How to Improve your Business’s Credit Score

While business confidence levels in the UK have remained relatively high in recent times, it appears as though the looming spectre of Brexit is finally beginning to take its toll. Most tellingly, the ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor showed that sentiment declined sharply at the beginning of the fourth quarter, falling to -12.3 in October. To put this into perspective, it’s the lowest level since April 2009, when the country was managing the fall-out from the great recession.

business credit score

While entrepreneurs may be growing increasingly concerned as Brexit approaches, however, it’s important that they take practical steps to safeguard their ventures. One of the most important measures is to improve (or at least consolidate) your credit score, so following are some simple steps to help you achieve this goal.…

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Why Employee Benefits are Important for Businesses

Employees are the lifeblood of every company. Without them, it would be hard for a company to achieve its mission and enact its vision. But with a huge number of businesses from powerhouse brands to startup companies vying for the attention of the working populace, it can be very hard to stand out.

Happy employee, smiling broadly

This is where employee benefits come in. While salaries can be a guiding force in talent acquisition, the landscape has largely changed. Employers need more than just a monthly salary to get the talent they want, they need to keep up employee engagement and morale to ensure that they do not burn out and resign.…

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Green Focus: 4 Tips to Make Your Business Eco-Friendly

Corporate social responsibility is a big deal, and not just for the large multinationals. For SMEs and startups, an eco-friendly focus brings financial benefits, and garners a positive reputation in the marketplace. Consumers are increasingly conscious of a supplier’s green credentials, and will be more likely to choose a company that has policies of protecting natural resources. Going green also creates ensures long term jobs for employees, while preventing unnecessary environmental damage.

Go Green

Image Credit: AIO-CIO/Flickr

Here are some ways to give your business a green focus in a way that will leave your customers with no doubt that you are serious about championing sustainability.…

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Common IT Mistakes Your Business Should Watch Out For

Businesses are very complex machines, much like servers and computers. They feature a variety of different components to be successful, but perhaps none more important than IT. Especially with all the recent advancements in technology, it’s more important than ever to have an IT team that’s not only experienced and skilled, but also armed with the most recent, cutting edge technology.

IT Guy

Image Credit: Seeweb/Flickr

However, with an IT teams’ growing role in business, there’s a greater chance that things could go wrong or get forgotten. While making mistakes in other areas of your business might be minor, mistakes in IT can be very costly.…

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Supporting Employees through Financial Difficulties

While many of us still think that people who are working can’t really get into financial difficulties, it’s no longer the case. Employed people are just as likely as the unemployed to be struggling with personal debt, especially as wage rises aren’t keeping up with inflation now.

Facing financial trouble

The average amount of personal debt in the UK is £30,000 and in the US it’s $140,000. While for some this may be manageable, for others it’s an all-consuming nightmare than affects their home and work life.

Employers have a duty of care to employees here

You may, as an employer, believe that it’s not your problem if an employee is struggling in this way, but it is, at least partly.…

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6 Ways to Spend Your Business Loans

Before searching for lenders for your business loan, you need to first understand what you will use this money on. While a large cash lump sum may seem like just what your business needs, you need to approach your loan with caution. Without a proper plan on how you will use these funds you could suffer from irresponsible or even accidental overspending.

what to spend business loans on?

Business loans can help in every facet of your business from inventory to payroll and even helping your business with its prior debt. When thinking about how much capital you will need from your business loan take into consideration these seven ways you could put it to great use.…

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Diversity In The Workplace And Its Effect On Well-Being

It is safe to say that whether recruiters are convinced by the argument for equality or not, there is a tangible effect a diverse workforce has on the well-being of the workplace in general and the individuals it comprises. In fact, in purely business terms, research from McKinsey have found that diverse businesses deliver 35% better results than non-diverse business.

workplace diversity

A diverse working environment promotes acceptance, respect and teamwork, despite differences in race, age, gender, native language, political beliefs, religion, sexual orientation or communication styles among employees.

Effort is required to get it right.

It takes a deliberate effort to achieve a diverse workforce, given the landscape of the workforce and the availability of labour.…

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5 Surprising Ways to Deal with Difficult People

It is not very easy to deal with difficult people, that’s for sure. Let’s imagine the next situation. Your boss instructed you to head your team of four, organize a meeting, plan a product launch, and “ensure that it is 100% successful.” You and two of the team members are easygoing, but the other one is problematic. In fact, they’re such difficult people that they are hard to deal with.

tips to deal with difficult people

For one thing, in fact, they do not have any ideas on how to make this project flawless. For another, they do not agree with your options and are ready to contest everything that you offer.…

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6 Tips to Create Your Own Zen Room

In this day and age, we’re constantly on the go and trying to keep up with our jobs, relationships, health and more. Technological advances also mean that we’re always connected on our smartphones, computers, tablets etc. With such a busy lifestyle, it’s important that we have a space for ourselves where we can just relax, unwind and disconnect.

Tips to create a zen room

Below, we offer 6 tips to create your own Zen room – a restful, serene and restorative space just for you.

1. Select Natural and Light Fabrics

One of the most basic foundations of a Zen room is utilizing natural and light fabrics that are also comfortable.…

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Virtual Reality 101: What You Should Know About VR Technology

Virtual reality is a computer-created environment that allows a user to experience an alternate reality. Just like the Hollywood blockbuster “The Matrix,” science fiction has glamorized the idea of VR in countless novels and movies. The idea of ‘plugging-in’ to a different world has always been coveted, glamorized, and marveled at by tech geeks across the globe. Today, VR technology turns imagination into reality.

Wearing VR headset

By immersing yourself in a VR headset, you can tour places you only see in your wildest dreams. Virtually hike Mt. Everest, fly over oceans with a bird’s eyes view, and navigate any digital landscape that’s been designed for VR.…

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