Operations

Our operations section contains a range of articles to assist small and medium business owners with the day-to-day running of their enterprise; from choosing a business premises to managing company supplies we’ve got expert advice to help you run your business efficiently.

General Advice Green Business
How to Make Your Business’ Relocation Easy on Your Employees

How to Make Your Business’ Relocation Easy on Your Employees

February 13, 2014 Operations

Whether your business is relocating elsewhere in the UK or moving abroad, it’s usually an interesting time and can open up a whole new world of opportunities and benefits for your firm. However, although relocating is an exciting prospect for a business, it can be very difficult on employees as it often requires them to move away from their home, not only putting stress on their own lifestyle but also their families and friends. Therefore, it is important, as a business owner, that you don’t neglect the needs of the employee or their family and it is essential that they suffer as little stress as possible during the relocation process. Here are a few tips on how to go about achieving this… Hire specialised services There are lots of services that you can use to ensure that the reloca... »

How to Save Money on Vehicle Leasing Rates

How to Save Money on Vehicle Leasing Rates

February 5, 2014 Operations

Leasing a fleet of vehicles is often one of the largest expenses a business has to bear. Whether it’s company cars for your sales team, or a contract hire agreement for work vans, the costs involved soon add up. However, there are ways to save money on your leasing rates – especially in today’s busy and thriving marketplace. Think carefully about which vehicles to offer staff For many businesses the fleet of cars or vans is as much about status as it is about cost saving and practicality. Of course you want to attract the best staff and display the best company image, but that doesn’t mean you need to offer a huge selection of top of the range cars. Being more conservative about the types of vehicles you choose is a sure fire way of saving money on your leasing costs. You can make substant... »

How a High-energy Consumption Business Created a Sustainability Policy

How a High-energy Consumption Business Created a Sustainability Policy

Victoria Browne January 29, 2014 Green Business

If your business is environmentally conscious, then this is something you should be promoting, developing and essentially shouting from the rooftops (or at least having a dedicated policy page on your website). A sustainability policy has not only become an environmentally conscious necessity, but is genuinely considered a sound marketing strategy. Companies want to be seen to be working with environmentally responsible partners and consumers want to know that what they’re buying is ethically sourced. Establishing a sustainability policy – essentially a customer and staff orientated breakdown of your environmental pledge and how you plan to meet your aims – doesn’t have to become a drawn-out investment either. Those practices you already adhere to (even for purely money-saving reasons) can... »

What the Daily Commute Could Mean for Your Data

Christian Toon January 16, 2014 Operations, Tech

The latest intelligence on Al-Qaeda, a high profile Child Protection report and plans for policing the London 2012 Olympics; three very different documents with two things in common: firstly, they all contained highly confidential information and secondly, they were all left on a train. In each example, an inquisitive fellow commuter picked up the folder, took one look at the contents and promptly handed it to a newspaper. In each case, the newspaper in question was happy to return the folder to its rightful owner after having used the information to craft a front-page news story that was both embarrassing and reputation damaging for the companies ultimately responsible for managing the information. On reading the subsequent news stories, no doubt many people wondered how anyone could have... »

Office Moving: Five Mistakes that Cost Companies Money

Office Moving: Five Mistakes that Cost Companies Money

Anthony Robinson November 27, 2013 Operations

Failure to plan is planning to fail Moving an entire office can be a daunting prospect, especially if you have been based at your current location for a number of years. Many business owners under-estimate the time and effort required to plan a smooth move and leave planning until the last minute, causing the whole process to take more time and effort than needed. Ensure you have one person in charge of organising the move and encourage them to create a move ‘checklist’ broken down into ‘pre-move’ ‘moving day’ and ‘post-move.’ This will mean all of the key areas are covered off and nothing gets missed. Things like notifying suppliers of your move, sorting insurance, organising an IT company to pack up the computers and servers on your leave date – all of this needs to be sorted well in adv... »

The ISO 14001 Revision – What you Need to Know

The ISO 14001 Revision - What you Need to Know

November 8, 2013 Green Business, Operations

ISO 14001 is the most popular standard for environmental management, with over 250,000 organisations worldwide possessing the certificate. The ISO 14001 standard has helped businesses by giving them a better understanding of how their activities, products and services impact the environment. Just a few of the benefits of the standard include resource efficiency, improved business continuity, cost savings, improvements in supply chains and enhanced reputation and competitive advantage. Since the standard was initially published, the perception of sustainability has evolved, and as a result the international standards committee introduced new requirements that addressed this in the 2011 revision. The revision of the ISO 14001 standard is a long process and is not expected to be published unt... »

Commercial Property: 5 Ways to Improve Security

Commercial Property: 5 Ways to Improve Security

David Campbell October 30, 2013 Operations

The harsh reality in business is that all organisations big or small are at risk from criminals. Thieves are becoming ever more sophisticated when it comes to burglary techniques and it is therefore important that businesses become savvier and protect their investment and its contents at all times. There are a number of ways in which business owners can improve the security of their commercial property. Instead of asking your local police station for crime prevention tips of their own why not be proactive and consider the following five tips to keep criminals at bay today. CCTV Installing closed circuit television (CCTV) at your business premises may be an expensive initial outlay but it can subsequently help tackle crime in two ways. It can act as an obvious deterrent to criminals and it ... »

Choosing the Right Suppliers

Choosing the Right Suppliers

Robert Fenn October 2, 2013 Operations

Finding the right suppliers is a key decision for any organisation. A good supplier is easy to deal with, consistent and always there for you. In turn, this helps you to focus on your business and deliver a high-level of service to your customers. On the other hand, an average supplier can, at best, take up your valuable time and, at worst, can cause a knock-on affect that impacts your service, clients and profits. In this article, we share with you tips on choosing the right supplier. Price isn’t everything In the current climate, price is often the overriding factor when choosing a supplier. The key is to ensure that you’re getting value, as lower costs could indicate that corners have to be cut to deliver the service at that price. Too low a price could also indicate that the supplier i... »

How to Undertake a Risk Assessment for New Premises

How to Undertake a Risk Assessment for New Premises

Cathie Sellars October 2, 2013 General Advice

Undertaking a detailed risk assessment is an absolutely vital consideration when taking on new premises. Failure to do so could result in you buying or leasing a property which does not adhere to legal requirements, with the potential to create safety issues and legal repercussions. This guide will give you an insight into how you can conduct a risk assessment of your prospective property. Equipment, devices and systems The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992 and Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 state that equipment, devices and systems are subject to a suitable maintenance programme. It is important that you obtain in-date inspection certificates or maintenance reports for electrical, gas, lifts and fire safety systems. Inspect the electrics Electrical inspection i... »

Curbing Business Travel Costs Without Compromising Quality

October 2, 2013 General Advice

Without adequate controls, business travel can grow into an expensive and bloated overhead, while putting pressure on the environment. With most businesses now operating sustainability functions or environmental policies, streamlining business travel is now a top priority. This guide will give you some ideas on how you can curb travel costs without sacrificing quality: Reduce trip frequency and duration Re-evaluate the requirement of business travel by forging closer relationships with clients: can you utilise technology to eradicate the requirement of frequent face-to-face meetings? Utilise video-conferencing facilities and communicate with suppliers, clients and customers electronically, rather than personally. Limit the number of staff members travelling at any one time and use teleconf... »

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