Business opinion on Liverpool and UK businesses

Viewpoint: Planners need to be more flexible to boost development Apr 05 2012

WHILE there have been signs of growth in the commercial property market over recent months, it still remains relatively slow.Read

Alex Turner: No simple solution to the crisis in the high street Mar 29 2012

RETAILERS’ quarterly rent bills, which are never welcome at the best of times, have been dropping on their doormats this week, causing anxiety, alarm and, it is expected, administration.Read

Viewpoint: Landlords need to be more flexible to win tenants Mar 29 2012

A GOOD relationship is at the heart of any business deal, and this notion has never been more relevant for the commercial property market than now.Read

Social Enterprise: Dave Neilson, chief executive of Fusion21 Mar 29 2012

THE procurement of services in the public sector is changing. A greater focus on the social, economic and environmental benefits that contracts can deliver means that lowest price will no longer be the dominant factor within tender awarding criteria.Read

Viewpoint: Action needed to improve the sustainability of commercial buildings Mar 22 2012

AS MUCH as 20% of total UK commercial stock could become unlettable in 2018, if the necessary action is not taken by the Government to improve the sustainability of the existing stock.Read

Socla Enterprise: Graeme Hughes of Brabners Chaffe Street Mar 22 2012

SOCIAL enterprise in Merseyside is an expanding and dynamic sector.Read

Alex Turner: The challenge of hiring new people Mar 22 2012

OF ALL the things small businesses do, one of the most nerve-wracking is employing someone.Read

WITH more than 55,000 people unemployed in Liverpool alone, it is vital that the government and public service providers are equipped to deliver effective programmes that get people jobs. Mar 15 2012

In light of the recent failures of back to work service provider A4e, whose track record in helping the workless find employment was dubbed “abysmal” by the Public Accounts Committee , and with the passing of the Public Services (Social Value) Act, it is now more important than ever that social enterprises step in to provide public services that deliver quality results, help society profit, and make sure the tax payer gets more bang for their buck.Read

Alex Turner: Fortune doesn’t always favour the brave Mar 15 2012

AS DELEGATES arrived in Liverpool at the start of this week for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, there were two new reminders of the difficulties of being an entrepreneur.Read

Viewpoint: Property and construction firms come under pressure Mar 08 2012

BEGBIES TRAYNOR’S Red Flag Alert, the quarterly benchmark of company distress, has indicated that property and construction companies in the region are coming under severe financial pressure.Read

Alex Turner: Make time for your career Mar 08 2012

ONE morning this week was spent importing data into a new CRM system before attaching another whiteboard to the office wall in the ongoing search for corporate nirvana – a way to successfully manage all the information and activity that exists in a diverse and growing company.Read

Ben Hatton: Facebook set to take on Google Mar 08 2012

FACEBOOK is once again evolving and this time it is ready to take on its biggest competitor, Google, as it looks for ways to make smart use of people’s data and boost advertising revenue.Read

Opinion: Ross Walker of Forresters on the Patent Box Mar 08 2012

THE clock is ticking for technology and manufacturing businesses in the UK to ensure products qualify for next spring’s tax breaks as part of the proposed Patent Box legislation.Read

Social Enterprise: Michele Bacon of CREATE Mar 01 2012

IN THE light of the recent Government initiatives to tackle unemployment, particularly among young people, it is ironic that the charity and social enterprise that I represent is struggling to maintain services which would more than adequately meet the Government’s aims.Read

Alex Turner: Success is a marathon, not a sprint Mar 01 2012

DUE TO a combination of a misplaced feeling of youthfulness and being friends with a slightly-balding, once-athletic PE teacher, I have been entered for the Liverpool half-marathon in two weeks’ time.Read

Viewpoint: Government decision on business rates will make life harder for firms Mar 01 2012

WITH business rates forming a significant part of many business’s fixed costs, any opportunity to reduce this liability is welcome.Read

Ben Hatton: Brands must develop relationships with customers Mar 01 2012

BRANDS hoping to increase online sales need to develop customer relationship management (CRM) systems if they are to succeed.Read

Viewpoint: More clarity needed from Government on sustainablity for property sector Feb 23 2012

PROGRESS has been made by the Government in shaping the regulatory and fiscal framework for sustainable buildings in the UK.Read

Social Enterprise: Karen McKean of Blue Orchid Management Consultant Feb 23 2012

THRIVING, well-run social enterprises are now in every city, town and village delivering commercial success alongside social value.Read

Alex Turner: Firms must prove case for funding Feb 23 2012

A BIT of wizardry was always going to be needed to find a solution to the seemingly unsolvable problem of lending money to small firms (SMEs).Read

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