Is Richard Branson's Limitless Holiday Entitlement Policy Really Such a Good Idea?

In Richard Branson's family offices, the employees are entitled to take as much holiday as they wish. Or so the headlines would have us believe.   Branson calls this a 'non-policy' and states that, “It is left to the employee alone to decide if and when he or she feels like taking a few hours a day, a week or a month off, the assumption being that they are only going to do it when they feel 100% comfortable that they and their team are up to date on every project and that their absence will not in any way damage the business – or, for that matter, their careers!”

Impact of Minimum Wage Rise

As the National Minimum Wage rises to £6.50/hour & Ed Miliband pledges a £8 minimum wage if his party are voted in during the next election, the predictable debate about the possible impacts of these changes flares up yet again.

Miliband has made the case for raising the minimum wage by stating that one in five workers are classed as 'low paid' as they earn less than £7.71 an hour.

Does the UK have a Skills Gap?

Business groups are beginning to worry that there won't be enough young people in the UK with the skills necessary to fill the positions of those retiring.  Some are concerned that the highly skilled technical jobs will go unfilled and others fear that school leavers' literacy, numeracy and preparedness to work are inadequate.

Flexible Working

With the introduction of the new flexible working laws on 30th June this year, it is important to consider what the implications will be for employees and businesses.

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills claims that flexible working will bring economic benefits of £475million in 10 years, a figure which sounds suspiciously arbitrary, due to increased productivity, lower staff turnover and less absenteeism.

The Economic Impact of Fracking

Despite the controversy surrounding fracking, no one can deny its impact on the US economy.  The New Statesman pointed out that this new energy self-sufficiency had driven down energy costs and increased consumer spending as a result.  Vox also demonstrates that substantial numbers of jobs have been created in states where drilling for shale gas takes place, not only in the industry itself, but also in manufacturing which has seen an increase due to the availability of cheap fuel.  With the expansion of shale gas exploration here in the UK, the House of Lords commissioned a report to see if we would experience the same economic growth.

The Benefits of Soft Skills

Hiring new staff presents a whole host of challenges for a business these days. Deciding what sort of person to take on requires a great deal of thought and consideration especially when advertising for jobs that receive a large number of applications.

An article in the Huffington Post earlier this year stated that, in one part of the country, 1,700 people applied for just 8 jobs at a new branch of Costa Coffee and around 5,000 people applied for 350 jobs at a new Asda store.

Crowdfunding - Canny Investments or Risky Business?

The Financial Times tells us that the alternative finance market grew by 91% over the last 12 months and is expected to top £1.6bn this year.   So, what is crowdfunding and why has it suddenly become so popular?  More importantly, is it a good idea?

Crowdfunding is a new way to finance businesses where a large number of people can invest small amounts of money in the projects of their choice.

Facebook to buy messaging app WhatsApp for £11.4Billion

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook has agreed to acquire WhatsApp in order to add a secure social messaging component to their mobile application inventory. Zuckerberg went on to say that the entire WhatsApp team will be joining the group at Facebook.

What Is Social Media Marketing and What Is It NOT?

Social media marketing is all about promoting a brand, product, website or person on social media networks. It is also about building up an online presence, an online brand, an online followers’ base & an online reputation, so that people start recognizing your brand.

This stage in the customers’ purchase journeys is called the ‘awareness stage’, when people are interested in learning the facts and features about new products, services and promotions). 

How to Promote Your Online Business to Rank High in Search Engines

If you are trying to get a new online business up and running, or you want more customers for your current online business, the best way to do that is by link building.

This is the process where you get web links for your business out to as many sites as you can.  This is not only going to get more people to see your links, but it will also get the search engines to notice you quicker.  In the end, you are killing two birds with one stone!