assistant for 20 years working alongside boards of directors in large corporations and with successful entrepreneurs. Being passionate about enabling businesses to succeed, in 2009 she took the plunge and started The Inspired PA, a virtual PA and business management enterprise which supports business owners and entrepreneurs globally.

The absence of women from many top jobs might suggest that the concept of a glass ceiling is still very much a reality.There has however, been an encouraging upturn of female entrepreneurs, bucking gender trends even in traditionally male-dominated industries. 10 of the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs from a diverse range of backgrounds talk to inspiresme about overcoming the challenges they have faced.

All of us struggle to meet deadlines and goals at some point, and will inevitably fall back to short-term copying strategies – such as all-nighters – to get the job done. But these coping strategies often come at a price; lots of stress with a side order of exhaustion. In the long-term, planning and understanding are the keys to regularly meeting deadlines and goals without the nasty side-effects. Read on to find out more.

Understanding what is going on outside your business is an important part of strategic planning. There are some useful analytical tools that help to understand important factors in the business environment and competitive drivers in your industry as an initial step in undertaking competitor analysis. In addition to this, many businesses try to understand, in some detail, what its competitors are doing.

Litigation, it’s a word that strikes fear in to the heart of business owners and causes concern and anxiety for those involved. However it doesn’t have to. Learning how the tribunal process works and how it could affect you if you are called as a witness will make the process a bit easier and less scary, writes Zuraida Curtis, Regional Litigation Manager at Croner.

This article was written by Modwenna Rees-Mogg, founder and CEO of Pitching for Management and Angel News. The company matches senior executives seeking new roles with fast-growth businesses. The

The term ‘collaboration’ has been used in the world of business for many years, but more recently its use and meaning have evolved. We are now seeing more individuals and organisations using the word collaboration to encompass a wide range of meeting methods, whether it is a face-to-face, a telephone call or a virtual conference. This shift in definition is a direct result, and reflection, of the evolution in how we work.

It’s a polarised argument. Can you actually train someone to be an entrepreneur? Those who endorse mentoring initiatives resoundly say ‘yes’, while there are others who believe that entrepreneurial spirit is something you’re born with; that you will instinctively overcome any odds to make your business succeed.

Getting a business off the ground in times of economic stability is a challenging enough task; however, success stories of young entrepreneurs starting-up and running their own businesses despite the economic downturn are still hitting the headlines.10 of the UK’s brightest young entrepreneurs talk to inspiresme, offering their advice to other budding entrepreneurs and discussing their plans for the future.

"Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room" is a quote attributed to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com.Traditionally companies have been able to control their brand message, by and large, through their communications and actions. But, as Bezos says, things have changed and brands, in effect, are now what people say about them...

Signing a contract is serious for any party – these are legally binding agreements and the content must protect your interests, even if things go wrong. You need to consider exactly what goes into contracts you sign, whether with suppliers, clients or other third parties. David Gordon, of DG Law, explores how to write a watertight contract to ensure your business is protected at all times.

It is an understood, and understandable, fact that people at all stages of their career work best when they are able to achieve an appropriate balance between work and all other aspects of their lives, not least because it reduces the stress and strain of keeping the domestic, professional and social plates spinning.

Breach of Intellectualy Copyright is a serious matter when large amounts of cash are put into creating and protecting a business' online presence. Owner of Carbon Voyage, James Swanston explains what happens whenhe discovered word-for-word duplication of his website.

There’s been a lot of talk recently about how the great new lifeblood of the UK - and worldwide - economy is going to be fuelled by small businesses.

Light engineering is an important industrial sub-industry and provides services to a huge range of sectors including power, consumer goods and manufacturing. Demand is therefore consistent and strong, but light engineering is very competitive, particularly for British companies competing with counterparts throughout Europe and the Far East. Start-up costs can also be high. However, finding a niche can help new companies establish themselves.