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This is a particularly contentious issue with the UK economy in recession and the SME sector, the engine of the economy, struggling to cope. Over the last decade business has argued they have been burdened with increased costs and bureaucracy that stifles their competitiveness especially globally where companies in other countries do not have the same legislative overheads. Understandably, the main objection from business to this, albeit well meaning, legislation is it could further increase businesses costs, resulting in increased business failures at the worst economic time in the last 60 years!

So should SMEs be concerned about this legislation? Predictably the answer is not necessarily and solutions exist to assist businesses to adapt and improve the effectiveness of their key assets: employees. The working environment is more matrixed and objectives driven and the need to monitor every working hour is less relevant. The ones who look further will be pleasantly surprised at the business advantages that are readily available by embracing flexible working. Businesses can make significant gains if they take an open-minded approach to this change and use the technology available to provide transparency to managers, the right work-life balance to employees and continuity to customers. The UK economy succeeds with innovation and the creative ability of its employees to create new opportunities and provide better skills than other markets. A stressed employee who is struggling to meet strenuous work like balance is less productive and creative. It is in all company’s benefit to ensure the creative abilities are exploited through better support.

With the correct service partner, implementing a flexible working policy is painless and the financial case is very strong. Where flexible working has been implemented the benefits to businesses have been strong in terms of reduced costs, increased business flexibility, greater motivated and productive employees who are loyal to an employer who understands the demands of the modern work-life balance.

Robust and reliable technology exists that now enable businesses of any size to implement flexible working without requiring expensive in-house skills or capital equipment expenditure. High speed, ubiquitous broadband networks now make critical business services easily and reliably accessible from anywhere and allow any company to leverage the benefits easily, quickly and cost-effectively. The concerns raised by some companies on employee transparency, productivity and control are readily addressed without incremental increases in existing budgets.

The gains are large in terms of reduction in required office space, cost of travel to and from work, staff loyalty and greater productivity. For the companies that see the opportunity this may be the catalyst to realise that the solutions are there to create a more competitive business. With the right combination of robust, tested telecommunications services, targeted HR policies and training for employees and management, any organisation can transform this perceived headache into a competitive advantage.

In conclusion, yes the SME sector can cope. The key barrier to embracing flexible working is no longer technological or financial but cultural. Businesses who embrace the change will realise significant benefits, not only in the short-term but will be ideally placed for rapid grow as the economy recovers.

Natasha Davies writes for ellesys – provider of hosted and CPE telephony applications, conferencing and collaboration focused on the needs of a business.

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Here are the things you need to know about how iPhone and Android have changed mobile advertising and why you, as a job seeker or marketer, need to make the call now.

Your customers are on more than one carrier – A complete mobile marketing strategy must consider reaching audiences subscribed with all the various mobile carriers (e.g., Verizon, O2, Orange, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile).

Marketing begins and ends with numbers – The mobile marketing platform has lagged behind the web in terms of the ability to provide advertisers with critical metrics and control to measure and optimize their ad campaigns. Expect Google’s acquisition of AdMob to have tremendous implications for mobile advertising. AdMob serves ads for more than 15,000 mobile sites and applications worldwide and openly shares the mountain of actionable data they are collecting. AdMob has announced that it is supporting the Palm Pre/Web OS phones, demonstrating their cross-platform capabilities.

You don’t necessarily need to have an app – A recent WhitePages and MediaVest study showed that advertising performance is just as strong on the mobile web as it is on an app. The downside of apps is that consumers need to upgrade to get new versions of the apps, while a mobile site can simply be updated. A mobile site does not necessitate the consumers to do anything for it to update, all the burden is on you, the marketer, and that is good. As long as mobile carriers can scale their 3G networks to meet demands, the future of wireless is very likely to go back to the mobile web.

Location demands persistence and endurance – While location will be a key driver in the future of mobile advertising, the mobile industry will need to overcome a few challenges in order for location-based marketing to truly take off. One, the popularity of applications requires persistence and the ability to run more than one application at a time (Apple needs to wake up on this one). And two, battery drain from frequent GPS/location requests and poor cell tower coverage.

A different call to action – The key to the success of any marketing campaign is to make it easy for the consumer to react. For one, easy click-to-call actions have been seen to have contributed to +5% conversion results for advertisers.

If you want to learn more about how to reach your audience via mobile marketing I highly recommend Mobile Marketing Leadership. Only for those with a bit of cash to spend I’m afraid but definitely the No1 resource out there for this growing market.

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These videos are pretty bad, I admit it, but they’re only there as a ‘how to’, simply to inform, they don’t need to look good.

However, if you’re trying to sell a product or service via online video Andy Jenkins just released a new “Video Series” TODAY – and it’s going to melt your brain and ignite your imagination – and tickle other unmentionable areas…

Here’s something Andy’s shown over and over:  Online Video Marketing GETS MORE MONEY than ANYTHING. Period.  And in these videos, you’ll see the simple little techniques that have literally  raised the bar of how people do Video Marketing.

Part 1 of Andy Jenkins’ new “Video Boss” series got OVER 800 comments from folks who AGREE we NEED video to continue to thrive online.

VideoBoss – Direct Link

Andy obviously listens because today he released a Five-Step Formula he calls “Little Boss”… for FREE!

No script, no problem.

Face “made for radio”?

No need to get on EITHER side of a camera!

That’s right, if you’re on a computer that can read this post, chances are that is all you need to FINISH your first attention-arresting, sale-getting, cash-collecting Video.

Ready to revolutionize and future-proof the way you market you products and services?

Learn how, right now, right here.

VideoBoss – Direct Link

 

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However, despite the benefits, telecommuting ranks high on the list of data protection threats for organizations, particularly if there is no formal policy in place. The most common missteps include using unsecured networks, sharing company laptops or equipment with family members and friends, and failing to update software and install security patches, among others.

Below, I’ve included some important advice that every institution should know about telecommuting from ID theft expert Brian Lapidus, chief operating officer of Kroll’s Fraud Solutions, who has unique frontline experience helping today’s businesses safeguard against and respond to data breaches

• Establish a baseline by assessing all current telecommuting activities. Even if no employees are formally authorized to work remotely, chances are it happens anyway – think sick children, inclement weather and other unexpected events. The technology afforded to most office workers allows them to do a substantial amount of work from a remote location. Many employees take advantage of this fact to ‘work from home’ during an emergency or to ‘catch up at home’ when work starts to pile up. Regardless of the reason, the threat of data breach is very real, and must be assessed.
• Develop a comprehensive telecommuting security policy. A clear and concise security policy that establishes the roles and requirements of employees is absolutely essential to ensuring a successful telecommuting program. The policy should specifically outline security measures and procedures for handling sensitive data, including storage and disposal. While the focus will undoubtedly be on cyber security, organizations should make sure to address the proper handling of paper files. Consider providing employees with shredders or secure storage containers to meet this requirement.
• Make decisions on equipment usage. An organization’s policy on equipment usage is an important component to an organization’s telecommuting security policy (see #2). Organizations should decide up front whether telecommuting employees will use personal computers or company-issued equipment, as this will be a major factor in what cyber security measures can and cannot be implemented. Providing equipment gives the company more control over security issues, but employees must be provided with explicit instructions for the care and usage of the devices (i.e., never leave laptops unattended in public, never download and install programs without company approval). Even if the organization allows employees to use their own PCs, certain minimum security measures must be in place, such as firewalls, anti-virus and spyware programs, and encryption software.
• Provide adequate technical support and training. Before sending employees home with sensitive company information whether via laptop or hardcopy file, they should be trained on the requirements set forth in the organizations telecommuting security policy. In the case of laptop and network use, ensure that employees fully understand how to access data securely. Remote workers should be trained periodically in techniques to spot suspicious activity, including signs that a computer has been infected with malware. Access to technical support is also an important factor without support, an employee might be tempted to do whatever it takes to get the system up and running when something goes wrong, including disabling security features.
• Conduct periodic audits. Even if the company’s IT department has remote management capability, it’s important to verify firsthand that all equipment is in good condition and working properly. Have employees bring in equipment periodically for a checkup, and review logs to determine what information has been accessed.
• Don’t assume that restricting access to applications and systems is a fix for the program. Productivity will be negatively impacted if remote workers don’t have access to the tools and information necessary to perform. Don’t let the cons outweigh the pros. Face the problem head on with a comprehensive security policy and sound cyber security measures and organizations will be free to reap the rewards that telecommuting can provide.

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Yes – once again the blue moon has risen and the UK has been brought to a halt by a bit of snow. Schools have closed and parents everywhere have to stay at home and send those ‘sorry I’ve got children’ emails to their boss. By the way, get it while you can – I’m writing this post and its snowball time for me.

In turn those bosses and business owners are thinking – ‘if only he/she had access to the database they could get those reports done at home’ or ‘if I had given them all internal skype numbers we could still have that meeting’. However, it will only be a day lost and we can all catch up tomorrow so putting all that in place will be just too much hassle.

What business doesn’t understand is that the level of tech in our private lives is often far more advanced than at work. Skype has over 20 million people signed in at any time with over 500 million registered users, the vast majority via broadband.

All that is needed is for the flexible work arrangements to be put in place and the vast amount of employees could work just as well from home as in the office. Give them a secure access to the database, a webcam and microphone and you can say goodbye to the rent and heating bills at the office.

I should stop there but want to add one more rant. If your company operates from 9-5 ask your staff if they wouldn’t mind starting at 8.30 for the same money but they could work from home. No commute, no petrol costs, no expensive lunch – no brainer.

On the downside, with everyone at home my broadband is a disaster.

UK winter weather woes:

 

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My 5 favourite home business tools are listed below but there is one thing you really need – something I came across by accident after setting up a new computer in my office – a second screen. Trust me, with two open screens my productivity shot through the roof, less ‘tab snapping’ and great for having a ‘resource’ screen and a ‘working’ screen. Try it.

OK, so here they are, if you have any suggestions or if you’ve found a better option let me know in the comments.

1. Lastpass – I love this one. All those passwords you’ve got written down can now be kept in one place. Unlike microsoft explorers password storer this one holds your passwords on a secure server that you access with just one master password. After logging in it fills all those user/pass forms in for you automatically. It even stores profiles that you can use to fill in your address and credit card numbers. This one alone must save me an hour a week – highly recommended.

2. Ping – If you’re still adding the updates to your blog on all the social network sites by hand then you need this badly. Ping.fm takes your blogs feed (or any feed) and then passes it on to over 30 different social sites making sure you get the best exposure. It takes a while to set up the accounts but once done you will literally save days in the month.

3. only2clicks – I’m sure this probably says a lot about my personality type but I really hate bookmarks. A dropdown where you have to search for the site you need or the group that it’s in – hurts my eyes and my brain. The solution for me was only2clicks – a bookmarking site that stores your saved pages as screenshots under relevant tabs. It just produces a much nicer experience for me and I find I can navigate a great deal faster.

4. AWeber – Now I love my members, I really do, but if I had to write an email to every one and welcome them to the site I would get nothing else done. And then there’s the explanation emails, the new feature email, the new jobs email – the list goes on. Thankfully, there’s Aweber. This is the most robust autoresponder service on the web. As soon as a new lead signs up on your website for free info or a call back or to receive a newsletter AWeber starts delivering the info they need. It drip feeds information to your potential customers hopefully convincing them of your service or professionalism until they decide to bite and give you money. It stops your leads from going cold and turns them into eager buyers without you having to constantly keep them up-to-date manually.

5. RSS – We’ve all heard of RSS and you may have clicked that link a few times to see what happens. But it seems that few people in the non-webby business world have actually grasped the power of it. It is the perfect method to consume focused information. If you have a company in the widget industry you can go to every top website or blog in that industry and grab their RSS. Those RSS’s are then put into your favourite reader and you have the most comprehensive and cutting edge newspaper in the world. Every day when you boot up the computer you will have all the latest news from your business world at your finger tips.

For the nuts and bolts of RSS take a look at the video below and don’t forget to sign up to mine.

Those are my 5 favourites, if you have any further suggestions then please comment so we can share them.

Related articles…

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1. Are You a Salesperson?

Some people have a natural talent for sales, while others couldn’t sell water to someone stranded in the desert. For the home based worker who has the ability to sell, network marketing may be the perfect home based business. Network marketing typically involves selling products in one or more niche markets, as well as selling the opportunity. Also known as multi-level marketing, network marketing pays commissions based on a percentage of your sales and on the sales of your “downline,” or those you have recruited to sell the product. Each opportunity has its own commission plan, and many pay bonuses on top of commissions.

2. Are You Experienced?

If you have years of experience being a home worker, you probably have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, if you’re new to being an entrepreneur, you probably need training. Look for a company that offers the tools and training you need in order to succeed. The type of training you receive can encompass everything from weekly conference calls or webinars (Internet-based seminars), to one-on-one coaching from your upline, to training manuals and other written materials.

3. Are You Internet Savvy?

If you know your way around the Internet and know something about setting up and hosting websites, the possibilities are endless. You can create your own websites, for example, and start generating affiliate revenue and Google AdSense revenue.

If you haven’t the foggiest idea of how to set up and host a website, be sure to find a company you can partner with who will do the heavy lifting. There are many Internet-based opportunities for the home based worker from companies that provide what are called “replicated sites.” They’ll design and host your websites for you, so that all you have to do is work on marketing in order to drive traffic to your site.

4. How Much do You Want to Work?

Before selecting a home based business opportunity, honestly assess how much you want to work. If a stay-at-home mom needs extra money, she may only want to work two or three hours a day. If someone wants to quit the rat race and work full time as a home worker, money for moms simply won’t be enough income. Sometimes a single home based business will provide all of the revenue a person needs, while other times you have to embark on several opportunities to diversify and multiply your revenue streams.

5. How Hands-On do You Want to Be?

Some home based business opportunities require that you be actively involved on a day-to-day basis, either in order fulfillment and customer service or in marketing your websites or businesses. Other opportunities are more passive in nature, in that you have to spend a lot of time initially, but they become self-perpetuating. If you’re a home worker who enjoys being an ongoing active participant, choose an opportunity that requires you to interact with other people. If you prefer to be hands-off, select a business that will basically run itself.