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| BizNews Companies aware of customer service expectationsFri, 09 Oct 2009  Customer service will be key to economic success for small retailers this Christmas, according to the results of a new study.
The 2009 National Customer Satisfaction Survey, run by Retail Eyes, indicated that seven out of ten consumers are willing to pay more for goods as long as they are provided with a high standard of service.
In addition, 56 per cent of the 6,523 UK participants questioned said they would depart from business premises if they received poor customer service.
However, Richard Dodd of the British Retail Consortium said some of the survey findings paint "a much more negative picture" than he would recognise.
He claimed: "The vast majority of customers are satisfied on most occasions. On the occasion that something goes wrong, most retailers will fall over themselves to put things right.
"Retailers don't need to be told that customer service is important as they know this and demonstrate it on a daily basis."
Mr Dodd said the feedback received by businesses themselves indicated that in the majority of cases, customers are satisfied with their experience.
According to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply/ Markit Purchasing Managers Index, the UK service sector registered its strongest rise in activity in 24 months during September 2009.
Study suggests small firms are gaining confidenceFri, 22 May 2009  Confidence is slowly returning to the small business sector, despite falling sales, late payments and increased costs pressurising finances, the Forum of Private Business (FPB) claims.
Some 26 per cent of respondents in the latest monthly panel survey said they saw an improvement in the 'viability' of their businesses in the past month, twice the number who claimed they had seen a decline.
And although just 12 per cent said bank support had improved during April 2009, this was the highest proportion since the study was first conducted in November 2008.
FPB chief executive Phil Orford claimed there were "signs that business confidence is returning".
He added: "Significantly more business owners can see a future for their companies than are pessimistic about their chances of survival.
"A slight increase in support from the banks is likely to be a major factor behind this. Although there is still more dissatisfaction with lenders than there is approval of them, more struggling small businesses are reporting positive experiences."
Mr Orford said this must be "nurtured" by further measures to address the cost of lending, which he said "remains restrictive", and by government attempts to protect both employers and employees while simultaneously boosting the economy.
The majority of Federation of Small Business members surveyed last month claimed to be disappointed with the measures announced in Chancellor Alistair Darling's recent Budget 2009.
FPB says small firms worried about health and safetyTue, 19 May 2009  A quarter of small businesses fear being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for non-compliance in this area, a new study has found.
Research conducted by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) indicates that 56 per cent try to comply with health and safety laws to ensure the wellbeing of their staff, but many business owners apparently still live in fear.
The FPB's chief executive, Phil Orford, says minimising health and safety costs could make it easier for small businesses to comply with legislation in the wake of declining markets, credit restrictions and poor payment practices.
He adds: "Complying with health and safety legislation is a costly, time-consuming exercise. Our research has shown that small business owners spend, on average, 14 hours per month filling-in forms specifically relating to health and safety.
"Along with the FPB's Health and Safety Guide, smaller employers now have online access to an online training and distance learning resource, providing them with the support they need to protect staff yet control costs – more important than ever in the current economic climate."
A new HSE workplace strategy, to be published on June 3rd 2009, will insist that business owners and employees work together more closely on improving health and safety and risk assessment.
FREE! £500 government grant to assist you in your business. Under a fantastic government programme called 'Leadership & Management', businesses with 4 or more employees can access this £500 and use it towards consultancy or training, to help develop business plans, sales plans, staff mentoring and in many other areas. A further £500 is available if you match fund it with your own £500. So for an outlay of just £500 you can have an additional £1000 to help you develop your business. Take advantage of the initial free £500 and then decide if you wish to go forward to access the rest. Call now on 020 8509 8673. Train to Gain Well you can't have missed the current television adverts for Train to Gain, the Government's excellent initiative to make Britain's businesses more competitive and more rewarding to work in?
Basically, companies make a commitment to train and develop their people and in return recieve a training needs analysis and advice to improve business efficiency through training. Some funding may also be availalble to help with achieving Level 2 NVQs for employees - particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy.
Contact me for more information!
Need money to grow your business? Special loan funding is available to existing and start-up businesses through a new government funded programme called 'Access to Finance'. This is an excellent scheme for anyone planning to grow their business but short on finance. Legal Update - changes in the pipeline in 2008 More red tape for business - Small businesses have suffered from a range of new laws in the past few years. So what legislative changes are in the pipeline in 2008? Here are just some things to be aware of: Don't go to Jail The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act came into force on the 6th April 2008. Are you prepared? Under the Act, businesses will be liable for prosecution if a fatality occurs as a result of gross negligence in the management of health and safety in the business.
You can find out more over on http://www.hse.gov.uk/corpmanslaughter/faqs.htm
Companies Act 2006 - shorter filing period, can operate with just one Director, Mem & Arts will need amending. For more information, go to the Dept for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform website: www.berr.gov.uk/bbfco-act-2006. Noise at work - April 2008 - a duty on employers in the music and entertainment sectors including workplaces where music (live or recorded) is played. See the H & S Executive's website - www.hse.gov.uk/noise/musicsound.htm Trade Descriptions Act 1968 - being replaced in April 2008 by the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Will affect retailers and those involved in marketing and advertising, amongst others. Will offer businesses protection against other business with respect to unfair commercial practices and will help protect consumers against 'cowboy' traders. For further information, visit www.berr.gov.uk/consumers/buying-selling/ucp | |
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