business Archives - Page 8 of 8

Outsourcing offers cost-effective means of growing a business

September 20, 2012

We read some interesting outsourcing news this week: a Bristol-based firm, Alago, is thriving while outsourcing every element of its business. The firm sells heated gloves for sport and leisure and has distributors in five countries, but employs just person – its founder Tony Curtis. He actively outsources everything from research and development through to design, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, accounting and of course marketing. Even the company address is virtual, and a telephone answering company responds to calls.

The benefits of public speaking

August 20, 2012

Association professionals are often called upon to speak at events. While it can be intimidating, public speaking is a highly valuable skill to possess, and those who learn to leverage it effectively will often establish themselves as experts or thought leaders, which in turn helps to grow membership and raise the profile of their organisation.

Pensions Auto Enrolment

August 2, 2012

From October 2012 the largest employers will have to comply with Pensions Auto Enrolment. Employers will have to identify eligible jobholders and advise them of the employer’s obligations under the legislation. The staging date for those with more modest workforces may be some years off. Staging dates for all employers can be found by visiting the link below.

Fundraising through iPads reaches new levels of sophistication

August 1, 2012

Raising funds for charity via iPads has hit the news pages again this summer as Fundraising Initiatives launched its new mobile-optimised, face-to-face fundraising solution to a packed audience of third sector professionals at the National Convention 2012. More than 2,000 delegates gathered to hear the latest in best practice techniques, with raising funds through iPads a hot topic of conversation.

How much does the voluntary sector contribute to employment – and where are these jobs located?

July 30, 2012

The third sector not only provides services and harnesses voluntary action, but also employs a growing number of people. There is growing interest, from government and elsewhere, in the contribution that voluntary organisations make to society and communities – and this includes their contribution to paid employment. New TSRC research has been examining this contribution, estimating the number and distribution of people working in the voluntary sector using data from the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations (NSTSO 2008) in England.

Measuring the value of social media

July 25, 2012

Monitoring social media campaigns is vital to managing reputation and gaining meaningful business and brand insights. How best to measure the value of these campaigns is a hotly debated subject among PR and marketing professionals, particularly when it comes to securing support from senior management. Defining clear business and marketing objectives is therefore essential, as is gathering smart data to demonstrate positive outcomes.

How can charities use Pinterest?

June 28, 2012

As the PR and marketing media continues its frenzied coverage of Pinterest, one of this year’s biggest social media success stories, we consider how the charity sector can make best use of the site to engage with their supporters. After all, surely a social media site that grew by 4,000% in its first six months shouldn’t be ignored.

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill published

June 8, 2012

The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill has now been published and presented to Parliament. From an employment law perspective, it includes measures to improve the employment tribunal system, as well as provisions on various non-employment matters.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Bill will improve the employment tribunal system by encouraging parties to come together to settle their dispute before an employment tribunal claim is lodged, through ACAS early conciliation and greater use of settlement agreements. It will also make the determination of less complex disputes quicker and cheaper for employers and employees alike, through a new ‘Rapid Resolution’ scheme. Taking away the fear of employment tribunals will, according to the Government, give business more confidence to take on new staff.

Government finally publishes Beecroft report

June 8, 2012

The Government has finally published the Beecroft report which was compiled and submitted to the Government last year on proposals for employment law reform, having decided that it is in the public interest to allow people to have access to its content. The report was submitted to the Government in October 2011 but has not been officially published until now. It proposes reform to a vast number of areas of employment law, including unfair dismissal, discrimination law, employment tribunal process and awards, pensions, the criminal record checking system, work permit checks, TUPE, collective redundancies and equal pay audits.

Is it time to consider outsourcing?

May 29, 2012

Outsourcing has become essential to many businesses over the past 20 years, and particularly in recent times with employers often tending to favour outsourcing over engaging full-time staff. Associations typically outsource membership management, administration, marketing and accounting functions to specialists, freeing up in-house resource to develop strategy, plan for future events and address policy matters.