Category: Business

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Shops for Sale in North London – As a new Business Venture

At long last, it seems that the green shoots have arrived. The latest GDP figures showed a modest but welcome 0.3% for the quarter. More importantly, confidence is finally picking up, with a major study showing it is at its highest level since 2010. Of course, the capital has always played by slightly different rules and has always led both the wider recovery and the rise in the property market; commercial property London was hurt badly in the Credit Crunch but picked up sharply, too. This was true across all sectors, including housing and retail. But now, with business confidence on the up as well, it might be time to take advantage of the number of shops to let in north London, since there’s a fair chance that lending will also soon increase and the wider economy will support your business venture. Alternatively, a shop for sale in London might seem a good purchase at the moment. Which you look for will depend on a number of factors, including the nature of your venture and what you can afford at the time.

Landlords, too, might capitalise on this improving confidence. Shops to let in north London are in good supply now, since so many businesses have foundered, leaving empty windows like missing teeth along the streets. Location makes all the difference, of course; some bits of the city will always be popular. But the limited space means that there is only so much supply to deal with rising demand – one of the reasons that commercial property London has previously been a lucrative business. If organisations simply can’t find the space they require, landlords can – and have – demand huge prices. That’s why a shop for sale in London can be a goldmine for the right investor, who has cash to spare and can afford to grab a bargain and wait as long as they need to for the rental market to follow. Needless to say, though, whether you’re buying, selling, letting or renting, it pays to do your research. Talk to a commercial property agency for more information about finding a set of premises, or a business consultant to put together a proposition for your venture. They will be able to help you make your move based on ruthless planning and strong evidence, thereby ensuring that it gets off to the best possible start.

Please visit https://www.claridges-commercial.co.uk

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Presentation Training and Presentation Creation- With A Twist

Powerpoint presentations are an essential tool in the arsenal of most people making sales presentations to audiences of keen-eyed and sometimes cynical potential clients or superiors. Simply listening to a presentation, however dazzling the presenter’s vocal delivery, usually does not convince people who are regularly offered new ideas and suggestions. And in the fast-moving digital world, decision-makers expect new ideas to be presented to them in an engaging way; every day, we see new news stories about attention spans getting shorter! Busy people need entertainment and visual stimulation in order to get as excited as possible about your plan or product. This is why good Presentation Creation and Training can be almost as important as the idea itself when it comes to deciding people in favour of a product.

Which tools should ambitious salespeople use when designing in Powerpoint? There are a few tricks of the trade that can take sales presentations from boring to thrilling.

Good presentation creation and presentation training should embrace the age-old values of rhetoric proved to be convincing in Ancient Greece, and still working today. For example: famously, Apple CEO Steve Jobs loved to present things in threes. That’€™s the triad€™ system, which has been shown time and time again to be easier to remember than information presented in groups of two or four points. But don’€™t try to cram three key points onto a single slide  – good presentations stay minimalist. Use one slide to announced you’€™ll be outlining three concepts or stages, then give each concept its own slide.

Of course, Powerpoint is a visual medium. Slides should contain as few words as possible. This is partly because people in a busy sales meeting aren’t likely to want to read big chunks of text, and partly because the presenter shouldn’€™t have to read them out either. During sales presentations, the person speaking should try to establish eye contact at least once with everyone in the room, and should never turn their back. Turning around to read from your Powerpoint presentation sends a body language cue to the audience that the presentation is over, and they will stop concentrating.

The images used should tell the story for you. Clear infographics, evocative pictures encouraging emotions like happiness or satisfaction, and amusing pictographs, are what stick in people’s minds long after precise statistics have disappeared.

Text-heavy, undirected presentation creation can ruin the pitch for an idea which would otherwise be welcomed. On the other hand, striking presentations which use the art of storytelling, high-quality images and infographics, and interact with the presenter’s personality, are sure-fire winners.

Please visit https://www.eyefulpresentations.co.uk/

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Next Generation Access Permitting Fast Internet Connections

Do you remember the time when connecting to the required using your phone line? We would hear that strange dialling tone, wait for a few more odd tones and clicks and if all went to plan we would sooner or later be connected to the internet. Often, it was later and sometimes scarcely worth the wait as the connection broke down and the dialling process had to begin all over again. next generation access is changing all of that drastically, because developments in ICT infrastructure mean that our internet connection is passing through new kinds of wires that permit us to connect more quickly and for greater lengths of time. Previously, internet access was only possible through the copper cables that were already serving our telecommunications network. But these days copper is being replaced by optical fibre capable of transmitting data over longer distances, faster. These improvements represent some undertaking and do not come cheaply so the big cities have been first to benefit. Obviously, there is more at stake economically in the city but this doesn’t mean that the rural areas of Britain deserve a worse internet service. Indeed, bringing rural areas up to speed has recently become a priority and local councils are doing their utmost to emphasise the need for community broadband.

South Yorkshire is one of the areas in the UK that is making great strides in the community broadband stakes. East Sussex County Council and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise have also been working hard on the ICT infrastructure providing for their residents. Local loop unbundling schemes have had a considerable impact so far and it is hoped that uneven access to the internet in the UK will shortly be a thing of the past. We consider that the economy is more dependent on technology in the cities but it would be a dear and naive mistake to think that industries in rural areas could get along well enough with a second-rate internet service. In fact, in our current age of austerity it is crucial that we focus on manufacturing, communication and the generation of wealth in all regions. Local businesses cannot afford to trade only locally, they need to be open to as many markets and clients as possible.

In actuality, even the simplest business set up by an individual from his or her house needs next generation access. Correspondence concerning products and services must be facilitated via email, and website visibility is essential too. ICT infrastructure investors are well aware of this and community broadband projects are getting us all up to speed.

Please visit http://www.broadbandvantage.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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BACS Payments: 46 years of change at the cutting edge of financial transactions

“The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” – So says Leo Colston, the subject of L.P. Hartley’s famous novel The Go Between. Most of all, this is true of the worlds of business and computing when we look back to 1968 from the vantage point of the present day. Despite the inroads into the popular imagination made by shows like Mad Men, the overwhelming impression one has of business life in the 1960s is of a rather more innocent, simpler time: the image of men in tailored suits conducting business deals in a formalistic and gentlemanly manner, their days punctuated by long and boozy lunches. This world, in which old boys’ networks rather than social networking sites were the order of the day; when computers were frequently bigger than the plant machinery they counted or controlled; when ‘bugs’ in computers more often than not were literal bugs nestling in the works – seems to be separated from the ruthless, iconoclastic, fast-paced and carnivorous world of post-1980s economic life by a whole lot more than 46 years.Â

But one thing has remained constant in those 46 years: BACS payments. Invented in 1968 by Dennis Gladwell of the Joint Stock Banks Clearing Committee, BACS began life as the Inter-Bank Computer Bureau, it cut out the time-consuming and irrational process of paper-based transfers between banks. Today, thanks to constantly-improving BACS software, BACS is continuing to cut down on paper usage, and make payments more reliable and rapid, for thousands of businesses around the world. Since 2005 the service has been moved from a telephone-based system to BACSTEL-IP servers, and BACS has really come into its own as an online service, making for even faster transfers.Â

Even though some other services are challenging for its crown as the world’s biggest payment transfer service, over 5 billion BACS payments are made every year, and while some services may claim to have faster systems than the BACS software, the majority of all the wage-earners in the UK still receive their wages via BACS.

The continued dominance of this banking behemoth means that the BACS-accredited training schemes offered by Bottomline’s dedicated educators, who know the BACS system inside and out, are of irreplaceable value for businesses – and the same goes for the BACS and Faster Payments software which Bottomline services have developed. When it comes to the leading worldwide payments system, Bottomline Technologies lead the way in BACS software.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Document processing -€“ creating a paperless office

At its simplest document processing just means migrating paper-based files to online form, at which point they can be kept in a document management system. In practice, every business is different, and so the solution that makes best sense for one might not work well for another. There are many ways of going about changing a paper-reliant office to electronic files, and perhaps different reasons for doing so. Certainly there will be varying budgets. The cheapest way of going about things is simply to scan existing files, which can then be kept on a network as pdfs or other convenient documents. More sophisticated methods involve optical character recognition (OCR), creating Word or other files than can be edited – even if the source paperwork is hand written. Invoice processing does the same for your accounts systems.

There are several ideas behind the collection of technologies known as document management. The main one is simply that a paperless office tends to be a more efficient one. Whereas one memo might end up on someone’s desk or even accidentally shredded, it’s harder to lose a copy on a network (especially if regular backups are made). A secondary benefit is that without printing, costs are lower and your office has a decreased environmental impact.

With these come the advantage of more effective working habits, with benefits for your reputation. Invoice processing makes a great difference in this context. It moves all of your payments onto the same track, so that different suppliers and clients aren’t treated differently. The danger is that a business that tries to use both paper-based and electronic accounts will prefer one over the other, either because its personnel are more familiar with one or because they are better set up for one.

This tends to mean that someone sooner or later falls between the cracks; invoices aren’t settled, or else aren’t sent – either way it makes you look bad, and leads to bad feelings when the mistake is finally realised and put right. Invoice processing prevents this kind of problem, and also has the advantage of helping to stamp out other accounting errors than can be very costly to a small business. document processing and thoughtful document management can therefore pay for themselves in the long run, and make for happier employees, suppliers and clients. However, it’s worth consulting with an expert to make sure the answer you choose is the right one for your company.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Bacs: fast, secure, automatic

Since bacs came onto the scene in the late 1960s, it has increased in popularity until now, some 44 years later, when it is used by the majority of organisations in the UK. Bankers automated clearing services allows financial transactions to be carried out electronically, meaning that cash and cheques are no longer necessary for the vast number of large payments – anything from wage packages to bills. Bacs software allows businesses, charities and other groups to enjoy the benefits of this, which are numerous. Consequently, those groups which do not make bacs payments are becoming fewer and fewer in number. One of the obvious benefits of bacs is security. Transferring funds electronically means that money does not have to be handed over in person, and cheques do not have to be filled out or cashed. The potential issues of online processing notwithstanding, this makes for safer payments. This is of particular use to employers with large numbers of staff; pay day would entail keeping significant quantities of cash on the premises, or else writing large numbers of cheques.

Speed is another benefit. Bacs clears within a maximum of three working days, but in reality it is often much faster. FPS (faster payments service) is almost instant, meaning that cash appears in the recipient’s account almost immediately after it has been transferred.

But one of the most significant benefits to businesses and other institutions is the automation of accounting processes that bacs allows. Bacs software can be integrated with accounting software. This results in a far higher degree of predictability for finances and a greater oversight of cashflow. Payments can be scheduled for a particular point in the month – pay day being the perfect example – and so surprises due to unexpected payments are less likely to occur. This means that overdrafts and interest charges are less likely to be used and applied.

All in all, there are numerous reasons why organisations have adopted bacs payments and are continuing to do so. The main benefit of bacs comes down to convenience – and the peace of mind that results from that. bacs software allows payments to be automated, as well as being carried out safely and swiftly. Speed is still arguably an issue, but FPS has circumvented this in the vast majority of cases (some 95 percent). In any case, CHAPS and SWIFT processing are available for an extra fee, and these have a guaranteed (same day) time frame.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Sales presentations can be useful and fun

For a specific generation, the mention of Powerpoint presentations brings up memories of GCSE IT classes; of those days spent, aged fifteen or sixteen, completing simple and apparently useless tasks on software barely understood by the teachers. This generation no doubt remembers making sales presentations for made-up companies for whom posters and other marketing material were also produced using programs such as Corel Draw and Publisher. Market research, meanwhile, was recorded using Access. On the whole, these kinds of information technology classes felt like jumping through a collection of hoops. Powerpoint design often seemed twee and irrelevant in those days and pupils soon tired of its rudimentary visual effects consisting of dissolves, fade-in and out and of various styles and sizes of font.

This same generation is now discovering that Powerpoint presentations do in fact have a wider use. Away from the classroom they can have a real impact in the workplace. In fact, some employees’ career success is dependent upon their ability to communicate ideas to audiences large and small and Powerpoint design skills greatly aid such communication. Especially in domains such as sales, marketing, banking and advertising but also in public sector jobs such as the police, the NHS and teaching, conducting a meeting with the assistance of Powerpoint will often mean conducting a successful meeting. When we talk about the success of a presentation we mean one that instantly captures the imagination of the audience. A great presentation should succeed in boiling its content down to the most simple of formulations, whether they are visually or textually based. It should also expand on its points in a memorable way that sustains the attention won at the start.

This may sound easy, but it depends on having a nuanced technical understanding of how Powerpoint works. This means gaining an awareness of how to make a presentation in the first place – from deciding what material must be highlighted, what tone should be adopted, whether to use images, texts, graphs or a combination of these – as well as an awareness of how a presentation will be received. Employees using Powerpoint presentations will feel empowered when they have mastered the form of giving a good presentation. Powerpoint design does not require artistic or technological genius, but rather a clear-headed approach to communication. Indeed, the most effective sales presentations often demand little in the way of creative expertise: anyone can get ahead using Powerpoint provided they put themselves in the shoes of their audience and turn basic skills to their advantage.

Please visit http://www.eyefulpresentations.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Recovery audit software will pay for itself the first time you use it

An accounts payable audit is a way of examining your accounts records and finding out where the errors have occurred in the past – and, as a result, where they are likely to crop up in the future. Needless to say, errors of any type in your accounts are a mistake you can’t afford to make – especially at the moment, in times of financial uncertainty. One of the most noticeable problems is duplicate payments – paying the same individual or company twice for one invoice. This could be down to human error, but it can also happen more purposefully. This is another point of recovery audit software: to prevent fraud and collect money you have lost unnecessarily, whether through genuine mistake or through dishonest exploitation of the weaknesses in your system.

Estimates vary for the sums of money wasted by the average business on unnecessary payments, but it often comes out between 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent – that is, between one and 5 invoices per thousand. Needless to say, this can be a significant proportion of turnover. An examination of three years’ worth of accounts for many companies can reveal discrepancies that run into three figures. The problem is that the average invoice has so many data fields that it is quite easy to enter data inaccurately. In fact, auditors have found that errors of this type happen in the accounts for every single business whose accounts they have examined.

Depending on the size of your business, accounts discrepancies could be costing you hundreds or thousands of pounds every month, if not more. That means that recovery audit software could net you tens of thousands of pounds returned in bad payments. Even if the figure is not as much, it is likely to pay for itself the first time you ever use it, and continue to earn its keep in the months and years to come.

Such recovery audit software therefore offers a high return on investment and gives some peace of mind from the problems that human error generally brings. Although it is probably impossible to eradicate duplicate payments altogether, an accounts payable audit will go a long way towards this ends. In an economic downturn or period of stagnant growth, every method of saving money should be investigated. If checking your accounts can find the money you would have saved by making redundancies, then this has got to be a better option.

Please visit http://www.fiscaltechnologies.com/ for further information about this topic.

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Telepresence video conferencing lowers travel and other costs

It is very common in the professional world these days to communicate with colleagues and business partners via email. Electronic correspondence has the benefit of being quick, low cost and environmentally friendly; huge amounts of paper previously wasted on administration have been drastically reduced in the technological age. Email is also quite obviously advantageous to businesses with overseas clients; the ability to keep in touch with people regardless of the physical distance between them is something we now just take for as read. However, email is now being superseded by more specialist technologies that not only facilitate all of the above but also restore the human aspect of digitized encounters. video conferencing, telepresence video conferencing and audio visual conferencing are three variants of such advanced inventions.

Top companies are already investing in audiovisual communications developments because it makes their practice more competitive and gives a signal that they value design and performance in the products they decide to use. Effectively, there are few signals that could give a stronger impression of a business with its finger on the trends than telepresence video conferencing. Above and beyond the way in which email allows for two or more people to feel closer to one another, telepresence creates a life-like sense of being in the same room as the person you are meeting with. This is because it uses life-size images of individuals that can move in real time as projections. Does this remind you of something from a science fiction film? That’s because it gives us a glimpse of the future where it can be safely predicted that telepresence will spread.

Telepresence, as we have mentioned, is just one exciting new product though. Also hot on the audiovisual telecommunications market is video conferencing that can reduce company costs by up to 60 percent and audio visual conferencing products that work much like Skype or a web cam and traditional telephone to help workers broadcast messages to large audiences without having to be in the same geographical location. These audio visually-assisted meetings have the added bonus of being easy to reschedule – now that we have flexi-time working hours it makes sense to embrace flexible meetings.

Please visit http://www.edgevision.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Document management – the workplace revolution

document management is surely a revolution hitting the modern workplace.  Piles of paperwork and millions of pounds lost from human error could soon become a thing of the past.  By way of explanation, a document management system is an electronic system or set of computer programs used to track and store electronic documents and/or images of paper documents.  This allows accounts payable departments to deal with document processing and invoice processing in a much more efficient way than ever before.

A document management system is generally also capable of keeping track of the different versions of documents created by different users, which is referred to as history tracking.  The term has some overlap with the concepts of content management systems.  It is often seen as a component of enterprise content management systems, and is related to digital asset management, document imaging, workflow systems and records management systems.

The move towards this sort of technology began in the 1980s, when a few vendors began developing systems to manage paper-based documents.  For many workplaces, the sheer number of paper documents that were piling up was becoming something of a problem.  The new systems dealt with paper documents, which included not only printed and published documents, but also photographs and prints.  Later on, developers began to work on a second type of system which could manage electronic documents.  This meant that all documents or files created on computers and stored on local file systems could be controlled electronically.  The previous electronic management systems managed either proprietary type files, or a limited number of file formats.  Many of these systems became known as document imaging systems, because they focussed on the capture, storage, indexing and retrieval of image file formats.  The systems enabled an organization to capture faxes and forms, to save copies of the documents as images, and to store the image files in a repository for security and speedy retrieval.

The establishment of complex and effective document management systems has made an important difference in improving processes in many modern offices.  The sheer convenience of automating document processing systems leaves one wondering why it did not become commonplace years ago.  For anybody whose job involves invoice processing, this certainly seems to be something worth sitting up and taking notice of.  The only problem may be for filing cabinet manufacturers, as storing piles of paper documents is becoming increasingly unnecessary.  Perhaps they will need to think about diversifying and creating products to support electronic products.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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