<![CDATA[                KZ&Co- "superbus fautores entrepreneur audet somniare" - Blog]]>Fri, 03 Feb 2023 03:58:33 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[UK Business News-31/05/12]]>Thu, 31 May 2012 13:13:33 GMThttp://www.kzandco.com/blog/uk-business-news-310512Government Reveals First Empty Buildings To Become Available For Start Up Businesses
Summary:

Twenty empty government building will now become spaces available for new start-up business it has been announced. Eighteen locations across England have been identified in areas such as London, Rugby, Leeds, Birmingham and many more. The government is now inviting business start-up organisations to manage anddivide these spaces to new start-ups as well as offer these new start-ups with the support and advice they need.The main reason the government has began these initiative is because new businesses find it difficult to find new spaces due to high rent, so the goal is to offer low-cost facilities.

The View:
Good step from the government here after the last financial year the government cut down the amount of building that they used meaning that their was plenty of space so they are putting it to good use. This should be a plus for these new start-ups because the leases are flexible and the cost low, in the future it is hinted that more building may become available like this.

Your Business Looking For Space?, Thinking Of Starting A Business But No Space?

Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14248&Title=Government+reveals+first+empty+buildings+to+become+available+for+start-up+businesses
Apply:
http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/

Car Insurance Market To Be Probed
Summary:
The Office of Fair Trading has provisionally decided to refer the private motor insurance market to the CompetitionCommission after it found evidence the insurance compete in a dysfunctional ways that pushes up premiums by £225m a year. Example after a road traffic accident the at-fault driver's insurance is liable to meet the cost of repairs, the OFT found that the insurance company for the at-fault drivers have little control over the way these repairs are carried out, so brokers, hire organisation and repairers can take advantage of this by charging referrelfee and bumping costs of repairs. Based on this the OFT believes it has strong enough grounds suspect foul play and is to help probe the market.


The View:
Markets such as car insurance should be more tightly regulated it is cause of a few people not playing by the rules that affects all of us, hence why car insurance has skyrocketed recently and this is one off the reasons why, hopefully issues like this can be weeded out and everyone can get a better deal on their insurance.


Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14242&Title=Eurozone+crisis+fails+to+dampen+North+West+spirits

North West Spirits Ride High
Summary:
More than half of the North West business leaders are confident in their own company's outlook for 2012, despite the gloomy economic environment, fears of a double dip recession, ongoing turmoil in the Euro zone. Fifty Six percent of the regions executive are optimistic about their prospects of their own business more than five times as many as those who feel pessimistic about the road ahead.

The View:
Encouraging news and so it should be entrepreneurs should feel confident about the future a positive attitude does far more for your business then a negative one and despite all the recession talk a few businesses have grown and are now thriving.

Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14242&Title=Eurozone+crisis+fails+to+dampen+North+West+spirits 
]]><![CDATA[UK Small Business News-23/05/12]]>Wed, 23 May 2012 12:04:06 GMThttp://www.kzandco.com/blog/uk-small-business-news-230512Fuel Slump Hits UK Retail Sales
Summary:
A record fall in petrol sales saw UK retails sales volume falls by 2.3% in April. The fuel sector was not the only one that saw a sales fall, sales of clothing and footwear wear also affected by the severe rainfall in April. Factors such as the weather and growing inflation were the main reason sales fell. However analysts are optimistic about the future with a turn in the weather and lots of big events the retailers are hoping for a much better summer period.

The View:
Fairly unsurprised by the sales fall I am however surprised that more sectors are not affected, things are looking better as the weather has improved and the high streets look a little bit easier. Sales of clothing and footwear should increase because of big sporting events such as Euro 2012 and of course a little event that you might have heard of called the Olympics.
Prepared For The Summer?, Is Your Business Improving During The Summer Months?

Full Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18171600

Second IP Attache Appointed To Support UK Business In India
Summary:
The UK's second largest IP attaché will begin work on 23rd May 2012, the place is central to the governments plans to bolster trade relations and support IP and innovation abroad. Anishka Jha will be based in the British High Commission in Delhi working with representatives from UKTI and FCO to help British business operating in India make the most of the business opportunities there. India is a rapidly developing global market with a middle-income population expected to reach 600 million by 2030 nearly 10 times that of the UK population.

The View:
Well the article says it India is a huge market and it is growing incredibly fast, another positive is that Indian's love British brands which is a huge advantage, few countries have the resources or experience to break into a new market, it will be interesting to see what happens a lot of American brands such as Nike, McDonald's, Disney etc are all taking advantage of this opportunity, also it is easier to get into India then China because they are less restricted.
Will You Expand Into India?, Is This An Exciting Opportunity To Broaden Your Horizons?

Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14162&Title=Second+IP+attach%E9+appointed+to+support+UK+businesses+in+India 

Social Media Networks Vital To Attracting Customers
Summary:
Business social media networks continue to revolutionise corporate marketing strategy and over the next two years will be the second most effective tool of acquiring customers, according to research among 2500 UK businesses conducted by Regus.Senoir managers and business owners also said that face to face networking is the best way of generating new business compared to all other techniques. Online advertising will keep its favoured standing but lags significantly behind social media.


The View:
Social media is a big phenomenon and it is only going to get bigger, for the first time it lets businesses speak directly to their customer as opposed to TV advertising which talks to everyone, new tools such as Facebook Pages and Twitter have allowed brands to connect with these consumers for a much cheaper rate, and allowed smaller businesses to connect with customers in a way that was not possible before social media.
Has Social Media Helped Your Business?, Are You Ahead Of The Trend Of Falling Behind?

Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14163&Title=Social+media+networks+vital+to+attracting+customers

£200m Programme Delivers Growth Support To Ambitious Firms
Summary:
An innovative £200m programme to up 26,000 of England's brightest business businesses do their ambition and potential was launched by Vincent Cable in the hope that 55,000 high value jobs will be created. Growth Accelerator is available for companies with genuine potential for rapid and sustainable growth, This new partnership between the Government and private sector will see proven business experts working with companies to find barriers to growth and how to overcome them. This issues will include things such as securing finance,commercializing innovation or developing leadership and management ability.


The View:
The Government certainly seems like they want to help the SME sector, yesterday they launched the new nearly £3m Enterprise Research Centre and today they are launching this scheme to help over 25,000 businesses. As a small business there is a lot of help available it is just very difficult to find.
Inspired By This Scheme?, Is Your Business One Of The 26,000 That Can Benefit From It?


Full Article:http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14169&Title=%A3200+million+programme+delivers+growth+support+to+ambitious+firms 


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]]><![CDATA[UK Small Business News-22/05/12]]>Tue, 22 May 2012 13:45:10 GMThttp://www.kzandco.com/blog/uk-small-business-news-220512IMF Tell's UK To Consider Rate Cut
Summary:
The IMF has said the UK's continuing economic weakness means authorities should consider more quantitative easing and even consider cutting interest rates. During its annual look at the UK economy they endorsed the government's deficit cutting plan it said the monetary stimulus has helped the economy. IMF said the UK should also consider cutting interest rates putting it below 0.5%. Also announced that the forecast of UK growth is 2% for 2013 which is slightly more optimistic then the 1.6% predicted by independent economic experts.

The View:
Well it's always beneficial in the short-term when interest rates go down, but then their will come a time when it goes right back up. So its not really that beneficial is like putting tape over a burst pipe, it is positive that the economy is showing signs of some growth to.
In Favour Of Interest Rates Going Down?, Feeling Positive About Growth?

Full Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18158226

Inflation Drops To 3%
Summary:
UK inflation slowed in April as the Consumer Prices Index dropped to 3% down from 3.5% in April an 3.6% in March. Despite the fall in inflation, Jeremy Cook warned that the drop in inflation will not benefit household due to the discrepancy in wage growth. The inflation drop comes because of events in external cause such as the decrease of oil and the strength of the pound.

The View:
I believe that this is a minor bump and inflation will continue to growth, the main reason it decreased in May was mainly because of external influences such as the oil factor and stronger currency trading.
Is Inflation Showing Signs of Declining?, Will It Be Of Any Benefit To You?

Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14151&Title=UK+inflation+rate+drops+to+3%25

Deborah Meaden Backs Make It In Britain Campaign
Summary:
Entrepreneur Deborah Meaden is backing a Government initiative to take the outdated perception of manufacturing and try to discover new creative ideas. Famous for her role on Dragons Den, Deborah will be joining other business leaders to lend their support to the “Make It In Great Britain”. Deborah and other business leaders will bring ability that will strengthen efforts to attract the talent and investment that the manufacturing industries need to grow. The challenge is helping to inventors, manufacturers, engineers, designers, businesses of all sizes, young people and the general public. The even will then culminate in an exhibition at the Science Museum during the Olympic Games.

The View:
The last few days a lot of encouraging news has come out the government launched initiatives to help manufacturers launch their product overseas, Vauxhall announced a new deal to produce its Astra cars and now the new Make It In Britain campaign so their seems to be a little upswing for the UK's ever declining manufacturing sector.

Is The UK Manufacturing Sector On Its Way Back?, As A Manufacturer Are You Going To Participate In This Campaign?

Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14156&Title=Deborah+Meaden+backs+Make+it+in+Great+Britain

New £2.9m Enterprise Research Centre Will Drive Small Firm Policy
Summary:
A partnership to create a new independent £2.9m enterprise research centre will help drive the growth of the SME sector the UK has announced. The Enterprise Research Centre will help develop a greater understanding of the factors affecting business investment, performance and growth. The project is a collaboration between the Department For Business, Innovation and Skills )BIS), the British Bankers Association(BBA), the Economic and Social research Councils (ESRC) and The Technology Strategy Board. It is also stated that the aims are to create a network of thousands of business mentors and providing quality coaching to a range of high growth potential businesses, also a £10m loan scheme to offer young entrepreneurs with the start-up capital they need.

The View:
A very interesting scheme here from the government, one that seems to get behind and support small businesses as well as young entrepreneurs. It will be interesting to see how beneficial this will be in the SME sector and if it will lead to sufficient growth.




Is This Encouraging News For You?, Will You Be Taking Advantage Of This Scheme?




Full Article:

http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14157&Title=New+%A32.9+million+enterprise+research+centre+will+drive+small+firm+policy


]]><![CDATA[UK Small Business News-18/05/12]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 11:33:40 GMThttp://www.kzandco.com/blog/uk-small-business-news-180512Market Jitters Over Troubles in Greece and Spain
Summary:
European market suffered a jittery session on Friday as concern grows about the economic future of Spain and Greece. Spain's main index is showing some signs of recovery after losing more than 2% of its value earlier on in the day. Money has instead been put into more safe investments such as German bonds. Issues in confidence with European banks werent help by Moody's cut the credit ratings of 16 Spanish banks.


The View:
So the worries continue to grow this can have a very negative impact across Europe and close to home, a collapse of Santander such as will have a huge effect on the UK banking sector, as Abbey and Alliance & Leicester are all by the Spanish giant. Europe needs to sort these issues out and fast if not Europe will suffer.
Does this worry you?, How do you think this will affect the rest of Europe and more importantly the UK.
Full Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18113600

Northern Rock rescue could cost taxpayer £2bn
Summary:
The UK taxpayer could lose about£2bn one the assets of collapsed bank Northern Rock are wound down, a public watchdog has estimated. The National Audit Office also stated that last year the tax payer lost £480m when the bank was sold last year. The NAO estimated it could take years to sell of Northern Rock's assets and when they eventually do get sold it will be a £2bn loss to the tax payer.
The View:
As a taxpayer I am a bit annoyed at the fact that money is not spent more wisely, I understand that banks were in trouble when but surely they could have come up with other ways of dealing with it, like the saying goes I guess if you throw enough money at it the problem will go away that certainly did not happen this time.

Full Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18106848

The Search For The UK's youngest innovators is on:
Summary:
The IPO has launched this years Cracking Ideas competition and is inviting children across the country to use their creativity to invent a special space-themed gizmo. 12 regional finalists in different age groups will be named Britains youngest innovators. The competition is open to children aged for to sixteen. By taking part kids will also learn how patents, trademarks, copyright and design play a part in everyday life.


The View:
It seems like a lot of fun for children to take part in the competition and it is could that kids are made wary of such things and patents which are becoming ever increasingly more important in the business world, if you have children encourage them to take part it will be a good opportunity and they might even win.


Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14131&Title=The+search+is+on+for+UK%92s+youngest+innovators ]

Facebook IPO Day
Summary:
Well its a difficult story to get away from Facebook is official going public today on the NASDAQ stock exchange with a valuation of a possible $100bn that means Facebook's 901m users will be worth over $111 each. Facebook is offering 422m in the range of $28-$35 a share, there is a lot of buzz about the Facebook IPO but there is also ever-growing concern such as the companies long-term plans on how to monetize on their users, as ad revenue per user is declining and they still have to come up with an effective away on how to monetize mobile.

The View:
A lot of buzz about this IPO maybe that's why Europe is suffering people pulling their money out of European stock and buying shares in Facebook, it be interesting to see what will happen the business programmes are all over it today.

Is Facebook all hype? Another dot-com bubble cometh?
Full Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18105608

]]><![CDATA[UK Small Business -17/05/12]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 13:47:28 GMThttp://www.kzandco.com/blog/uk-small-business-170512David Cameron Puts UK First:
Summary:
David Cameron has insisted that his priorities lays in keeping Britain safe from the eurozone. In a speech to business leaders in Manchester the PM said the eurozone was at a crossroads and moving into uncharted territory. The PM insisted that the UK was on the right economic course, while they have condemned issues like the political deadlocks in Greece and its effect on other European economies. The PM went on to say the “crisis the never really went away” and the eurozone has to either make up or break up.

The View:
In my opinion these are some very strong words from Mr. Cameron but that it they are just words, we need to see some changes such as a focus on helping small businesses and stimulating our own economy will be start.
Do you support Mr. Cameron's views?, Do you believe he really is on your side?

The Full Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18098505

Hague Tells Exporters I Am In Your Corner
Summary:
William Hague has pledged to exporters that the government was urging you on and fighting your cornet. The foreign secretary spelled out the ways in which his were helping firms boost their sales in key emerging economies after he highlighted how these economies will benefit growth in the UK. Hague highlighted that exporting overseas is an issue that he takes very seriously and by 2015 their will be 300 more diplomatic staff in place in 20 countries by 2015 including the likes of India and Brazil.

The View:

Exporting is a big part of the UK economy in 2010 over £425bn worth of goods were exported, now the UK's biggest exporting partners are the US, Germany, Holland, France etc. It is key that the UK moves fast into emerging markets such as BRIC and set up a presence. This should be welcome news to exporters who are finding it difficult to compete in the international arena especially with the dominance of China and the Far East as well as the emergence of India and Brazil.
Does your business export is this welcome news?, Will this be beneficial to your business?, Have you ever considered exporting your product?

The Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?CID=0&NID=14122&PGID=1


Ministers Don’t Need To Crack The Whip:
Summary:
Sir Roger Carr stated in a speech to senior business leaders and politicians at the CBI Annual Dinner that minister don’t need to “crack the whip” to get growth going. He went on to say that a more constructive approach needs to be taken to help solve the nation's greatest challenge which is growth.
Six key points were highlighted:
  • Reducing the regulating burden
  • Initiating infrastructure
  • Clarifying energy policies
  • Sorting out borders and queues at Heathrow
  • Financing growth ambition focusing on smaller and medium-sized firms
  • Tackling the European solvency challenges for our larger financial institutions

 The View:I believe some valid points were made, now the UK economy is very much service based, it needs to be more diverse. There are a lot of skilled workers in the field of manufacturing who can't get jobs, so they are developing new businesses and breathing some small life back into manufacturing, having the government finance and support these businesses will be a major boost to both unemployment in manufacturing and growth in exporting. Of course the banks in Europe have to be solvent because if they run out of money then we all suffer, this is I guess one of the biggest pitfalls of the EU.
Do You Believe The right issues have been highlighted, Can your business do with a bit more support, Is your business showing size of growth or flat lining?


Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14121&Title=Businesses+don%27t+need+ministers+to+crack+the+whip

New Funding Boost For Local Areas:
Summary:
Town halls are being urged to apply for grant of up to £25,000 from a LGA programme intended to help put councils are the heart of reviving the local economy. This is a part of the LGA's online campaign to encourage growth in local areas across the UK. The public sector holds and uses assets worth over £350bn. The LGA has written to chief executives across the country urging them apply for the funding. Up to 15 town halls will be able to use resources from the new programme, Successful councils will need to match the funding they receive and how they intend to work with charities, other town halls and local firms.


The View:
Good news for local businesses and they should encourage their local council to apply, outline what benefits it will bring to the local area. The funding can help you grow your existing business or even help boost funding for a new idea.
Is this something your business can benefit ?, Will You Encourage your council to apply?

Full Article:
http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14123&Title=New+funding+boost+for+local+areas


Vauxhall UK to Build New Astra Plant
Summary:
Good news for the UK manufacturing sector as today Vauxhall announced a historic deal which will see its Ellesmere plant produce its new generation of Astra cars, it is predicted over 160,000 new Astra cars will be produced a year. About 700 new jobs will be created directly in the plant and thousands more will be added in supply chain. The owner of Vauxhall, General Motors announced that it will invest £125mn in the factory and spend near £1bn in the UK part sector.


The View:
This is very positive news for the manufacturing industry it will hopefully be the catalyst for other companies to follow suit, also spending money in the UK market is another plus for local UK business, it is definitely good news for the UK.
Will this directly help your business?, Is this the kind of impact that the UK manufacturing industry needs?


Full Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18098657

]]><![CDATA[UK Small Business News- 16/05/12]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 12:31:34 GMThttp://www.kzandco.com/blog/post-title-click-and-type-to-editTodays biggest new stories are as follows:

Eurozone Tearing Itself Apart:
The Bank Of England have cut their growth forecast by a third to 0.8% down from 1.2%. This is mainly down to theeurozone crisis which the governor of the Bank Of England has said it is tearing itself apart and other factors such as Greece going back to the polls, these issues continue to be a major concern the economy. Another issue is inflation which will stay at above 2% it was thought that inflation will fall earlier but that has failed to happen. The news continues to get more gloomy as energy prices rise, cost of commodities increases and squeeze on household earning get tighter. What do you think of news like this do you believe it damages confidence on consumers causing them to spend less?

UK Unemployment Falls By 45,000

Some good news for the UK economy is more people are getting back to work, the number of people unemployed is 2.63m, down by 8.2%. However most people are getting part-time jobs with very few people managing to land full-time jobs. Factors such as the eurozone means this is a very small positive in a rather gloomy picture, has your business taken on new people recently?

And The Survey Says UK Manufacturers Want More Support

Manufacturers want the government to off more practical support, the survey supports the creation of an industrial bank and a renewed focus on manufacturing skills. There is also a call for UK companies to get more of a priority when public contracts are awarded, the government has promised to diversify the economy. The manufacturers are not buying into the government words only 26% thought the government was doing enough, over 50% of them expressed concerned about the sector believing manufacturing will not play a significant part in the UK economy in a decades time. As a manufacturer do you feel like you should get more support, do you feel you don’t have the enough resources to compete internationally?

UK Largest Retailer Could See A Sales Increase of £235m

New forms of selling such as Smart TV's, Mobile Apps and Online could add additional sales of £235million for the UK's top 10 retailers by 2014. The report commissioned by ebay stated that this new forms of selling could add a potential £2.4bn to the retail industry, this will then lead the technology to indirectly influence a further £9.1bn in retail sales during the same period. It's believed that retail is on the verge of the third technological wave. The biggest contributor is to  interactive TV which is estimated to generate sales of £750m by the end of 2014. Is your business equipped for this technological wave or are you struggling to keep up with the trend?

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