Latest News - Page 25 Categories Our Sector Virtual Offices Sustainability Community Charity & CSR HR Select Category Our Sector Virtual Offices Sustainability Community Charity & CSR HR Oct 25th 2011 Huge differences in credit ratings for SMEs A move towards transparency is needed in order to make sure the same rules are applied across the board when small businesses apply for credit ratings, according to Shelley Stock Hutter. The accountancy firm investigated the practices of ... Oct 25th 2011 Council staff embracing mobile working Stoke-on-Trent City Council is demonstrating how mobile working can cuts down on costs as part of new money-saving measures. The council is now closing offices at the weekends and allowing more staff to work from home during the week. It is ... Oct 25th 2011 Turning down the heat could save offices millions Turning down the heating in office space across the UK by just one degree could save businesses a collective £35 million, according to data from the Carbon Trust. Figures from the body show that workplaces in the UK currently spend around £450 ... Oct 25th 2011 FSB wants VAT cut and NIC holiday The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called for the government to introduce a VAT cut and a National Insurance Contributions (NICs) holiday to help struggling small firms. The call comes after the federation’s Voice of Small ... Oct 24th 2011 Older workers bring experience to the office It’s a good idea to have a variety of ages working together in the same office space as older workers can bring their experience to the workplace, it has been claimed. According to Paul Green, spokesman for the over-50s group Saga, older ... Oct 24th 2011 Eco initiatives ‘boost staff morale’ Green office initiatives can help boost employee morale, according to one expert. Mrs Green, the founder of Littlegreenblog.com said that it is easy to make small eco-friendly changes which can make a big difference to a company both in terms ... Oct 24th 2011 Companies ‘should provide incentives for paper saving’ Companies looking to cut down on costs and boost their eco credentials by using less paper in the office should offer incentives to help achieve this. According to Raz Godelnik, co-founder of Ecolibris.net, a company working to promote the ... Oct 21st 2011 UK businesses embracing tablets Businesses in the UK are embracing tablet computers with around one in five firms using the gadgets in the workplace. Data from Equanet highlights that rather than being a consumer-only product the devices are useful for businesses, especially ... Oct 20th 2011 IT firm take up new office space Computer support providers Circle IT are set to move to a new large office in Cardiff after rapidly expanding their business portfolio throughout the UK. The company, which is Wales’ biggest IT consultancy, will take over a 3,534 sq ... Oct 20th 2011 Office rental slump could hit Reading Despite a solid first half of the year, a property expert in Reading is predicting a slowdown in the office rental market. Commercial property consultancy Hicks Baker believes worries over economic uncertainty and fragile business confidence ... Oct 20th 2011 One in three want to work from home More than one in three people would like the option of working from home according to a poll conducted by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP). Research into flexible working found that out of 293 people, 36 per cent liked ... Oct 19th 2011 College launch work scheme for Lancashire’s youth Blackburn College has launched a pilot scheme that intends to help young people into work. In conjunction with the Job Centre and local businesses, the college has set up work academies and hopes to give 16 – 24-year-olds better chances of obtaining ... Oct 19th 2011 45% of businesses cannot find right employees A survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has found that despite increasing unemployment, 45 per cent of businesses still find it difficult to recruit the correct person for a position. Figures released last week show that the number ... Oct 19th 2011 SME’s lack of confidence could cost jobs Confidence amongst SMEs has dropped and this is likely to result in more staffing culls, according to The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). A survey carried out by the organisation found that six per cent of the 1,600 businesses questioned ... Oct 18th 2011 New bank for small businesses A new bank has been launched with small businesses in mind in order to provide those worthy of credit with a better chance of obtaining it. Shawbrook Bank will offer savings and lending, but no current account facilities and is backed by the Royal ... Oct 17th 2011 Family homes modified for home workers As the number of people working from home has increased by a fifth since 2008 the average family home has lost 11 square feet of living space in that time, according to research by LV=. More people working from home has led workspaces to crop up ... Oct 16th 2011 WOW! Gorilla Competition Winner Business Environment in association with Business Networks sponsored “Splodge” the gorilla as part of Bristol Zoo’s WOW Gorilla campaign. To celebrate the colourful exhibition of gorillas across Bristol, Business Environment launched ... Oct 14th 2011 Third of people would consider emigrating for new job A new poll conducted by the Post Office has found that at least a third of young Britons would be happy to take a job overseas. Some 33 per cent of 18-34 year-olds said that they’d consider working abroad as they feel it could offer more opportunities ... Oct 14th 2011 Football star welcomes new eco office Former Manchester United and England footballer Gary Neville officially unveiled a new carbon negative office in West Yorkshire yesterday. Neville, 36, has a keen interest in environmental property and famously won approval for his own ... Oct 14th 2011 Spare land could be new office plot Two pieces of disused land in Stoke-on-Trent could be used as sites for temporary office space, a new report suggests. Plans are currently in under scrutiny for a state of the art business district in Hanley, but consultants URS-Scott Wilson ... Oct 14th 2011 Youth unemployment big issue in East Anglia Young people are the hardest hit by unemployment in East Anglia according to new figures. Norwich saw a 12 per cent rise in people out of work compared to the same period last year. Currently there are 4,450 people without a job in the Norfolk city ... Oct 14th 2011 Cuts to hit Welsh jobs Things are looking bleak for the public sector in Wales. Figures released by the Wales Audit Office (WAO) suggest that some 20,985 jobs are set to go in the next four years. As yet indications have not been made as to which sector will see the majority ... Oct 13th 2011 Team-desking can reduce costs Reducing desks while not reducing staffing levels helped Cable and Wireless Worldwide’s move to its new Bracknell office more cost effective, revealed director of IT operations Richard Wilson. Speaking with cio.co.uk, Mr Wilson ... Oct 13th 2011 Brits put in 26 million hours overtime each day. Research by insurance company Aviva have discovered that workers in the UK contribute some 26 million hours in extra work each day. The report found out that six out of ten people work outside of their contracted hours, averaging 1.5 hours in ... Oct 13th 2011 Two-thirds of people want another job A survey conducted by recruitment agency Hays as found that two-thirds of people would happily move to a new job if they were able to. It also found that just four out of ten people are not looking for new work at present because they like their current ... Oct 13th 2011 Carillion to develop Manchester venture Construction services firm Carillion has won the contract to develop a key office venture in the heart of Manchester. The company, whose previous developments include the Tate Modern gallery in London, fended off rivals Bam and Kier to secure ... Oct 13th 2011 Iconic Leeds landmark to home state of the art offices State of the art office space at one of Leeds’ most famous spots is due for completion this week. Tower Works, well-known for its three listed Italian-style chimneys, has been redeveloped by Creative Space Management Ltd after securing ... Oct 13th 2011 On Your Bike – UK Business Takes to the Road! Businesses are discovering that the financial advantages of cycling go far beyond the environmental benefits and improving employees’ health and well-being. The humble bicycle is enjoying something of a renaissance in the UK; after almost ... Oct 13th 2011 Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Mornings at BE Offices Bristol Over the last few weeks Business Environment Bristol have been baking away to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. On Friday 30th September the WestPoint Business Centre team and their clients baked a delicious range of treats to go ... Oct 12th 2011 Unemployment at highest in 17 years Unemployment has reached 2.57 million, which is the highest it has been for 17 years, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figures show that unemployment rose by 114,000 in the period between June and August this year with 991,000 ... Oct 12th 2011 How to implement a successful retention strategy and maximise the customer service experience In a down economy, companies find they have fewer problems filling vacancies. But that’s all the more reason to have a robust retention strategy in place, says Nazia Ahmed, HR Director at serviced office operator Business Environment. The ... Oct 11th 2011 CEO of Vodafone advocates hot desking Guy Laurence, the CEO of Vodafone since 2009, has spoken about his unconventional attitude towards offices and how he utilises hot desks and flexible working in an interview with the Telegraph. Announcing that a lot of the ways in which the ... Oct 10th 2011 BIS contemplating audit exemptions for small businesses More than £200 million could be saved by small businesses in the UK if proposals currently in consultation by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) come into force. The changes would widen the criteria for audit exemptions ... Oct 09th 2011 A ‘YES’ for Customer Service from BE’s Clients! As part of a focus on promoting service and retention the serviced office and meeting room venue operator Business Environment carried out the biggest customer service survey in its 20 year history. As part of National Customer Service Week ... Oct 07th 2011 Struggling parents reluctant to request flexible hours The work life balance is not adequate for six out of ten working parents with 54 per cent of them uneasy about requesting flexible conditions, as study by My Family Care has found. Parents who would like more flexibility in their working lives ... Oct 07th 2011 Get your jeans on! BE Offices is proud to be supporting Jeans for Genes again in 2011 30,000 babies are born every year in the UK with a genetic disorder. The health problems they face mean that genetic disorders are the biggest killer of children under the age of 14. The charity Jeans for Genes have launched their focus day this ... Oct 06th 2011 Sickness costs SMEs The next six months will see a loss of £3.4 billion for small and medium businesses due to illnesses such as colds and the flu. Collectively SMEs lose £63 million a year, according to research by Viking, and two-thirds of that absence occurs during ... Oct 06th 2011 Nearly half of professionals not taking full holiday entitlement With only 53 per cent of professional workers in the UK using the entirety of the holiday entitlement last year the British habit of living to work is growing. In the UK, 23 per cent of respondents took two-thirds of their allocated entitlement ... Oct 06th 2011 Stress not cancer now main cause of sickness Employees in shared offices will be interested to know that acute illnesses such as cancer have been overtaken by stress as the number one reason staff take sickness leave. Two-fifths of employers reported an increased number of sick days ... Oct 05th 2011 Workers would accept pay cut to save colleagues jobs Many workers would prefer to see their own pay reduced than see their colleagues out of work, despite the fact that many people are struggling to make ends meet. Even though the economic situation is difficult and the price of living has risen, ... Oct 05th 2011 Staff say new office furniture is top of wish list Office staff chose new office furniture and renewing office decor as the changes that would most improve their office, as part of a survey for Staples. The study found 52 per cent would give their current office furniture a C grade with 41 per ... Oct 05th 2011 Keyboard germs could lead to cold and flu cases Office workers could be at risk from germs and bacteria lurking on their keyboards and work stations, especially as the cold and flu season begins. A new study by Viking collected swabs from hundreds of office workers taken from their office ... Oct 05th 2011 Business Environment launches B2B Networking As part of a focus on promoting client retention the serviced office and meeting room venue operator Business Environment has launched B2B NETWORKING, a new networking group in all its 18 UK serviced office centres. A growing number of businesses ... Oct 04th 2011 Workers to be charged for tribunals Staff in serviced and shared offices will be interested to know that chancellor, George Osborne, has announced plans to charge staff for employment tribunals to the Conservative party conference. Speaking in Manchester, Mr Osborne dealt ... Oct 04th 2011 Only a third of UK employees happy at work Those who work in office space in London may be in an enviable position as the latest Happiness at Work Index shows that London has above average levels of happiness. The index, which is published by Badenoch and Clark, suggests that only a third ... Oct 04th 2011 Nearly half of working parents unaware of childcare vouchers Many working parents are unaware of childcare vouchers and other employee benefits, according to a survey of 2,000 parents undertaken by Co-Operative Employee Benefits. The results showed that 45 per cent of parents were unaware of the vouchers ... Oct 03rd 2011 New law will help SMEs protect their copyright and trade marks Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be better able to protect their copyright and trade marks due to a new law giving a clearer idea of whether disputes should be heard in the Patents County Court (PCC) or the High Court. Fewer SMEs should ... Oct 03rd 2011 Employers encouraged to name the worst regulations As part of its Red Tape Challenge the government has launched the Employment Law Spotlight in which it is asking employers to name the worst aspects of employment law. By doing so they intend to scrap or amend the ones which seem to be the most prohibitive ... Oct 03rd 2011 Red tape stops small businesses from growing Almost two-thirds of small businesses in the UK would like to expand and take on more staff but rules surrounding dismissal, health and safety and sickness absence act as a deterrent. That is according to research carried out by the British ... Sep 30th 2011 SME seminars – Running your own Business If you’ve always dreamed of running your own business then get along to one of the free events being held by an accountancy firm in Yorkshire aimed at people just like you. Lithgow Perkins Chartered Accountants will help those who will potentially ... Sep 30th 2011 Top Employers for Working Families award winners announced Flexible and mobile working were the real winners in the Top Employers for Working Families awards, which saw some of the biggest companies scooping prizes. American Express won the innovation and engagement award with Centrica claiming ... Sep 30th 2011 SME profits fall in 2010 The profits of 24 per cent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) fell by 50 per cent before tax in 2010, according to research from Baker Tilly & Company Watch. SMEs with a turnover of £5 million to £25 million who have filed accounts with ... Sep 30th 2011 Office staff to be allowed to work over 65 Workers will be able to work over the age of 65 from October 1st safe in the knowledge they will be immune to bosses firing them because they think they are too old. The legal right to be able to sack staff under the Default Retirement Age provision ... Sep 30th 2011 Why businesses play a crucial role in keeping Milton Keynes green John Edwards, centre manager at serviced office operator Business Environment in Milton Keynes, explains how local businesses can learn from the great example set by Milton Keynes council. As far as UK cities go, Milton Keynes is certainly ... Sep 29th 2011 Confusion over unfair dismissal qualifying period Staff and employers in shared and serviced offices may well be confused as to whether or not the qualifying time period in which employees are able to bring a claim for unfair dismissal will in fact be extended or not. Today the government announced ... Sep 29th 2011 Minimum wage goes up 15p Staff who work in serviced and shared offices may find their pay packets a little bit fuller next week as the minimum wage rate of pay increases by 15p, making it £6.08. The change will affect 900,000 workers across the UK as the minimum wage breaks ... Sep 29th 2011 Companies insuring office equipment over staff Only 13 per cent of companies have protection in place against losing a key member of staff, according to research carried out by Scottish Widows. This is despite the fact that 77 per cent of businesses could experience a major loss in profitability ... Sep 28th 2011 Offices take part in the world’s biggest coffee morning Shared and serviced offices in London, Bristol and Milton Keynes will be among the 43,000 people who take part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support on Friday. Last year over £8 million was raised by ... Sep 28th 2011 Prince William admits to hot desking in Daily Mail interview In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Duke of Cambridge has admitted that the Duchess, Prince Harry and himself do in fact hot desk due to the fact they only have two desks in the office they share. The trio work out of a first-floor study in a small ... Sep 28th 2011 Small businesses criticise Ed Miliband’s lack of understanding Small businesses have spoken out against the speech Ed Miliband made to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool yesterday, claiming he does not understand how jobs are created. Despite the fact that it gained praise from union bosses, both ... « Older EntriesNewer Entries » (Or jump to page 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435 of 35) Small businesses criticise Ed Miliband’s lack of understanding