http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/ Daily updates from the BT Blog en http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Make-sure-your-BlackBerry-is-secure/ <P>After the recent spate of news stories about people losing laptops and CDs with highly-sensitive data on them, most people in business are probably a little more careful about where they leave their laptop. But there are other ways you can let sensitive data get into the wrong hands - without actually losing anything.</P> <P><A href="http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/Showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=21a02a97-63bd-4b9a-823a-d32a3109d7bc" orgurl="http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/Showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=21a02a97-63bd-4b9a-823a-d32a3109d7bc">New research from BT</A>, the University of Glamorgan in Wales and Edith Cowan University in Australia has revealed that a significant number of hand-held communication devices which are bought second-hand still contain sensitive company and personal information.</P> <P>The survey of over 160 used gadgets found a range of information including salary details, financial company data, bank account details, sensitive business plans, details of board meetings and personal medical details.&nbsp;&nbsp; </P> <P>The devices containing the greatest volume of information were discarded BlackBerrys, which in a number of cases were left completely unprotected despite having security features like encryption built in.</P> <P>In one example, a BlackBerry was examined that had been used by the sales director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) of a major Japanese corporation.&nbsp; It was possible to recover the call history, the address book, the diary and the messages from the device and the information that was contained in these provided the business plan of the organisation for the next period, the identification of the main customers and the state of the relationships with them, and even bank account details! </P> <P>The lesson is simple: mobile tools like the BlackBerry and Office Anywhere deliver a great deal of benefit to business. But when you upgrade, make sure they are securely wiped - and don't let them leave the building until this is done. </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Make-sure-your-BlackBerry-is-secure/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Make sure your BlackBerry is secure Ian Betteridge 2008-10-03 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Googles-energy-efficiency-plan/ <P>You’ve got to admire their chutzpah. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has <A href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10056099-54.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0">put forward a plan</A> to wean the U.S off fossil fuels in favour of renewable and carbon-free energy sources. The price? A mere $4.5 trillion.</P> <P>However, as Schmidt points out, while the programme would cost a vast amount of money, it would also save a vast amount – as much as $5.5 trillion. As he puts it, "with this plan, it's cheaper to fix global warming than it is to ignore it".</P> <P>Energy efficiency isn’t just an abstract problem to Google. Although the company hasn’t talked publicly about the number of servers it runs, most estimates are in the region of at least 450,000, with more being added every day. Those servers have to be on 24 hours a day, seven days a week – and that adds up to one of the world’s biggest electricity bills. Even a 10% increase in energy efficiency will add up to millions of dollars saved.</P> <P>So far, the energy efficiency measures Google has put in place have cut the energy required per server to around half that of a typical data centre – which means the company is saving a lot of money. And its plan for the rest of the U.S. focuses on efficiency, which could cut demand for energy from end-users by 33%. </P> <P>That major corporations are coming up with plans like this is a reminder of the fundamental fact about so-called "green" measures: they don’t just save the planet, they save money too. Efficiency, no matter what kind, should never be a dirty word to business. </P> <P><EM>For more on how you can make your business more energy efficient, download our guide to </EM><A href="/templates/PageTypes/ContentPages/Document.aspx?id=1842"><EM>Understanding Green Business Practices</EM></A><EM>.</EM> </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Googles-energy-efficiency-plan/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Google's energy efficiency plan Ian Betteridge 2008-10-02 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/On-to-a-winner/ <P>Despite all the doom and gloom, not&nbsp;everyone is doing badly. Halfords, Aldi, Tesco and Dominos Pizzas, to name a few, are all examples of businesses doing well in the economic slow down. Why? Because they are catering for the current needs of consumers. </P> <P>There&nbsp;is, after all,&nbsp;the same number of customers out there, it’s just that they are wanting different things. And it’s for this reason that <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7648087.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7648087.stm">Halfords are selling more bikes</A> (in response to soaring petrol prices), <A href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1022611/Budget-supermarket-Aldi-profits-spending-slowdown.html" orgurl="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1022611/Budget-supermarket-Aldi-profits-spending-slowdown.html">Aldi</A> and <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7643415.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7643415.stm">Tesco</A> are selling more cheap food (in response to escalating food prices) and <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7646038.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7646038.stm">Domino’s</A> are making a meal ticket (from people staying in at the weekend). </P> <P>Granted they may not be serving the same consumers they were serving a year ago. These are the businesses that are adapting to the change and reaping the rewards. <A href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-23561996-details/Leahy+chides+banks+as+Tesco+profits+leap/article.do" orgurl="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-23561996-details/Leahy+chides+banks+as+Tesco+profits+leap/article.do">As Sir Terry Leahy points out</A>, the main task for businesses in&nbsp;difficult times&nbsp;is to change their plans. As more affluent customers look to cut costs, so too must the high-end businesses. So, if you want to keep your customers, look again at what's actually going on - and be flexible about your plans. </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/On-to-a-winner/">Comments</a> (0)</p> On to a winner? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-10-02 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/I-Plate-now-available/ <P>The device, which will be available to customers who have a BT NTE 5 master socket, should increase speeds by up to 1.5Mbps, with some lines seeing improvement by as much as 4 Mbps. </P> <P>It is hoped that by installing the new plate, nine million broadband customers can benefit from both line speed and stability, allowing for faster downloads and better quality streaming. Plus, there’s no need for an engineer to install the device, it can be easily be fitted by you.&nbsp;&nbsp; <BR></P> <P></P><p>Topics</p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/I-Plate-now-available/">Comments</a> (0)</p> I-Plate now available Hannah Gilchrist 2008-10-01 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Small-Business-Week-is-nearly-here/ <P><A href="http://www.promo.lbc.co.uk/contests/2008/bt_0908/" orgurl="http://www.promo.lbc.co.uk/contests/2008/bt_0908/">From 13 October</A> BT will be bringing together national and local Government, business experts, support services and owner managers, to provoke debate on the changing needs of small businesses. </P> <P>In partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, everywoman, Business Link and NatWest, the week will see a host of initiatives taking place across the UK, including: round table discussions, web seminars and master classes. </P> <P>Stay tuned for regular updates throughout the week, right here on Business Insight. <BR></P><p>Topics</p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Small-Business-Week-is-nearly-here/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Small Business Week is nearly here Hannah Gilchrist 2008-10-01 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Would-parking-charge-reductions-help-SMEs/ <P>While the high street struggles to deal with a drop in sales, the Federation of Small Businesses is calling for parking policies to help take town centres back to their glory days. But will a drop in charges really spark an influx of shoppers? </P> <P>Many have blamed the rising fuel prices for the country’s unwillingness to leave their front doors, yet something more dramatic has been plaguing the high street for months, if not years. Rising parking charges have been the bug-bear of shop owners and shoppers alike with many heading to out-of-town centres for their fix, yet it’s the small businesses that are now paying the price. </P> <P>Should local councils step in to control the fees or should shoppers cough up or take the bus? Either way it leaves someone out of pocket. The question is who?</P><p>Topics</p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Would-parking-charge-reductions-help-SMEs/">Comments</a> (4)</p> Would parking charge reductions help SMEs? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-09-25 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Which-price-is-right2/ <P>One of the first rules in business is to never accept a first offer. However, more and more customers are playing companies at their own game. From broadband deals to mobile phone contracts, it seems everyone is willing to use a bit of bare-faced cheek to get what they’re after. But how low should you go?</P> <P>According to the <A href="http://www.cim.co.uk/home.aspx" orgurl="http://www.cim.co.uk/home.aspx">Chartered Institute of Marketing</A>, it costs businesses 10 times as much to win a new customer as it does to hold on to an existing one, so with this in mind most firms should work hard to negotiate a deal for everyone looking to start or end of a contract. However, it’s important to remember that those customers who are looking for a better deal are more than likely savvy not cheap shoppers, and therefore will, if necessary, look elsewhere. </P> <P>Yet this isn’t always the case so it’s a good idea to do your research too. Investigate the prices of your competition and what discounts they are offering. If you can’t match them on price you might be able to better them with your service. </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Which-price-is-right2/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Which price is right? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-09-24 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Through-the-keyhole/ <P>High-rise and glass panelled or a paper-mountain back office, most of us spend more time in the workplace than at home. But gone are the days of dark and dingy offices, employers are now starting to realise that keeping your staff happy is one sure fire way to keep them full stop and what better place to start. </P> <P>Forget comfy chairs and air conditioning units, employees are now looking for the likes of fruit bowls and sofas to keep them satisfied in their home away from home. As many employees like to <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/office_life/196811.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/office_life/196811.stm">put their stamp on their workplace</A>, getting your employees involved with the design of your office can work well for everyone. And it doesn’t always mean spending a fortune. </P> <P>Letting your employees choose the colour of their surroundings or purchasing a coffee maker or drinks fridge may seem like small steps, but they can make a difference to staff morale and even improve productivity. <BR></P><p>Topics</p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Through-the-keyhole/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Through the keyhole Hannah Gilchrist 2008-09-22 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-you-working-too-hard/ <P>While the city is in despair, it seems small business entrepreneurs are doing their best to keep the economy afloat by totting up half a billion man hours worth over £1 billion to the UK every year. But should you be rejoicing that hard work means greater pay-offs, or should you be concerned for the wellbeing of your staff?</P> <P>Launched by <A href="http://www.hiscox.com/ViewCMSPage.aspx?viewmode=Live&amp;viewtype=ViewPressReleaseDetail&amp;pressreleaseID=cbd4c1d6-b443-4c2d-8dba-461434617bd8" orgurl="http://www.hiscox.com/ViewCMSPage.aspx?viewmode=Live&amp;viewtype=ViewPressReleaseDetail&amp;pressreleaseID=cbd4c1d6-b443-4c2d-8dba-461434617bd8">Hiscox</A> business insurer, the EDP measure - or the Entrepreneurial Domestic Product&nbsp;- benchmarks that over one third of SME owners put in more than 50 hours a week with 14% clocking up over 60 hours. Shocking? Perhaps not. So <A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/quiz/questions/0,5961,1425441,00.html" orgurl="http://www.guardian.co.uk/quiz/questions/0,5961,1425441,00.html">should this type of work be encouraged</A>? </P> <P>Employee wellbeing has always been high on the list of many small businesses. After all, keeping your staff happy is half the battle. But while it’s great to have a group of hardworking staff powering along your business, keeping on top of their health and happiness will be better for you in the long run. </P> <P>New research shows that <A href="http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/health/article-1058016/Three-Britons-work-despite-legitimately-ill-survey-finds.html?ITO=1490" orgurl="http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/health/article-1058016/Three-Britons-work-despite-legitimately-ill-survey-finds.html?ITO=1490">three out of four Britons</A> go to work despite feeling ill, with one quarter of those claiming they have too much work to do to take the day off. Great news for your bottom line, but what about the risk of illness to the rest of your workforce? Allowing your employees the time off to get better will not only boost their physical state, but their mental one too.&nbsp; </P><p>Topics</p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-you-working-too-hard/">Comments</a> (1)</p> Are you working too hard? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-09-19 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Register-those-web-addresses/ <P><A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7621647.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7621647.stm">According to the BBC</A>, domain names which are associated with Bank of America and Merrill Lynch have been snapped up by speculators, as have those associated with Lloyds TSB and HBOS. Domains like bankofamericamerrilllynch.com and lloydstsbhbos.com have been registered - and not by the newly-merged companies.</P> <P>If they want to buy the domains for their own use, it's likely to cost them thousands of pounds, instead of the low cost of buying an unregistered domain name.</P> <P>So the lesson is simple: if you are thinking of merging your company, changing the name, or any big shift in your business, <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/web-hosting" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/web-hosting">register the domain names early</A> as a precaution against someone beating you to it.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Register-those-web-addresses/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Register those web addresses! Ian Betteridge 2008-09-18 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Five-ways-to-improve-flexible-working/ <P>Here we share our five tips for maintaining a great flexible working plan for your business.</P> <H3>1.&nbsp;Talk to your staff </H3> <P>It’s quite easy to find out what they want from the offset, but discovering what does, and doesn’t, work well requires <A href="http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Flexible-working/" orgurl="http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Flexible-working/">input from every angle</A>. Flexible working should be about both you the employer and your employees so a plan that neglects their needs won’t be productive. Feedback forms and suggestion emails can help keep everyone on track. </P> <H3>2.&nbsp;Give your staff the opportunity to adapt to their flexible working environment</H3> <P>Whether it’s&nbsp;<A href="http://www.insight.bt.com/articles/How-to-set-up-a-home-office/" orgurl="http://www.insight.bt.com/articles/How-to-set-up-a-home-office/">setting up a&nbsp;home office</A> or simply working on the move everyone needs time to adjust. Offer specialist training days where staff can learn about flexible working. From helping family members to understand about their time at home, to setting up a hands-free car kit, if you know how they are working you can work with them. </P> <H3>3.&nbsp;Make sure you're compatible</H3> <P>Before sending out mobile handsets make sure your business email system is compatible with a&nbsp;<A href="http://eu.blackberry.com/eng/" orgurl="http://eu.blackberry.com/eng/">BlackBerry</A> or <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/mobile/office-anywhere" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/mobile/office-anywhere">Office Anywhere</A> device. It seems obvious, but if your staff can’t keep in touch with colleagues and clients how can they do their job? </P> <H3>4.&nbsp;Making and receiving calls </H3> <P>Think about the best ways your staff can make and receive calls when they are out of the workplace. <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/bbv4b/bb_voice_home" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/bbv4b/bb_voice_home">VoIP</A> allows you to do both over your laptop meaning your number is attached to whichever desk your staff are working from. It can also reduce those hefty mobile bills and keep landline calls to a minimum. </P> <H3>5.&nbsp;Stay in the loop</H3> <P>One of the many reasons people struggle with flexible working is because they feel out of the loop. Applications such as <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/workspace" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/workspace">BT Workspace</A> are a great way of helping people work together when they are miles apart. It allows users to collaborate on shared files from various locations. Perfect for keeping everyone on the same page. </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Five-ways-to-improve-flexible-working/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Five ways to improve flexible working Hannah Gilchrist 2008-09-18 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/What-will-the-Lehman-collapse-mean-to-UK-business/ <P>From this side of the Atlantic, it might be hard to get too excited about the news that US-based investment bank <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7615931.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7615931.stm">Lehman Brothers has filed for Chapter 11 protection</A>, which is effectively the last stop before bankruptcy. But because of the global nature of the finance markets, the news will have repurcussions over here - potentially even affecting smaller businesses.</P> <P>There are two main effects. The first is simply the shock of a business which employs 5,000 in the UK going out of business. With tough times in the finance sector, many of those will struggle to find new jobs unless they change careers, and now is not a good time to do it.</P> <P>Although some will have little sympathy for a large investment bank, it's worth remembering that the majority of those staff will be service and support employees, rather than the kinds of bankers who attract multi-million pound bonuses. For them, there have been no nest eggs to cushion the blow. And of course every company which goes out of business is one less firm which is supporting the overall business-to-business market, leading to some tough times for its suppliers too.</P> <P>But on a bigger scale, the Lehman Brothers collapse is likely to accelerate the move which many investors have made from risky securities, derivatives and other financial instruments into government bonds. This will mean less money around for banks to lend to companies and individuals. It will also make venture capital a little harder to come by, as potential investors choose safer options than new companies in uncertain times.</P> <P>The financial markets largely run on a single fuel: confidence. While the collapse of Lehman Brothers won't mean direct losses for too many companies outside financial services. the reduction in confidence it will create will mean tougher times for us all.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Suppliers-and-partners/>Suppliers and partners</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/What-will-the-Lehman-collapse-mean-to-UK-business/">Comments</a> (0)</p> What will the Lehman collapse mean to UK business? Ian Betteridge 2008-09-15 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Five-simple-ways-to-revamp-your-home-page/ <H3>Make the first 100 words on your site keyword-rich</H3> <P>One thing you should always remember is that your site is being built for two audiences: customers, including potential ones, and search engines like Google. And the more that search engines know about what your business is all about, the better they can act to funnel potential customers in your direction</P> <P>You should already have worked out what the keywords are for your site, and placed them in the meta-tag information in your home page. However, you can bolster the effect of the keywords by ensuring that the introduction text on your home page includes them. Make sure the intro copy, which tells people about your company, is "keyword-dense" in the first 100 words or so.</P> <H3>Streamline your page</H3> <P>The home page is the gateway to all the content underneath, and even in a relatively small site this means you have to make some hard choices about what to show on it. Don't try and cram everything into your home page: instead, look at the architecture of your site and categorise pages underneath the home page, grouping them together logically. Reflect this on your home page, pulling out a couple of key products or service if you want to promote them.</P> <H3>Standardise your navigation</H3> <P>The navigational elements of your home page - where you list sections of the site and let people click through - are essential to a good experience for your users. Make sure that these elements remain consistent across the site, so that people can navigate around without wondering where they are going. Consistent navigation also lets your users always find their way to the same place.</P> <H3>Use analysis tools</H3> <P>Tools like <A href="http://www.google.com/analytics" orgurl="http://www.google.com/analytics">Google Analytics</A> let you see exactly what people are doing once they hit your home page. Once you're set up with Analytics, you can use the Site Overlay tool to see exactly where people are clicking - and if they are missing out on the content you think is most important, you can adjust the design of your site accordingly.</P> <H3>Let customers feedback easily</H3> <P>Customers will always follow the path of least resistance when it comes to finding something on your site. If a customer can't find something on your site, it's vital that they can tell you about it - otherwise, they will simply go somewhere else. So make sure that contacting you is easy - put a prominant link to a customer enquiry form on your home page. And, if you find that lots of customers are contacting you about the same thing, do something about it - change your home page so what they're missing is easier to find.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Five-simple-ways-to-revamp-your-home-page/">Comments</a> (1)</p> Five simple ways to revamp your home page Ian Betteridge 2008-09-15 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-the-2000s-really-like-the-1970s/ <P>It's all doom and gloom. That's the conclusion you'd draw from reading the newspapers, listening to the radio, or watching television news. Everything, it seems, has a downturn angle.</P> <P>There have even been attempts to compare the current economic climate with the 1970's, a period remembered by those old enough to have been there as an era of strikes, blackouts, and rubbish not being collected for weeks.</P> <P>There are, obviously, some parallels. Prices are on the rise, oil prices have gone through the roof, and doom and gloom messages are everywhere. Expect the phrase "Britain's gone to the dogs" to come back into common usage soon - at least in the more hysterical newspapers.</P> <P>However, when you consider the real facts things are very different now. If you look at the eight-year period between 1974 and 1982, Britain fell into recession - defined as three consecutive quarters of a fall in GDP - four times. Since then, it has only done so once (in 1991). So far, while economic growth has fallen, Britain is not in recession and even the most gloomy predictions claim we will be for only a relatively short period.</P> <P>The biggest difference between the 1970's and now is the lack of high levels of wage inflation, something which added to the economy's underlying problems. High wages means higher costs for business, which means less competitive companies. In the 1970's, this made home-produced goods less competitive both in the UK and in the wider world.</P> <P>This wage inflation was driven by two connected factors. The first was the industrial might of the massive largely unions, while the second was the fact that huge swathes of the country's industries were owned by the state. As the government was understandably reluctant to make workers redundant even if it was an economic necessity, this gave unions a great deal of security and power.</P> <P>Looked at in a historical context, it's possible to see the 1970's as the tail end of an economic system which had its roots in the Second World War. During the war, Britain was forced to adopt what amounted to a command economy in order to put the country on a "war footing". After the war, we never really shook off the belief that the same methods which were essential in war time could be used to run the country in peacetime. Hence, if an industry looked like it was failing, the government would step in to "save" them.</P> <P>The 1970's was a feast of nationalisation, with eight major industries from steel to aircraft effectively taken into state control between 1967 and 1977. Some of these might still happen today - for example, it is difficult to see any government wanting a company which supplied the engines for most of its air force jets to go out of business, as Rolls-Royce did when it was taken over in 1971. But others seem like relics of a bygone era. Would any government now sail to the rescue of bus companies, as happened in 1969?</P> <P>The world of the 21st Century is a very different one from that of the 1970's, and if the country dose drift into recession it will be a very different one too. While the causes of our woes thirty years ago were largely uniquely ours, this time round the whole world is suffering. And our economy, after years of growth, is in a much stronger overall state than that of 1978.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-the-2000s-really-like-the-1970s/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Are the 2000's really like the 1970's? Ian Betteridge 2008-09-12 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-mini-laptop-comes-of-age/ <P><BR>Business analyst <A href="http://www.stratnews.com/" orgurl="http://www.stratnews.com/">Mark Anderson</A> has long predicted the rise of what he calls the "CarryAlong PC": a small, robust low-cost laptop which is light enough to carry anywhere, but which delivers performance which matches those of desktop computers for almost every need.</P> <P>While machines like this have been made for a while, most have been made by smaller companies. But now, with the entrance of <A href="http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/global/products/inspnnb/topics/en/us/laptop-inspiron-meetthemini9?c=us&amp;l=en&amp;s=dhs" orgurl="http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/global/products/inspnnb/topics/en/us/laptop-inspiron-meetthemini9?c=us&amp;l=en&amp;s=dhs">Dell</A> into the market, perhaps the small format laptop will gain greater acceptance in the world of business.</P> <P>Certainly, the time is right for ultra-mobile machines which don't mean compromising on the software you can use. Not only are we more mobile as workers, with more and more business people shuffling between home, office and other locations, we are much more likely to be mobile within the workplace.</P> <P>Taking a laptop into a meeting, or to a colleague's desk is a common occurrence where laptops are issued as standard. The ability to show someone work on screen while you're present gets over much of the "impersonal" nature of sending work via email, without having to have print-outs.</P> <P>And the fact that you can easily take it anywhere - not just whenever you can be bothered to carry a bigger laptop - means that idle moment can easily become productive time. So perhaps in the future you'll have two main machines: a bigger, more powerful laptop which only gets moved between home and office occasionally, and something which slips into your bag and is carried everywhere.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-mini-laptop-comes-of-age/">Comments</a> (0)</p> The mini-laptop comes of age Ian Betteridge 2008-09-11 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Will-offshoring-turn-into-re-shoring/ <P>One of the biggest business trends of the last thirty years has been offshoring - shifting manufacturing from close to the market to cheaper companies overseas. And yet could the rising price of oil be about to turn this around, and begin a new era of manufacturing?</P> <P>The economics of off shore manufacturing are simple. Factories, usually in the far east, offer enormous cost savings to companies in Europe and the US. This means that it's far cheaper to make things there and move them to where the demand is - which could be anywhere in the world - rather than manufacture close to the demand.</P> <P>There's only one issue: all of this depends on low cost energy. If you're shipping products across the world, then you need the costs of transport to be relatively low, and when oil was down in the $20-70 per barrel range, these costs were simply not an issue.</P> <P>However, at $120 per barrel, things start to look different. Suddenly, transport costs become a major cost, so much so that if you are shipping vast quantities of large-sized goods around the world it may be a cheaper option to manufacture close to where you markets are.</P> <P>So will big manufacturing plants start appearing again in the West? No one is currently rushing into anything, in the hope that oil drifts down in price. And, although the cost of air freighting products has gone up markedly already, moving things by ship has remained a low-cost option thanks to a new generation large energy-efficient container vessels.</P> <P>But as is the way with any finite resource in high demand, the price of oil is likely to continue a long term drift upwards - and that will mean we may want to rethink the way we manufacture and distribute products.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Suppliers-and-partners/>Suppliers and partners</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Employing-people/>Employing people</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Will-offshoring-turn-into-re-shoring/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Will offshoring turn into re-shoring? Ian Betteridge 2008-09-10 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Happy-birthday-Google/ <P>At some point over the next month, search giant Google will be ten years old. Although the company isn't specific about the date it was founded on - saying only that "our birthday has moved around over the years, depending on when people feel like having cake" - it opened its doors in September 1998.</P> <P>Google wasn't the first search engine, by a long way. Yahoo!, AltaVista, and others came before it, offering ways to find content on the Internet. But what Google did was to marry an excellent search engine with contextual advertising to create a new mix which turned something that had been an unprofitable business into a highly lucrative one.</P> <P>And despite being so well-known for its search capabilities that "to google" something <A href="http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3196" orgurl="http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3196">has made it into dictionaries as a verb</A>, it's really in the world of advertising that Google has made the biggest impact. Its system of placing ads next to relevant content, whether it's search results or posts on Web sites, has changed the business world.</P> <P>For small businesses, contextual ads like the ones served by Google allow companies to tightly target virtually any set of customers which can be reached online. No matter how small the niche, some clever contextual advertising can get you more customers. Whole industries have risen up around selecting the correct keywords, and tiny micro-businesses with equally small budgets have benefited from the ability to find new customers.</P> <P>So happy birthday Google - whenever exactly it is.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Happy-birthday-Google/">Comments</a> (1)</p> Happy birthday Google Ian Betteridge 2008-09-09 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-you-a-mobile-working-fitness-fanatic/ <P>Most people are aware of the kinds of things they need to do to stay healthy while using a computer. Make sure that the monitor is at the right height, that you take occasional breaks away from the keyboard, and so on. All this helps to avoid complaints like RSI, which can seriously affect your health.</P> <P>However, when you're working away from your desk - say on a train or while waiting for a plane - a lot of that good advice goes out of the window. You see people all the time slumped over a laptop which is actually sitting in their laps, with their hands cramped over the small keyboard. And while working in this way occasionally may not be too bad, with more and more people using laptops all the time, it's important to be aware of things you can do to keep yourself healthy.</P> <P>If you're an employer, you have <A href="/templates/PageTypes/ContentPages/Simple.aspx?id=2666">a legal responsibility</A> to ensure that your staff are working safely, no matter where they are. To help with this, BT Business has produced a practical guide - <A href="/templates/PageTypes/ContentPages/Simple.aspx?id=3269">Get fit for mobile working</A> - in partnership with Margaret Hanson, one of the UK’s leading ergonomists, to help businesses help mobile workers avoid the back, neck and arm problems that can result from working in unfamiliar environments with a poor posture.</P> <P></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Employing-people/>Employing people</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-you-a-mobile-working-fitness-fanatic/">Comments</a> (1)</p> Are you a mobile working fitness fanatic? 2008-09-04 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-you-wasting-time-on-email/ <P>According to research quoted by <A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/28/email.addiction" orgurl="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/28/email.addiction">The Guardian</A>, it takes an average of 64 seconds to recover your train of thought after interruption by email. This means people who check their emails every five minutes spend roughly eight and half hours a week – a full working day – figuring out what they were doing moments before. </P> <P>For some, checking their emails has become a compulsion they aren’t even aware of, but there ways to cure this addiction and actually get some work done. Here’s our three golden rules for handling your inbox more effectively</P> <H3>Be careful with “push”</H3> <P>Instant, pushed email of the kind you get with a <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/mobile/BlackBerry-internet-service?s_intcid=btb_intban_MobileHub_BlackBerry" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/mobile/BlackBerry-internet-service?s_intcid=btb_intban_MobileHub_BlackBerry">BlackBerry</A> is a brilliant thing. Now, you need never miss that all-important message, and can respond to it instantly.</P> <P>But unless you’re waiting for something important to arrive, set your phone up so that it doesn’t alert you every time something hits your inbox. If you do, the constant pinging or buzzing will be a major distraction, as the temptation to jump instantly to read your mail will be huge. </P> <H3>Set aside time for checking email</H3> <P>Learn to control your email use. If you find that having your email software open all the time means you’re constantly flicking between your work and your email, then there’s a simple answer: close your email software, and set aside time to look at and answer email. How often this is will depend on how much “urgent” email you really get, but once an hour works for most people.</P> <H3>Use filters wisely</H3> <P>If you have an email package which lets you set up filters on the server itself, rather than on your client, you can use this to automatically file your email in folders according to who has sent it as it comes in. Although you can probably do this on your email package, setting up filters on the server means your email is filed no matter where you access it from, which is much more convenient if you access your email from a mobile phone or laptop as well as a desktop PC.</P> <P>This makes it easier to prioritise email – so for example, you can filter all your email from an important client into a special folder, and instantly see when they have sent you mail. Packages which support server-side filtering include those based on&nbsp;Microsoft Exchange, such as&nbsp;<A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/businessemail" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/businessemail">BT Business Email</A>.&nbsp; <BR></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-you-wasting-time-on-email/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Are you wasting time on email? Ian Betteridge 2008-09-03 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/London-2012-Is-it-too-late-for-small-business/ <P>But while the CompeteFor web site gives details of how to bid for some of the 7,000 contracts and 75,000 subcontracts on offer, is it too late to get in on the act?</P> <P>The <A href="http://www.london2012.com/" orgurl="http://www.london2012.com/">London Olympics</A> are a great opportunity to showcase our talents to the rest of the world, but it’s not only our sportsmen and women that will be in the spotlight. The skills used to design, build and support the Olympic site in Stratford and those in other parts of the UK will help to support the trade and industry skills of British firms - no matter what their size. </P> <P>But, just because the world is gearing up for the next Olympic event, it doesn’t mean the London contracts are all bought and paid for. The <A href="https://www.competefor.com/london2012business/login.jsp" orgurl="https://www.competefor.com/london2012business/login.jsp">CompeteFor</A> website gives details of new contracts up for tender and offers business support to help make small firms 'business ready' for opportunities up to and beyond the London 2012 Games. </P> <P>So what are you waiting for? Make like Rebecca Adlington and get competing.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Suppliers-and-partners/>Suppliers and partners</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/London-2012-Is-it-too-late-for-small-business/">Comments</a> (0)</p> London 2012: Is it too late for small business? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-09-02 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Get-flexible/ <P>The government estimates the extended right will lead to more than a quarter of a million employees changing their working hours, while many will choose to spend more time working from home.</P> <P>This is not something for businesses to be scared of, after all BT has made a huge success of employing remote workers, but it will require some careful planning.</P> <P>Recent advances in technology have made the kit required to work as effectively and profitably from home as at an office desk, accessible and inexpensive. But a hidden challenge is how to manage people you can't see?</P> <P>Are there tips for communicating in a virtual environment or for ensuring that remote workers remain motivated and part of the wider team? Does your business foster an atmosphere where people feel they need to put in 'face time' in the office in order to be recognised? Or do you measure your workers by outputs rather than the number of hours put in?</P> <P>For answers to these questions and more, join BT Business for a free, live and interactive web seminar at 2.00pm on 10th September to launch the publication of their Remote Manager's Toolkit - the most up-to-date and practical guide to making a success of remote working.</P> <P>The <A href="http://www.insight.bt.com/events/Managing-remote-workers/" orgurl="http://www.insight.bt.com/events/Managing-remote-workers/">web seminar</A> will give you access to a panel of experts from BT, Henley Management College, Workwise, and a recent startup business.</P> <P>You can also share tips and experiences on flexible working with other remote managers and workers - join the flexible working community on <A href="http://communities.bttradespace.com/Community/Flexible-Working/Overview/Default.aspx" orgurl="http://communities.bttradespace.com/Community/Flexible-Working/Overview/Default.aspx">BT Tradespace</A>.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Get-flexible/">Comments</a> (2)</p> Get flexible Ian Betteridge 2008-09-02 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Love-at-first-site/ <P>One novel, albeit brave, example is the latest tie in between <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7577132.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7577132.stm">Penguin Books and dating site Match.com</A>. The idea aims to bring together lovelorn bookworms in need of a soulmate. But is this a great example of brand extension – or a step too far for a much-loved brand?</P> <P>‘You should never put all your eggs in one basket’. Your mother used to say it and now your bank manager is harping on about it too. While it’s easy for businesses to stick to what they do best, diversifying your product line can help you take your company to the next level.</P> <P>Many business owners struggle with the idea of sticking to one thing, as soon as they feel they have saturated their current market they want to try new ideas. Diversifying means that you can explore other opportunities with the success of your current business behind you. </P> <P>A great example of this is <A href="http://www.nokia.com/A4303001" orgurl="http://www.nokia.com/A4303001">Nokia</A>. From its paper mill on the banks of the Nokianvirta river to one of the most popular mobile brands in the world, it was the merger with a cable company and a rubber firm that set it on the route to success. </P> <P>So while it may seem unusual for Penguin to delve into the private lives of their customers and play matchmaker, this latest attempt to diversify should not be overlooked. After all, a happy customer is a walking advert for your business. </P><p>Topics</p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Love-at-first-site/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Love at first site Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-29 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Taking-a-tip-from-Virgin-Atlantic/ <P>As Virgin Atlantic announce a rise in profits from <A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/26/theairlineindustry.britishairways" orgurl="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/26/theairlineindustry.britishairways">£6 million to nearly £34.8 million</A> they are attributing their success to concentrating on customer service, and producing what they claim is the best experience for customers in every class. So should everyone make like Sir Richard and use customer service to get ahead during the downturn?</P> <P>When faced with a financial crisis, many companies become very inward looking. Finding ways to cut costs either through reducing the numbers of staff or premises. Yet, while companies panic about their internal issues, many forget about the money coming in from your customers. </P> <P>It’s important to remember that changes to the economy not only effect businesses, but also individuals. Offering value for money and service with a smile are no longer added extras, but essentials. If you’re failing to keep them happy you can guarantee you’ll be first off their list.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </P> <P>So how can you keep them coming back for more even when the purse strings tighten? Incentives such as special offers, discounts or free deliveries on orders over a certain amount are a great way of adding value to your products, and don’t have to mean you’re at a loss. Remember, keeping your customers happy should always be top of your list no matter what.&nbsp; </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Taking-a-tip-from-Virgin-Atlantic/">Comments</a> (1)</p> Taking a tip from Virgin Atlantic Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-28 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Engaging-with-customers-on-YouTube/ <P>Game developer EA Sports recently <A href="http://www.micropersuasion.com/2008/08/tiger-woods-res.html" orgurl="http://www.micropersuasion.com/2008/08/tiger-woods-res.html">gathered a lot of plaudits</A> for a <A href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ1st1Vw2kY" orgurl="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ1st1Vw2kY">YouTube video</A> it made in response to <A href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h42UeR-f8ZA" orgurl="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h42UeR-f8ZA">a fan-created review</A> of its most recent Tiger Woods golf game. </P> <P>The idea of the video was simple. In the original, the reviewer showed how it was possible to get Tiger to take a shot while walking on water. In EA’s response, it claimed this wasn’t a bug – Tiger really could do shots that good. And, of course, it then showed the real Tiger doing exactly that. </P> <P>EA’s response is a great example of how companies can use tools like YouTube to engage with their customers. If you are lucky enough to already have customers who talk about products or services you sell on sites like YouTube, then responding to them in the same medium makes complete sense.</P> <P>There are a couple of lessons you can learn from the EA example. First of all, tailor what you’re saying to the community, rather than trying to talk to the community in “business-speak”. If EA had created a dry video with Tiger Woods talking to camera, it would have been a lot less successful then the video it actually made.&nbsp; </P> <P>One mistake that EA made, though, is not picking up on the original video quickly enough – it took over a year to make its response, and on the Internet a year is a very long time. If you’re going to respond and become part of a conversation, move as quickly as you can. </P> <P>And that highlights another point: if you’re big enough, you should always try and get someone to monitor mentions of you in communities like YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace. After all, if you don’t know people are talking about you, how can you respond? </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Engaging-with-customers-on-YouTube/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Engaging with customers on YouTube Ian Betteridge 2008-08-27 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Dont-forget-your-backup-software/ <P>Over the weekend, I had a timely reminder of the most important thing you can do with your computer – back it up. A hard drive I’d been using to store music for our family gave up the ghost, taking our combined collection of 700Gb of music with it.</P> <P>Thankfully, I had a backup, which meant that the hard drive failure was an inconvenience rather than a catastrophe. But it reminded me of the importance of backing up regularly, not just in the home but in business too.</P> <P>This is especially true for mobile or flexible workers. If you have a laptop and are spending time out of the office, it probably means that important files don’t have any kind of backup. And remember that files with no backup are literally irreplaceable. </P> <P>So how do you ensure that you have a backup when working away from your office? One simple way is to use a service like <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/pcbackup" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/pcbackup">BT PC Backup</A>, which backs up files to a remote server over the Internet automatically – so you could, for example, backup whenever you’re connected to the net using a wireless hotspot like <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/openzone" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/openzone">BT Openzone.</A></P> <P>But whatever you decided to do, don’t forget about the importance of backup – the first time something goes wrong, and you find you’ve lost files that can’t be replaced, you’ll spend a long time kicking yourself.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Dont-forget-your-backup-software/">Comments</a> (1)</p> Don't forget your backup software Ian Betteridge 2008-08-20 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Is-the-end-nigh-for-text-messages/ <P>Every week, millions of text messages are sent from mobile phones in the UK. And that’s not just consumers – businesses, too, are often addicted to the 140-character text. </P> <P>But now, thanks to the increasing popularity of email-capable smartphones, is there really a place for an SMS? When you have a <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/mobile/BlackBerry-internet-service" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/mobile/BlackBerry-internet-service">BlackBerry</A> capable of sending a message not just to another mobile but to any Internet-connected device, what’s the point of a text?</P> <P>At first glance, it looks obvious that sooner or later sending email via your phone will be as ubiquitous as SMS, and that should spell the end of the humble text message. After all, you can say a lot more in an email than in a text message, and you don’t have to use hideous abbreviations to gt yr msg across. </P> <P>But I for one will mourn the passing of the text message when it eventually happens. Having a limitation of 140 characters often means that people have to get to the point sooner, something that should always be encouraged in business. When all I get are long, rambling emails I’ll probably miss the days of SMS.&nbsp; <BR></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Is-the-end-nigh-for-text-messages/">Comments</a> (5)</p> Is the end nigh for text messages? Ian Betteridge 2008-08-20 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Learn-some-Olympic-tips-for-business/ <P>The organising committee of the London Olympics couldn’t have asked for a better warm-up act than the performance of our athletes over the past couple of weeks. But beyond simply celebrating success, there’s a couple of lessons which businesses can learn from the results at the Beijing games.</P> <P>Sport, like business, is all about timing and performance. No one can be at the top of their game all the time, so the crucial thing is to ensure that you can perform at your best at the right times. </P> <P>For sportsmen and women, this meant the major championships like the Olympics. For business people, this means being at your best when the business needs demand – when there are major projects happening, or pitches for new business. </P> <P>And, like sport, ensuring that your employees can do their best takes three factors: motivation, training, and facilities. </P> <P>You can see how these three things affect performance not only from the example of the British team, but also from the incredible success of the Chinese in sports where they have traditionally been weak. For many years, the Chinese have had the ultimate motivational tool, in the shape of being the hosts for the games. Who wouldn’t be motivated by the prospect of achieving a gold medal in front of your home crowd?</P> <P>But they have also invested vast amounts of money into training and facilities. Where in the past, only a handful of sports attracted much funding, the Chinese government set themselves a clear goal of being the leading sporting country at their games, and invested accordingly.</P> <P>So in business, take a tip from the Chinese and British sports organisations: make sure that your staff have the motivation, training and facilities to perform to the best of their ability. It may cost you additional money, but it’s an investment which is well worth it.<BR></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Employing-people/>Employing people</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Learn-some-Olympic-tips-for-business/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Learn some Olympic tips for business Ian Betteridge 2008-08-19 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Renting-is-the-new-buying/ <P>As the credit crunch has bitten, it looks like <A href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer_affairs/article4480054.ece" orgurl="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer_affairs/article4480054.ece">more and more consumers are turning to renting items</A> they might have bought previously, such as washing machines and TVs. The benefits at a time when credit is tight are obvious. Consumers get the new goods they want, without having to save.</P> <P>For business, leasing can provide the same service, either short- or long-term. From laptops to software as a service (<A href="http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/btbusinessProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=BTB-HOSTED-SOFTWARE-I" orgurl="http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/btbusinessProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=BTB-HOSTED-SOFTWARE-I">SaaS</A>) programmes, leasing lets you get hold of systems or services which your cashflow might otherwise prohibit. </P> <P>Just like cash conscious consumers, business owners are finding that spending a small amount of money for a short-term lease makes the best business sense. Firms are no longer in the position to sink capital into software that will be out of date in a year, or want the <A href="http://www.bytestart.co.uk/content/office-home/office/rent_buy_premises.shtml" orgurl="http://www.bytestart.co.uk/content/office-home/office/rent_buy_premises.shtml">responsibility of an office space</A> for the next 10 years. </P> <P>So for some, renting&nbsp;could be&nbsp;the perfect solution. It gives you the opportunity to be flexible with the services you need whilst cutting your capital expenditure and allowing you to spend the money on larger and more timely investments. </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Renting-is-the-new-buying/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Renting is the new buying Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-19 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Slowing-light-down-to-speed-up-the-Web/ <P>But the “metamaterials” that could be used in such cloaking devices might have more practical uses even than this. They could be used to <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7557280.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7557280.stm">speed up the Internet</A>.</P> <P>With our current high-speed telecommunications networks, the speed of information transmission is limited to the speed of our electronics.&nbsp;And what really slows things down is routing information - deciding where each bit should go. </P> <P>Although it sounds counter-intuitive, slowing down the speed that information comes in by using these "metamaterials" might actually make routing easier, and thus quicker. </P> <P>For this reason “the ability to slow the light could be a tremendous force for telecoms” notes Professor Xiang Zhang, the University of California researcher who demonstrated <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7553061.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7553061.stm">the cloaking device</A> earlier this week.</P> <P>However, don't expect&nbsp;these advances&nbsp;to come&nbsp;too soon: like the invisibility cloak itself, practical products for the Internet are many years away.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Slowing-light-down-to-speed-up-the-Web/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Slowing light down to speed up the Web Natasha Lennard 2008-08-14 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Communication-costs-are-falling-but-were-still-chatting-away/ <P>The <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7559557.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7559557.stm">average UK household spend on communication</A> in 2007 was £93.63 a month - £1.53 less than the previous year - a statistic that may surprise a few people. This includes both "traditional" media services, like telephone and TV, along with newer ones like mobile phones and Internet access.</P> <P>In part this is&nbsp;due to straightforward&nbsp;competition, particularly for broadband Internet access. But also, consumers are becoming increasingly canny about buying services, by buying bundles and hunting out the best deals.</P> <P>For businesses, lower costs for Internet access are bound to be a good thing. Cheaper Internet access means more consumers online, which in turn means more opportunity to use the Internet as a way of marketing to new customers. </P> <P>For small businesses wanting to reach&nbsp;certain audiences, this is particularly important. While more affluent&nbsp;or younger people have been&nbsp;"broadband-savvy" for a while, older people in particularly have been more reluctant to get online. As broadband gets cheaper, they are more likely to sign up - and that means more diverse markets which you can reach.&nbsp;</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Communication-costs-are-falling-but-were-still-chatting-away/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Falling communication costs keep us chatting for longer Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-14 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Feeling-the-heat-yet/ <P>There's a temptation with technology like mobile phones and laptops to take the pressure of the office with you&nbsp;even when you're on holiday. Almost <A href="http://www.startups.co.uk/6678842907963305092/business-owners-too-busy-to-take-holiday.html" orgurl="http://www.startups.co.uk/6678842907963305092/business-owners-too-busy-to-take-holiday.html">six in 10 owners</A>&nbsp;of small businesses&nbsp;say they take less than 10 days a year of holiday, and one-fifth don't take a holiday at all. </P> <P>For some owner-managers, this is inevitable. Being passionate about your business is a good thing, but it's worth remembering that if you want your business to thrive, you also need to be able to take a step back from the day-to-day running at some point. </P> <P>Having a proper holiday where you keep the mobile switched off helps you to relax. But equally, it allows your employees to step forward and take more responsibility, rather than looking to you for every answer. And going forward, as your business grows, that will be something which isn't just important - it's essential. </P> <P>So next time you're tempted to take a BlackBerry and laptop on holiday with you, think twice - and maybe just pack the sun tan oil and some flip-flops instead.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Feeling-the-heat-yet/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Feeling the heat yet? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-14 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-rise-of-the-nomadic-worker/ <P>When listening to the predictions of computer company <A href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/default.aspx?c=uk&amp;l=en&amp;~ck=geo" orgurl="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/default.aspx?c=uk&amp;l=en&amp;~ck=geo">Dell</A>, it seems the answer has to be a resounding ‘yes’. And, it's putting its money behind these predictions, with <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7557604.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7557604.stm">a&nbsp;new line of laptops</A> aimed specifically at the 21st century digital nomad.</P> <P>Andy Lark, Dell’s vice president of global marketing,&nbsp;goes so far as to claim&nbsp;that all “<A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7557604.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7557604.stm">boundaries for businesses are virtual</A>”. The new, nomadic worker may not&nbsp;even have an office, but could visit 10 different offices in one day. </P> <P>Is this lifestyle really one that's sustainable for smaller businesses? Obviously, if you're a one-person company which tends to visit the premises of your clients a lot, you're probably already a digital nomad to a certain degree. </P> <P>But for other businesses, adopting this kind of ultra-flexible working needs planning, both from a managerial perspective and when considering what IT you need. It's worth taking a look through our <A href="http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Flexible-working/" orgurl="http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Flexible-working/">Flexible working topic page</A> before you race into anything - that way, you can be sure you have all the systems you need in place before you start. </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-rise-of-the-nomadic-worker/">Comments</a> (0)</p> The rise of the nomadic worker Natasha Lennard 2008-08-13 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Facebook-is-a-powerful-tool-Use-it-wisely/ <P>With all those users, the potential for reaching new&nbsp;customers for your business is obvious. But if&nbsp;you want to use <A href="http://www.facebook.com">Facebook</A> to further your company’s online presence, some cardinal rules need heeding.</P> <P>First of all, remember that you can't simply create a Facebook user page for your company - all Facebook users have to be real people (and should have real names - otherwise, the account may well be closed).</P> <P>If you want to create a page for your company, though, you can do it by making a <A href="http://www.new.facebook.com/business/?pages=">Facebook Page</A>. This allows customers (and of course your employees!) to become "fans" of your company. You can create pages around individual products, too. </P> <P>If you want something that your customers can interact with, create a group. For example, local bar The Tooting Tram and Social created <A href="http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9008332211&amp;ref=ts">a Facebook group</A> to keep its customers in touch, and to let them post photos, comments and so on. So far, it has over 450 members - enough to pack out the bar on Friday nights!</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Facebook-is-a-powerful-tool-Use-it-wisely/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Facebook is a powerful tool. Use it wisely. Natasha Lennard 2008-08-13 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Should-you-close-your-office-to-save-money/ <P>Many workers already spend a high proportion of their time out of the office and with businesses reluctant to sign up to year long leases, is there any point keeping expensive offices just to have a place for your workers to congregate? </P> <P><A href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2008/08/13/small-firms-plan-to-close-the-office-to-cut-overheads-91466-21521401/" orgurl="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2008/08/13/small-firms-plan-to-close-the-office-to-cut-overheads-91466-21521401/">Research suggests</A> that over half of Welsh businesses believe new technologies such as wireless internet and mobile broadband have influenced their decision to abandon fixed business premises. </P> <P>The question is, as the credit crunch tightens business belts across the UK, what else can companies do without? <BR></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Should-you-close-your-office-to-save-money/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Should you close your office to save money? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-13 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/How-CRM-can-help-your-business/ <P>Research by BT has found that 29% of SMEs view customer relationships as their most important business need. It’s a simple concept, but as businesses grow and evolve, the successful management of customer relationships becomes ever more complex and dealing with the challenges in real time is tough. </P> <P>Get it wrong and it can cost you time and money. Get it right and you can be a loyal and trusted supplier to each of your customers. </P> <P>BT can offer you <A href="http://www.btglobalservices.com/business/global/en/products/crm_and_contact_centres/index.html" orgurl="http://www.btglobalservices.com/business/global/en/products/crm_and_contact_centres/index.html">a wide range of solutions</A> to build, improve and maintain these relationships with your customers - which in turn will boost both your profitability and client satisfaction. </P> <P>Want to find out more – visit one of our Partners – SugarCRM at the CRM Acceleration event on Wednesday 17th September 2008 at Radisson SAS Portman Hotel, London. </P> <P>If you would like to know more about the event or register to attend call 0800 731 0144</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/How-CRM-can-help-your-business/">Comments</a> (0)</p> How CRM can help your business Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-12 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Being-careful-about-customization/ <P>We like having things personally customized. Customized t-shirts, trainers and cars are the height of cool, but what about customized adverts? </P> <P>Customized ads are fed to you based on your behaviour on Internet search engines. For example, if you search for “divorce lawyers” you’ll get ads for the appropriate legal companies&nbsp; next to the results. And it’s these targeted ads which <A href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/search/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210000537" orgurl="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/search/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210000537">Yahoo has decided to let users switch off</A> on the pages of Yahoo.com.</P> <P>When it comes to search engine use, you can see how the conflict between personalization and privacy might arise. On the one hand, it’s useful and informative to be served adverts based on your behaviour: the customer gets the information most relevant to them and the advertisers know their ads are well targeted. </P> <P>On the other hand, however, as Yahoo’s internal advert council note, some topics are just too sensitive to target. You wouldn’t necessarily want searches into, say, medical conditions of the more personal variety to inform the kind of adverts you’re served in the future. In fact there’s a whole lot of Internet searching that we might not want to be considered part of our official Internet behaviour. </P> <P>I wouldn’t want all my clothes customized&nbsp; - there’s room in my wardrobe for a plain white t-shirt; I don’t want a customized car with twenty inch rims (whatever they might be); and I certainly don’t want all my internet searches to effect the kinds of adverts I’m fed everywhere. </P> <P>Good move, then, Yahoo, in giving us the opt-out option. And when you are creating sites for your customers, remember that providing opt-outs can be very important – giving your customers the power over what they see helps them see you in a more favourable light.<BR></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Being-careful-about-customization/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Being careful about customization Natasha Lennard 2008-08-11 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Is-going-green-the-answer/ <P>Small businesses have always felt more <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7552499.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7552499.stm">vulnerable to energy suppliers</A> than residential customers. From their fixed long-term deals with suppliers to the absence of laws forcing suppliers to publish tariffs, small businesses do have a rough end of the deal. But can going green really help businesses avoid these pressures and save the environment? </P> <P>Many businesses think of their energy as a fixed and constant bill not open to negotiation, but by saving energy in the workplace, the cost of this so-called fixed overhead can be dramatically reduced. And it’s not just about saving money, the environmental outlook of your business can help to attract and retain staff, and win new customers too.&nbsp;</P> <P>&nbsp;</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Is-going-green-the-answer/">Comments</a> (0)</p> How going green can be the answer to expensive energy Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-11 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/How-small-retailers-can-give-a-multinational-a-hard-time/ <P>For most small retailers, the arrival of a competing multinational chain in their area is a sign of impending doom. Take, for example, coffee, where the opening of a Starbucks in the neighbourhood often leads small, independent coffee houses to ponder a new career.</P> <P>However, the arrival of a chain doesn’t have to mean the end for an independent – as Australian coffee shops have proved. For Starbucks, the chain which has previously conquered everything before it, has <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7540480.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7540480.stm">closed 61 of its 85 stores</A> across the country.</P> <P>So why has Starbucks been a relative failure down-under when virtually everywhere else it has succeeded?</P> <P>I spent two weeks in Australia earlier this year, and one thing that I noticed almost immediately was that the coffee was of a uniformly high standard – so high, in fact, that coming back to the UK was like walking into a sea of poor coffee. </P> <P>Secondly, the number of coffee places was very high. A small square or six places to sit and drink, ranging from one-off independents through to local chains. This means that Starbucks will have had greater difficult in saturating localities, as it does in other cities – because there was already a good choice of decent coffee.</P> <P>Finally, the quality of the independents was incredibly high. Not only did the small, one-shop businesses we visited have great coffee, but they had fantastic ambience, great service, and real character, as well as often doing great food, too. Unlike many small shops in the UK, there was no hassle if you sat and lingered for as long as you wanted.&nbsp; </P> <P>There are some universal lessons for small businesses here. When faced with a big chain moving into your locality, concentrate on customer service and quality. Get to know your customers – one shop we visited had the same staff working pretty-much every day, which meant they got to know us as regulars very quickly. That meant better, more personal service, which increased the likelihood of repeat business.</P> <P>But most of all, don’t give up. The Australians have proved that the little guy can compete against the big corporations, and win. <BR></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/How-small-retailers-can-give-a-multinational-a-hard-time/">Comments</a> (0)</p> How small retailers can give a multinational a hard time Ian Betteridge 2008-08-07 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Can-you-keep-up-your-ethical-lifestyle-at-work/ <P>Most businesses are concerned about the environment, but not everyone views ethical lifestyles in the same solar-powered light. Sure, <A href="http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/News/presscentre/220708_UK-energy-efficiency-waste.htm" orgurl="http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/News/presscentre/220708_UK-energy-efficiency-waste.htm">research</A> reveals that UK companies are putting energy efficiency at the top of their cost-cutting list, but if it didn’t have anything to do with money would they still be interested?</P> <P>Office initiatives are a great way of encouraging and educating colleagues on the impact of their wastefulness, but unless the company is willing to change as a whole, should you hold you green fingers up in defeat?</P> <P>No. Not only are more people becoming concerned about the ethical considerations of their business, but an environmental policy can influence staff employment and retention, whilst also giving you a good name amongst your clients and local community. And who knows, you might inspire someone to lead a more ethical lifestyle outside of the office too.&nbsp; <BR></P> <P></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Can-you-keep-up-your-ethical-lifestyle-at-work/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Can you keep up your ethical lifestyle at work? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-06 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/A-free-energy-saving-tool-for-your-PC/ <P>Reducing the amount of energy you use with your PCs is good for the environment, and good for your bottom line, especially at a time when energy bills are rising.</P> <P>If you’re a Windows user, there’s a simple free tool to help you save energy. <A href="http://www.verdiem.com/edison/" orgurl="http://www.verdiem.com/edison/">Edison</A>, by Verdium, offers you better tools for energy saving than those built into the operating system, can be downloaded for free from the company’s web site.</P> <P>If you’re a bigger company, it’s also worth taking a look at <A href="http://www.verdiem.com/surveyor5/default.asp" orgurl="http://www.verdiem.com/surveyor5/default.asp">Surveyor</A>, which lets you manage and reduce energy consumption across a whole network of PCs.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/A-free-energy-saving-tool-for-your-PC/">Comments</a> (0)</p> A free energy-saving tool for your PC Ian Betteridge 2008-08-06 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Employees-turn-founders-to-conquer-work-life-balance/ <P>People who have set up their own businesses are in no doubt about the amount of work necessary to get it off the ground. And whilst the dreams of <A href="http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/channels/start-a-business/news/456376/business-founders-seek-worklife-balance.thtml" orgurl="http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/channels/start-a-business/news/456376/business-founders-seek-worklife-balance.thtml">more money and a better combination of home and work life</A> sound good, how many of these new business owners felt their expectations were unrealistic once they started?&nbsp; </P> <P>As with many jobs, there is always motivation to get stuck in, but what happens when you run out of steam, surely you need passion to get you through the hard times as well as the good?</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Employees-turn-founders-to-conquer-work-life-balance/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Employees turn founders to conquer work-life balance Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-05 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-sixth-degree/ <P>A <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7539329.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7539329.stm">Microsoft Messenger project</A> studied the addresses of 30bn instant messages sent during a single month in 2006 and found that on average any two people are linked by seven or less acquaintances. But whilst the theory itself is remarkable, in business, is six degrees too close for comfort, or a blessing in disguise? </P> <P>It’s one thing to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but at this rate the whole world could know the ups (and downs) of your business through a bit of harmless gossip. Think about your most obscure acquaintance. What do they know about your business? And what have they told others about you? </P> <P>The truth is nothing can be kept private anymore, but with greater numbers of people communicating through networks like facebook is this latest revelation just a sign of the times?</P><p>Topics</p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-sixth-degree/">Comments</a> (0)</p> The sixth degree Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-05 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-future-of-business-travel-abroad-/ <P>It’s true that as consumers we’re always trying to seek out the cheapest deals, and who really cares if you don’t get an in-flight meal. But as a business traveller do your needs change? And if so could you go without a meal or airport wi-fi for the sake of a cheap flight?</P> <P>So far this year&nbsp;the downturn has put <A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/01/theairlineindustry.britishairwaysbusiness" orgurl="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/01/theairlineindustry.britishairwaysbusiness">25 airlines out of business</A> and with the cost of fuel rocketing and the price of fares going up by 3%, more businesses are looking to VoIP for cheaper ways to contact their clients. </P> <P>But is this the answer for every business? Or can smaller businesses sustain the occasional business trip abroad without having to worry about their bank balances?&nbsp; <BR></P> <P></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-future-of-business-travel-abroad-/">Comments</a> (0)</p> The future of business travel abroad Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-05 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-easy-way-to-expand-into-Europe/ <P>Survey after survey have revealed a single stark fact about the current state of UK business: a lack of confidence. <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7540172.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7540172.stm">The latest report to be added to the pile</A>, by the CBI and Experian, shows that the majority of manufacturers across the country expect production to fall over the next three months.</P> <P>However, there was one bright spot: exports. Companies focusing on exports, and particularly exports to Europe, have been doing rather well for themselves thanks to the overall weakness of the pound. The exception is those exporting to the US, whose currency has fared even worse than sterling on the money markets.</P> <P>So could you take advantage of this? It's worth remembering that even the smallest company can export to Europe relatively easily, especially if you create a web presence which is localised into the main European langauges. </P> <P>Buying the equivalents to your domain name for Germany, France, and Italy, and redirecting those sites to localised versions of your online store can reap big benefits in terms of sales. And best of all, none of this need cost you a fortune to do.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/The-easy-way-to-expand-into-Europe/">Comments</a> (0)</p> The easy way to expand into Europe Ian Betteridge 2008-08-04 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Even-out-your-sales-with-an-online-store/ <P>We're becoming&nbsp;a nation of online shoppers. Even my mother - I won't reveal her age, as she'd kill me if I did - gets her big monthly food shop delivered. However, her approach to online ordering is pretty unique, as she phones me up and reads out what she wants from a list, while I type into the computer.</P> <P><A href="http://www.dofonline.co.uk/economy/e-commerce-in-uk-looking-good88747.html" orgurl="http://www.dofonline.co.uk/economy/e-commerce-in-uk-looking-good88747.html">According to online payment company Pago</A>, she's not alone in her new-found love of online ordering. Britain is unique in Europe in that we still tend to go out to shop at the weekend rather than ordering online, but interestingly online sales don't follow the same seasonal spikes as high-street shopping.</P> <P>This means that online can be a good way of evening-out your sales if you have a retail store. If you sell online, you could look at reducing the hours your shop is open during the week, which will reduce some of your costs, and encouraging more online sales. A strong online element to your sales strategy will also help even sales out over the course of a year if your business is largely seasonal.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Even-out-your-sales-with-an-online-store/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Even out your sales with an online store Ian Betteridge 2008-08-04 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Can-you-get-the-IT-skills-you-need-for-flexible-working/ <P>According to a survey by forecasting think-tank The Centre for Future Studies, <A href="http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/other-uk-business/2008/08/04/flexi-working-is-hampered-by-shortage-of-technical-skill-65233-21459414/" orgurl="http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/other-uk-business/2008/08/04/flexi-working-is-hampered-by-shortage-of-technical-skill-65233-21459414/">shortage of technical skills is preventing many employers from implementing flexible working</A>.</P> <P>There's no doubt that good IT people are hard to find. Earlier this year, <A href="http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2209287/skills-shortage-skyrockets" orgurl="http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2209287/skills-shortage-skyrockets">a study by the National Computing Centre</A> claimed that the the IT skills shortage had reached its highest level for ten years. Given that planning and implementing flexible working systems can be a complex issue, it's no wonder that some employers are finding it hard to do.</P> <P>But there are ways that you can implement flexible working without having to get extra skilled employees in. For example, using products like <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/workspace" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/workspace">BT Workspace</A> can give your employees who work away from the office access to vital documents and a shared collaboration area. A <A href="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/mobile/BlackBerry-internet-service" orgurl="http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/mobile/BlackBerry-internet-service">BlackBerry</A> can allow your employees to receive email, check contacts and meetings no matter where they are.</P> <P>These kinds of services make it relatively simple to implement flexible working, but the key thing to remember is that you need to plan in advance if your business is to make the most of them. It's no good if one member of your team is using one team planning system, while another picks something completely different.</P> <P>So while you can definitely use outsourced services like Workspace to help get around the skills shortage, make sure you have planned out the business elements first - don't leave it all to chance.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Can-you-get-the-IT-skills-you-need-for-flexible-working/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Can you get the IT skills you need for flexible working? Ian Betteridge 2008-08-04 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Get-your-legs-out-/ <P>But wait, there is a new fashion must-have gracing the UK’s humidity defying offices and we’re not talking about sandals. Perhaps not known for their sartorial advances, city slickers are now turning up to work in <A href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/fashion/31shorts.html?ref=fashion" orgurl="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/fashion/31shorts.html?ref=fashion">city shorts</A>. </P> <P>So are you ready to bare your hairy legs, or for that matter see the calves of your contemporaries? And is the office the right place to be seen in <A href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/30/fashion/0731-SHORTS_index.html" orgurl="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/30/fashion/0731-SHORTS_index.html">beach club attire</A>? I’m all for equal opportunities, so short of wearing a kilt this could be the closest you’re ever going to get.&nbsp; <BR></P><p>Topics</p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Get-your-legs-out-/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Get your legs out! Hannah Gilchrist 2008-08-01 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/How-small-low-cost-laptops-are-evolving/ <P>I think it's fair to say that I'm a little obsessed with mobile technology of all sorts. Part of this, of course, is the endless search for the ultimate small, light laptop - and I've found another candidate which even manages to be budget-friendly.</P> <P>The Advent 4211, which is a rebadged version of the well-regarded (and amusingly named) MSI Wind, has been on sale from PC World for a couple of weeks. Not that you would know it unless you look very hard, because many PC Worlds seem to not have them on display -&nbsp;they sell out almost as soon as they get stocks in.</P> <P>It's understandable why it's proving popular. The 4211 has a ten inch screen, the latest 1.6GHz Intel mobile processor, a credible 1Gb of memory and an 80Gb hard drive. It uses Windows XP, which means it runs all of your regular business applications. And, most important of all, it costs £279 - and that, of course, includes VAT. You can find some pictures of the Advent <A href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian-betteridge/sets/72157606467591911/">on my Flickr stream</A>.</P> <P>The Advent isn't the only machine in this category. The <A href="http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=568K&amp;CategorySelectedId=11105&amp;PageMode=1&amp;NavigationKey=11105,4294952418">Asus eeePC 1000</A> is slightly more expensive, but goes further than the Advent by including fast 802.11n networking, rather than the slower 802.11a/g. More machines like this will undoubtedly be available soon.</P> <P>We recently posted about <A href="/templates/PageTypes/ContentPages/BlogPost.aspx?id=3141">what to look for when buying a low-cost laptop for business</A>, but machines like the Advent don't really follow the same criteria. It, like the Asus eeePC series which came before it, isn't really intended to be your one and only machine. Instead, they fall into the category of additional machines which you use for specific purposes - in this case, carrying on journeys where you don't want to have to lug a 2.5Kg portable.</P> <P>It's been interesting watching these kinds of machines evolve, from the barebones eeePC 701 through to the Advent, which has the kinds of specificition which would have cost you £1500 a couple of years ago. And it leaves us amazed at just how powerful and cheap these kinds of machines are getting.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/How-small-low-cost-laptops-are-evolving/">Comments</a> (0)</p> How small low-cost laptops are evolving Ian Betteridge 2008-07-31 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Frozen-out-of-Oz/ <P>But as us here in Blighty are still lapping-up the café culture, what went wrong for <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7530570.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7530570.stm">Starbucks down-under</A>? </P> <P>Whilst the worrying state of the American market can’t have helped matters, was it more the lack of research that let them down? As most people in business know, researching your market is one of your top business priorities. If Starbucks had done its research it would’ve found that Australia already has a thriving café culture.&nbsp; </P> <P>This story just goes to prove that no matter how big (and popular) you might think your product is, there will be someone who disagrees – just don’t make the same mistake and drive in head first only to find your great product won’t sell. <BR></P> <P></P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Frozen-out-of-Oz/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Frozen-out of Oz Hannah Gilchrist 2008-07-30 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Britons-are-more-entrepreneurial-than-you-think/ <P>You might think that an economic downturn would be the kind of time when people hunker down, batton down the hatches, and stick with their job. But perhaps surprisingly, Britons are a more entrepreneurial lot - with a survey showing that 45% of people believe the risk isn't an obstacle to going it alone.</P> <P>The research, which was conducted by <A href="http://www.bt.com/business" orgurl="http://www.bt.com/business">BT Business</A>, also showed that three-thirds of those questioned felt confident that they had the knowledge to strike out on their own one day.</P> <P>However, sadly some of those questioned might be a little disappointed if they ever went into business. Four out of ten of those questioned wanted to pay no tax - something they would quickly find isn't a reality for most small businesses!</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Britons-are-more-entrepreneurial-than-you-think/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Britons are more entrepreneurial than you think! Ian Betteridge 2008-07-30 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/60-hours-a-week---and-loving-it/ <P>Someone I know recently sent a message out to his friends on a Saturday evening. It said "beer in my hand. Sunny day. In the office. What's wrong with this picture?"</P> <P>For many people starting their own company, long hours are a fact of life. According to a survey recently conducted by <A href="http://www.bttradespace.com">BT Tradespace</A>, half of all small business owners questioned are working more than 60 hours a week - and nearly one in ten are putting in a mammoth 100 hours. That's the equivalent of 14 hours per day, which means they're barely leaving their desks.</P> <P>Most people in business will tell you that this kind of passion is essential if you're going to make it a success. But it's also worth thinking about whether you can balance things out a little bit better, perhaps by <A href="/templates/PageTypes/ContentPages/Document.aspx?id=2632">working at home</A> rather than in the office. At least that way your children might remember what you look like!</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/60-hours-a-week---and-loving-it/">Comments</a> (0)</p> 60 hours a week - and loving it? Ian Betteridge 2008-07-30 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Driven-to-the-edge/ <P>For some business people, driving a company car isn't just a perk. And it's certainly not pleasant when you turn up at the pumps and see the cost of driving to and from work that week. </P> <P>So rather than a luxury gas-guzzler, perhaps it's time your business looked for something that's&nbsp;a little <A href="http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2008/07/the-10-cheapest.html?OTC-HPtoppuff&amp;ATTR=cheapcar" orgurl="http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2008/07/the-10-cheapest.html?OTC-HPtoppuff&amp;ATTR=cheapcar">more modest</A>? Your business could reap some serious financial benefits from picking a Prius rather than a Lexus.</P> <P>Obviously there are some businesses that feel they need the right image for their brand, and that might mean your MD turning up in a Mercedes rather than a Honda Civic. But for most company use, going "green" with your company cars also means saving money - so look again at the cars you're driving. </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Dealing-with-finance/>Dealing with finance</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Driven-to-the-edge/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Driven to the edge Hannah Gilchrist 2008-07-29 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/A-willing-volunteer-/ <P>According to Volunteering England, many people in business want to make a contribution to the community in which they are based but lack the time and find it difficult to sift through the quantity of information available. </P> <P>So, they have created a new site, <A href="http://www.do-it.org.uk" orgurl="http://www.do-it.org.uk">www.do-it.org.uk</A>, which gives employees the chance to volunteer their time to a good cause&nbsp;which is related to their work.&nbsp; </P> <P>But whilst the concept of volunteering might leave a warm tingly feeling, what are the real business benefits? Should you allow your employees to take time off work to do volunteering?</P> <P>When considering this, it's worth remembering that&nbsp;customers and employees are not&nbsp;simply motivated by money. Employees may be more motivated (and so productive) when they work for a company which lets them do something for the community, while customers may be impressed by your commitment to "doing the right thing". </P> <P>If you think your company can make a difference, you can find&nbsp;more information about volunteering opportunities visit <A href="http://www.do-it.org.uk" orgurl="http://www.do-it.org.uk">do-it.org.uk</A> or <A href="http://www.volunteering.org.uk/" orgurl="http://www.volunteering.org.uk/">Volunteering England</A>.&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp; </P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Employing-people/>Employing people</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/A-willing-volunteer-/">Comments</a> (0)</p> A willing volunteer Hannah Gilchrist 2008-07-29 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/When-does-your-location-matter/ <P>Regular readers of this blog will know that we frequently bang the drum for mobile working, and especially the ability of technology to let you "work anywhere". But there are limits to this, and knowing what the limits are is crucially important for making mobile working work for you.</P> <P>This is because there are times when location matters - in fact, for some businesses, location is everything. The obvious examples are shops, especially those which depend on passing traffic for their trade. But even for those working outside retail, location can be incredibly important. </P> <P>To find out why, consider the case of financial services. As historian Geoffrey Jones noted in <A href="http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/hbr/articles/article.jsp?ml_action=get-article&amp;articleID=F0807H&amp;ml_issueid=BR0807&amp;ml_subscriber=true&amp;pageNumber=1&amp;_requestid=39532" orgurl="http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/hbr/articles/article.jsp?ml_action=get-article&amp;articleID=F0807H&amp;ml_issueid=BR0807&amp;ml_subscriber=true&amp;pageNumber=1&amp;_requestid=39532">a recent interview with the Harvard Business Review</A>, despite the increasing computerisation of finance, which means that in theory finance companies could work anywhere, "it has become more rather than less important over recent decades to be in London or New York if you want to participate."</P> <P>The reasons come down to something that technology can't really replace: social factors. As Jones points out, if you want to open a cosmetics company, customers and commercial partners will take you far more seriously if you operate out of Paris or New York. Try and start up your company in the mid-west of the US, and you'll face an uphill struggle.</P> <P>There are, of course, reasons for this other than just "post code prejudice". Business is a social enterprise, and being physically around the hub of your industry gives you the chance to get to know clients, competitors and customers socially. </P> <P>And this social aspect of business is something that technology, no matter how good, can't replicate. So, if you're considering starting up a business, look at whether you need to be in a particular place - it might prove to be a more important decision than you think.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Where-you-work/>Where you work</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/When-does-your-location-matter/">Comments</a> (0)</p> When does your location matter? Ian Betteridge 2008-07-29 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Protecting-your-privacy-at-work/ <P>Privacy at work is one of those touchy areas employers are usually forced into discussing. Staff are entitled to a reasonable amount of privacy under the <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/946400.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/946400.stm">Human Right’s Act</A>, but where do employers draw the line and should you be honest about how you are keeping an eye on your staff? </P> <P>Whilst all this talk of human rights is very profound, and most law-abiding employers are keen not to be labelled as big brother, how much privacy are staff entitled to when they’re working on someone else’s property? </P> <P>A feature on the <A href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/secretarial/article4378088.ece" orgurl="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/secretarial/article4378088.ece">Times Online</A> makes a very valid point about the differences between employee privacy and dignity. As an employer which one should you respect the most and where do the two merge? Are cameras in the toilets a step too far?</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Employing-people/>Employing people</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Business-law/>Business law</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Protecting-your-privacy-at-work/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Protecting your privacy at work Hannah Gilchrist 2008-07-28 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-you-part-of-the-mobile-web/ <P><A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7522305.stm" orgurl="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7522305.stm">According to research by Intel</A>, the number of small mobile devices connected to the Internet is set to reach 1.2 billion by 2012 - a figure which exceeds the <A href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199200360" orgurl="http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199200360">number of PCs currently in use</A>. Even accounting for growth in the use of PCs over the next four years, it's clear that the mobile phone will be a hugely popular way of accessing the web - possibly even the most often used web device.</P> <P>So if you want to get ahead of the competition, it's essential that you start planning for and implementing a mobile web strategy as soon as possible. If you use a web ordering system, can it be used on a mobile phone? Some retailers - notably Amazon - have already started created mobile-specific versions of their sites, so that customers can make orders whenever they want. </P> <P>If you're designing and building your site yourself, a good place to start would be Virginia DeBolt's feature on how to&nbsp;"<A href="http://www.thinkvitamin.com/features/css/make-your-site-mobile-friendly" orgurl="http://www.thinkvitamin.com/features/css/make-your-site-mobile-friendly">Make your site mobile-friendly</A>". If you're employing someone to do it, make sure you explain what you want to your developer - and don't be fobbed off with excuses. Make sure they test on a variety of mobile platforms, including Nokia, Apple, Motorola and BlackBerry.</P> <P>And, once the system goes live, monitor how well it's doing. Even if you're not getting too many orders now, persist with mobile access - it is likely to pay off in the future.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Planning-your-business/>Planning your business</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Are-you-part-of-the-mobile-web/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Are you part of the mobile web? Ian Betteridge 2008-07-28 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Watch-out-for-irritating-ads/ <P>Advertising on the Internet is a great way for a business to get more custom. But be careful how you do it - not all ads will get you a positive response.</P> <P>According to <A href="http://www.nma.co.uk/Logon/ResourceBarrier.aspx?RequiredServices=17,|&amp;PipelinedPage=/Articles/38878/Intrusive+ads+increasingly+driving+people+away+from+favourite.html&amp;PipelinedQueryString=liArticleID%3d38878" orgurl="http://www.nma.co.uk/Logon/ResourceBarrier.aspx?RequiredServices=17,|&amp;PipelinedPage=/Articles/38878/Intrusive+ads+increasingly+driving+people+away+from+favourite.html&amp;PipelinedQueryString=liArticleID%3d38878">New Media Age,</A> 73% of web users have abandoned a web site for good because they found its ads annoying. Noisy ads, pop-ups which cover the content, and ads which make it hard to close them were all likely to drive readers away rather than make them stay.</P> <P>For business, the value of intrusive ads like these is actually fairly low. No one is going to think well of your brand if they are having your name and logo pushed into their faces online. </P> <P>So think carefully about the kinds of ads that you run - and if the ad is too "in your face" think twice about running it.</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Sales-and-marketing/>Sales and marketing</a>, <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Technology/>Technology</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Watch-out-for-irritating-ads/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Watch out for irritating ads Ian Betteridge 2008-07-28 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Caught-cheating-Hire-or-fire/ <P>But whilst we’re on the subject of honesty, if you find out someone has cheated their way into a job should you sack or promote them?</P> <P>When it comes to applying for a job everyone applies themselves with great gusto and keeping their fingers crossed when it comes to the crunch. But if you’re the lucky one picking the best from a bunch how can you be sure everyone is telling the truth? </P> <P>Some <A href="http://news.hereisthecity.com/news/business_news/8071.cntns" orgurl="http://news.hereisthecity.com/news/business_news/8071.cntns">17% of job applicants</A> within the financial services were prepared to tell porkies on their CVs, according to latest research. But whilst applicants are prepared to lie, some employers are prepared to overlook discrepancies in favour of initiative and charm. </P> <P>Admittedly there would always be a&nbsp;bit of doubt over their character, but if they’re prepared to lie about something does that just show their determination for the job or their true colours?</P><p>Topics: <a href=http://www.insight.bt.com/Topics/Employing-people/>Employing people</a></p><p><a href="http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/Caught-cheating-Hire-or-fire/">Comments</a> (0)</p> Caught cheating? Hire or fire? Hannah Gilchrist 2008-07-24 http://www.insight.bt.com/blog/In-your-company-whos-really-irreplaceable/ <P>Is there such a thing as an irreplaceable CEO? That’s what some investors in the US appear to have thought after&nbsp;Apple declined to answer questions about the health of its iconic founder, Steve Jobs. </P> <P>After a conference call to talk about the company’s results (which were outstanding), its share price fell in part because of speculation over Jobs’ health and the company’s refusal to discuss it. Jobs, who recovered from pancreatic cancer last year, has recently looked thinner than usual, something which has <A href="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2008/07/the_real_issue.html" orgurl="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2008/07/the_real_issue.html">lead to speculation over potential further health issues</A>.</P> <P>Some commentators have speculated that should Jobs have to leave, the company could lose 25% of its share price – the kind of figure that makes any investor nervous. </P> <P>But the real issue, and one which is relevant to every business, is simple: succession. Sooner or later (and hopefully in perfect health) Jobs will leave Apple, and the company will have to go on. Who replaces him? At the moment, there appears to be no successor who could inspire the same level of confidence in investors. </P> <P>Planning for succession is one of the key challenges that a growing business faces. Every company likes to pretend that “everyone is replaceable”. In reality, every company has certain key employees who it would struggle to replace – and, in the case of many small businesses, the departure of a founder could easily signal the end of the company. </P> <P>So how do you handle succession planning? According an excellent article in <A href="http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2007/sb20070730_940924.htm" orgurl="http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2007/sb20070730_940924.htm">Businessweek</A>, the key is to “evaluate the skills and attitudes of everyone in