Business Update February 2007

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Updating your business plan "Your business plan needs to be updated at least once a year," says Alan Smithson, adviser at Business Link Cumbria. "However, if there is a major shift in your market, it will need an ...United we stand "A team that works well together will deliver better returns, so taking steps to support that team makes good commercial sense," says Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) ...Measuring up "A business-performance review is an essential management tool," says Roger Hetherington, adviser at Business Link Suffolk. "It's important for business owners to know how well their ...Q&A: Website accessibility Richard Morton (RM), designer of accessible websites at QM Consulting, tells Afsheen Latif about making websites fully accessible.Where should I start?RM: Make sure your website is just as easy to ...Public-sector contracts Public-sector organisations in the UK (eg central government departments and agencies, the NHS and its local trusts, the MoD, Northern Ireland Assembly, National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish ...10 ways to... make more sales Take an objective look at your existing sales strategy. Do you have the right approach? If not, adopt a more customer-focused sales strategy and re-evaluate its success in six months. Look at what ...Company details may need to appear on websites and e-communications Limited companies and limited liability partnerships may need to update their websites and e-comms under new requirements of the Companies Act 2006. The new rules from 1 January 2007 state ...Stiffer penalties for employers failing to pay national minimum wage face From 1 February 2007, employers who have been paying their staff less than the national minimum wage (NMW) will have to pay arrears within seven days or face prosecution and new fines. Under the ...Increased penalties for drivers using mobile phones Employees who use mobile phones while driving face tougher penalties from 27 February. Employers need to ensure that all company drivers are aware of the new rules and their company's policy on ...Flexible working extended to carers Employers need to be aware that an employee's right to request flexible working is extended from 6 April. At present, the law on flexible working enables parents with a child under 6 or a disabled ...Have your say: increase in minimum holiday entitlement Proposed changes to holiday entitlement are due to take effect in October 2007, which mean that employers can no longer include the UK's eight bank and public holidays as part of their employees' ...Have your say: compulsory three per cent contribution to employees' pensions proposed Businesses are being asked for their views on the proposed new arrangements for pensions, to be introduced alongside the rise in state pension age. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has ...HSE guide for employers on alcohol at work available online Business owners will welcome new guidance that helps them deal with alcohol-related problems at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a new guide, Don't mix it! A guide for ...Case law: can an agency worker ever be an employee? Businesses that use temporary workers supplied by an agency will welcome two recent decisions heard by the Employment Appeal Tribunal. The issue raised in the first case was whether a worker ...Case law: interim agreements Businesses should pay very careful attention to the wording they use in agreements, even interim ones. In a recent case before the Court of Appeal, Somerfield wanted maintenance contractor ...Legal Alert's round-up of new rules for April A number of new measures apply from 6 April 2007: increased benefit rates: Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay and Statutory Paternity Pay rise from £108.85 to £112.75 ...My supplier has overcharged me... Finding out you've been overcharged can make you feel angry, and that all trust between you and you supplier has been shattered. But before you complain, check your facts carefully.Is the price ...Case study: How I keep my team united THE ISSUE: Maintaining a harmonious team.THE SOLUTION: "I founded the business with my partner in December 2002. As commercial insurance brokers, more than 60 per cent of our workforce is made ...