Tag Archives: business

5 of the best movies that feature good old fashioned ‘Mail’

5 of the best movies that feature good old fashioned mail

The humble piece of mail is not something you normally associate with movies. However, we think mail has helped shape some of the best (or at least notorious) films ever. So, for no other reason than that we offer mail forwarding services, we thought we’d celebrate some of the movies where mail has played a pivotal role. Let’s take a look; lights, camera, action – MAIL! Continue reading

A virtual office? 5 reasons why

5 good reasons to set up a virtual office.

1- No rental costs

You don’t need to have dedicated office space. Work from home or on the train in between meetings. Get moving and get your business off the ground while a receptionist fields your calls at your virtual office.

2- No Start-up costs

You don’t have to worry about office supplies; computers, desks, printers etc. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Focus on the business and don’t worry on whether or not all these purchases are a wise investment.

3- Staff benefits? What benefits?

You don’t have to worry about full-time or part-time benefits, sick leave, health insurance or holidays. These are all just unnecessary complications. Starting up you need to concentrate on making cash, not on your staff’s work-escapism.

4- Flexibility

There is a wealth of options, packages, and offers to chose from. You can find the service that best suits your needs, whether they include 24 hour telephone answering, or meeting rooms in central London.

5- Professionalism

Give your potential clients the right impression with a prestigious office address and receptionists who answer every call in a timely manner and in your company name. No one wants to hear you are actually just working out of your shed.

£50 free Google voucher for you

Good news for all the people who are signing up for a mail forwarding or telephone answering virtual office package: they will receive £50 Google Adwords voucher!

Google Adwords are a simple solution to online advertising. It can help you target customers who are actually looking for your products and services online. – For some tips and information on Google Adwords, please visit our Google Zone on Business Made Simple. And remind that it’s a time limited offer and cannot be used in conjunction with any other special offer. Vouchers are sent out in batches once a day, so you may not receive your voucher until one working day after your account has been set up.

Do you want to learn more about Google Adwords? Click here to understand what they are and how to create and use them!

Top 10 Business Tips for 2009

2009 will be a very difficult year: every media carries on giving us terrible news and dark predictions.

And 2009 could be a very hard year moreover for new and young businesses: “the credit squeeze and the onset of recession could combine to make the trading environment during 2009 somewhat challenging”, explains the Westbury Blog. So here are some top tips written by Howard Graham to make you stand above the crowd and ensure that your business is well placed to grow and prosper during the year:

1. Have a plan.

2. Differentiate yourself.

3. Know the numbers.

4. Use your time well.

5. Get good people around you.

6. Streamline internal processes and systems.

7. Get online.

8. Manage that cash.

9. Work “on” not “in” the business.

10. Continually improve yourself.

Do you need to know more about them? Click on Westbury Blog!

Tesco on sale: good prices (and ideas) could help!

Tesco, the British-based international supermarket chain has reported only a 2 per cent rise in like-for-like UK sales over the past three months, its worst performance since the 1990s. People are abandoning Britain’s biggest supermarket in favour of its rivals that offer cheaper prices.

Tesco has begun to cut its prices. The discount supermarket sector is growing because of the economic turmoil: the rising inflation push shoppers to buy food & drink, clothing and electronics in the stores that offer the best deals.
Even if inflation is now falling back, the Bank of England is expected to cut interest rates to encourage shoppers to spend in the run-up to Christmas. Overall, total UK sales grew 5.9 per cent and group revenue across Tesco rose by 11.7 per cent over the past 3 months.

In changing times, companies must be prepared to change too in order to adapt to the current economic climate.

5 news bites for your coffee break

Here is a quick press review selected from the most interesting business news of the day:

  1. Pound Falls to 5 Year Low Against Dollar: the pound slid to the lowest level in more than five years against the dollar after the Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said Britain’s worst banking crisis since World War I is likely to push the economy into a recession – read more on bloomberg.com.
  2. Factory gloom ‘worst since 1980’: the slowdown in the UK economy is now spreading to sectors previously resilient to weaknesses in the banking and housing markets. The crisis is spreading into all sectors of business, affecting unemployment and inflation – read more on BBCNews.co.uk.
  3. Soaring art market returns to earth with a bump: the global financial crisis has finally caught up with the art world. Experts warn that things are likely to get tougher: what’s happened in the financial markets will also damage the art market because liquidity is tighter everywhere – read more on Reuters.co.uk.
  4. European business backed up: during this crisis, resultant cuts in jobs, production and investment, means companies must hunker down hoping to survive what they fear will be a ferocious reversal – read more on Ft.com.
  5. David Beckham will join AC Milan on loan in January: the English football player will move to Italy for few months at the beginnig of 2009, according to Adriano Galliani, the Italian club’s vice-president. Beckham wants to train and play with Milan, and Milan wants him: Beckham’s commercial value means full stadiums and read sponsors. Maybe not all rich men are crying – read more on Thetimesonline.co.ukthe English football player will move to Italy for few months at the beginning of 2009, according to Adriano Galliani, the Italian club’s vice-president. Beckham wants to train and play with Milan, a sentiment reciprocated by the Italians: Beckham’s commercial value means is nothing but good news for club merchandise and ticket sales – read more on Thetimesonline.co.uk

How to calculate your own inflation

Prices are increasing rapidly as inflation grows but how will it damage you and your wallet?

BBCNews.co.uk is trying to help you find the answer. By filling in this form created by the Office for National Statistics, you will be able to calculate your personal inflation rate. The more accurate you are with filling out your dates, the more accurate the result will clearly illustrate how inflation affects you.

Take our advice and fill in the form now. This way you can better understand your personal financial position and be prepared for the future.

Stock markets around the world slump further

The panic is spreading worldwide: the slump of every stock market can take the global economy into a deep recession. After Wall Street fell to a five-year low last night with the Dow Jones closing at 7.3% down, the day started very badly in Asia, where Singapore slid into recession, and quickly spread to Europe. In London, the FTSE 100 plunged more than 10% in the first 30 mins of trading.
What will happen in Wall Street today? And in Europe?

What does ‘recession’ mean? And what does it mean for your business and for your livelihood?

Here is a quick press review for you:

BBC News : Fear grips global stock markets

Reuters : Global rout, bank woes roil Wall Street

Guardian : Markets crash: How panic spread around the globe

Timesonline.co.uk : Wall St shares plummet, following London and Asia, as G7 gathers

Bloomberg : Most U.S. Stocks Decline on Credit Crisis; Regional Banks Gain

Safe/banks? Protect your money from dark Mondays

UK interest rates cut by 0.5% as US Federal Reserve leads co-ordinated effort across the world to restore economic confidence. In this catastrophic period for financial markets and particularly after the disastrous events of Monday, people are questioning the safety of their savings, pensions and nest-eggs.

So let’s have a look at which is the best bank for you and your business, taking in to account the recent turn of events. On this page you can find a form with the main UK bank accounts that compares and applies 40 UK bank accounts, savings, current accounts and ISAs.

Made Simple Group provides you with 5 banking and special services for start-up businesses: check here tomorrow for all the details!