By John Walker on December 2, 2011
Gartner, Inc. has revealed its top predictions for IT organizations and users for 2012 and beyond. Analysts said that the predictions herald changes in control for IT organizations as budgets, technologies and costs become more fluid and distributed.
This year’s selection process included evaluating several criteria that define a top prediction. The issues examined included relevance, [...]
Posted in Accounts, Business Culture, Business Software, Contact Management, Cost Management, Customer Support, Down sizing / Retraction, E-commerce, Fashion, Trends and Memes, Information Security, Information Technology, Market Research, Marketing, Marketing Facilities, Outsourcing, Payment Processing and Remittance, People and Players, Procurement, Product Research and Development, Production, Project Management, Regulation, Skills and Training, Standards, Technology, The Work Place | Tagged CIOs, client-side applications, cloud, Cloud Computing, Cloud Security Certification, customer-sensitive data, Daryl Plummer, economies of scale, enterprise social software, Gartner, Global 1000 companies, Google, IBM, Inc., Industrialized low-cost IT services (ILCS), market consolidation, megavendors, Microsoft, mobile, mobile application, operational costs, Oracle, smartphones, tablets, VMware |
By John Walker on November 29, 2011
The Chancellor has today delivered his autumn statement to Parliament, alongside the publication of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s updated forecasts for growth and borrowing. He announced permanent reductions in spending to ensure that the UK meets its fiscal targets, using some of those savings in the short term to fund infrastructure investment to generate [...]
Posted in Accounts, Business Banking, Business Continuity Planning, Commercial Property Services, Cost Management, Critical Infrastructure, Distribution Channels, Down sizing / Retraction, E-commerce, Economic Cycles, Employment Levels, Financial Capital, Forecasts, Fundability, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Industrial Relations, Inflation, Insurance, Lending and Borrowing, Loans and Finance, Monetary Policy, Morale, Organized Labour / Unions, Outsourcing, People and Players, Political and Economic Philosophies, Politics & Legislation, Procurement, Product Research and Development, Public Sector, Public Spending and State Aid, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Skills and Training, Staff, Startups, Taxation, Technology, Telecommunications, UK, UK Budget, Utilities | Tagged Air Passenger Duty (APD), Apprenticeship, Association of British Insurers, Autumn Statement, bank levy, Bank of England, Business Finance Partnership, Chancellor, Child Tax Credit, deficit reduction, enterprise, Enterprise Zones, free education, Free Schools, fuel duty increase, Infrastructure Investors Forum, infrastructure spending, Jobcentre Plus, Jobseeker’s allowance, Local Authorities, measures, mid-sized businesses, National Infrastructure Plan, National Loan Guarantee Scheme, OBR, Office for Budget Responsibility, Official Development Assistance, pension funds, Sector Based Work Academy, Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), small firms, smaller businesses, Spending Review period, State Pension age, super-connected cities, tax relief, Work Experience, young apprentices, Youth Contract |
By John Walker on September 27, 2011
This is a copy of the script for Ed Miliband speech to the 2011 Labour Party Conference. It should be checked against delivery.
Ed Miliband’s Conference Speech 2011
Thank you Conference.
It’s great to be in Liverpool.
Labour Liverpool.
A generation ago a Labour leader came to Conference to condemn the behaviour of a Labour Council in Liverpool.
Today I come [...]
Posted in Business Formats and Ways of Working, Governance, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Organized Labour / Unions, Political and Economic Philosophies, Politics & Legislation, Regulation, Tendering and Procurement Alerts, UK | Tagged Ed Miliband, Labour Party |
By John Walker on August 19, 2011
Michael Wilson and James Glover of Simply Health discuss why employers are still to be convinced of the business case for investing in health benefits and links between wellbeing and productivity.
Companies are struggling to show they care about their staff, according to a new report which reveals that employees believe employers now care less about [...]
Posted in Arts, Sports and Recreation, Business Culture, Employment Levels, Fashion, Trends and Memes, Health Services, Health and Social Care Services, Industrial Relations, Industry Reports, Insurance, Morale, Personal Services, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Skills and Training, Staff, Surveys, The Work Place, UK | Tagged audio podcast, Engaging Employees through Health and Wellbeing Report, James Glover, Michael Wilson, Simplyhealth |
By John Walker on February 6, 2011
The greener side of business - How adopting an environmentally friendly philosophy can increase your client profile.
We all know how important it is to adopt green practices, but making a business more environmentally friendly in a challenging economic market can seem daunting.
Yet despite any initial reservations you may have, there has actually never been a [...]
Posted in Environmental Issues, Production, Production Facilities, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Reputation, UK, Waste Management |
By John Walker on January 20, 2011
Tribunal cites lack of ‘mutuality of obligation’ as key to ruling in favour of taxpayer.
A seven-year battle with the taxman has ended in victory for PCG member Mark Fitzpatrick.
The long running IR35 dispute reached a conclusion when a tribunal cleared Mark of using his limited company MBF Design Services (MBF) to avoid tax, in reference [...]
Posted in Accounts, Bristol (Area), Design and Photographic Services, Freelancers, Human Resources, Insurance, Legal Rulings, Outsourcing, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Taxation, UK, Vehicle Manufacturing | Tagged IR35, Mutuality of Obligation |
By John Walker on May 20, 2010
PCG (the professional association supporting freelancers, contractors and consultants) was established to fight the introduction of IR35, so today’s announcement that it is to be replaced will be welcomed by freelance workers throughout the UK.
It is a triumph for common sense over political dogma.
In the Coalition’s full programme for Government, published today (20th May) the [...]
Posted in Freelancers, Politics & Legislation, Professional and Business Services, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Taxation, UK |
By John Walker on March 25, 2010
The UK Treasury has released further information following the Chancellor’s Budget Statement (Wednesday March 24th 2010). The following is an excerpt from the notice that outlines the particular measures for supporting business and growth.
The Government took decisive action to support the economy during the financial crisis and its aftermath. As the UK emerges from [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Farming and Farming Support Services, Arts and entertainment, Bars, Critical Infrastructure, Education, Energy and Utilities, Environmental Issues, Financial Resources, Food, Drink and Tobacco Manufacturing, Food, Drink and Tobacco Retail, Food, Drink and Tobacco Wholesale, Forecasts, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Lending and Borrowing, Loans and Finance, Media and Creative Services, Monetary Policy, Petroleum and Fuel Products Wholesale, Political and Economic Philosophies, Public Spending and State Aid, Real Estate Services, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Skills and Training, Taxation, UK, UK Budget, Waste Management and Environmental Services | Tagged Accelerated Development Zones, Annual Investment Allowance, Better Regulation measures, Energy Market Assessment, Entrepreneurs’ Relief, Green Investment Bank, Higher Education Modernisation Fund, small business rates relief, The Treasury, Time to Pay arrangements, UK Finance for Growth, University Enterprise Capital Fund |
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