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Article Archive - April 2010

How minority small business owners can improve their business.
by Jasper Martens | 20 Apr 2010
Joel Graham-Blake is an owner of Culltiv8 Solutions, a training an consultancy firm in Birminham.
Besides his firm, he has helped setting up other businesses and is an active member in several local communities in Birmingham. Jasper talked with Joel about his work and his efforts to give certain minority groups the power to achieve their goals.
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How to expand your property investment portfolio
by Josh Hall | 19 Apr 2010
As the UK emerges from recession and the property market begins to pick up, many buy-to-let investors are considering expansion. Many of those landlords that had safeguarded and properly managed their investments have survived the downturn, and a large number of them have actually flourished in the adverse conditions. Now, as activity in both the rental and sales markets is stabilising, expanding a portfolio looks realistic.
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General election update: the parties launch their manifestos
by Josh Hall | 19 Apr 2010
The election campaign is now in full swing. The historic first television debates have begun and, on 12 April, Parliament was officially dissolved – meaning that MPs are now in fact, former MPs.
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How friendly should a landlord be with his tenants?
by Josh Hall | 16 Apr 2010
As a landlord, you are likely to see quite a lot of your tenants. While some choose to employ a property manager to take care of the day-to-day maintenance of their portfolio, others adopt a more hands-on approach. If you fall into the latter group, you will certainly understand the importance of a good working relationship with your tenants.
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Top 5 business sites of the week
by Jasper Martens | 16 Apr 2010
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Employee benefits: the real cost to a growing business
by Josh Hall | 16 Apr 2010
Employee benefits have always been an important part of any remuneration package, but they have become even more vital in the past couple of years. As firms have scrambled to cut costs, many have reduced their headline salary offerings – but a good employee benefits package has helped them continue to secure top quality talent.
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The 10 Commandments of good letting
by Josh Hall | 15 Apr 2010
The life of a buy-to-let investor or professional landlord can be a tough one. Defaulting tenants, precarious mortgage arrangements, and the constant fluctuations of the housing market all combine to create a pretty challenging situation.
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General election business update: NI row, fluctuating polls and grey vote
by Josh Hall | 15 Apr 2010
The election campaign has now begun in earnest. The bank holiday weekend saw each of the three main parties flexing their public relations muscles in anticipation of Gordon Brown’s trip to the Palace to call the election. With the country set to go to the polls on 6 May, and the public’s voting intentions continuing to fluctuate, the coming month looks set to be particularly hard fought.
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How business technology can help small businesses to build their network
by Jasper Martens | 13 Apr 2010
Nigel Maine is the founder of Market + Motivate, a marketing agency specialising in small and medium sized enterprise (SME) B2B sales and collaborative lead generation systems and techniques. Helping your business to thrive, not just survive. He is also working on the Business Technology Handbook that will be published later this year.
Jasper asked him some questions on how small businesses can use business technology to improve their business.
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Marketing return-on-investment: What it is and how to measure it
by Josh Hall | 13 Apr 2010
Marketing activities can make or break a small business. The way in which you market your firm is key to your success; well thought out, properly executed campaigns can help to ensure that your venture fulfils its potential, while poor or non-existent marketing can destroy any chance of success.
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