Bright Cable Newsletter

Hello and welcome to the first Bright Cable newsletter. My name is Holly Noseda and I co-run Yet More Solutions Ltd, I will be your pilot for this journey and aim to deliver you a helpful and interesting newsletter every two months.

We’re here to bring you news, views and informative features aimed at entrepreneurs throughout the UK. If you have any suggestions for features or you would like to contribute an article please email newsletter@brightcable.co.uk.

News

Bankruptcies soar

The number of bankrupts have increased by nearly 30% over the last few years according to official figures. In 1999 people declaring themselves bankrupt stood at 21,611. This figure rose to 28,107 last year. The South East has seen the biggest regional rise, from 2,931 bankruptcies in 1999 to 4,618 in 2003.

Sir Andrew Large, a deputy governor of the Bank of England, has warned that England could be headed for levels of household debts last seen in the 1990s. It is believed personal credit cards and store cards are a large cause. "People are borrowing at the very edge of their means and many are getting into debt way over their heads." Said Malcolm Bruce MP.

From 1 April 2004, new legislation governing bankruptcy came into effect which aims to encourage entrepreneurism.

Source: BBC News

Workplace Bullying is Widespread

A study conducted by Monster recruitment has suggested that 44% of British workers have been bullied at some stage and 21% were still the target of colleague or management bullying. Only 26% had never experienced bullying at work.

The situation is being partly addressed through further Government-financed research. According the BBC reports, £1million of public money is being plunged into an £1.8m study conducted by trade union Amicus, which aims to help firms tackle workplace bullying. The Amicus study will apparently be the largest study of its kind ever conducted. Launching the project Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: “Bullying is a terrible issue with terrible consequences, whether it's because of people's sexuality, race, size or anything else… This represents a change in gear from government, business and the union movement on the issue."

Entrepreneur of the Year?

The annual search for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year is coming. The first heats will see hundreds of nominees attending regional receptions and being whittled down to a shortlist by a panel of established entrepreneurs. Those who pass the panel’s stern eye will move on to the regional finals. The overall winner will plucked from the national finals – a grand gala event in London in October - and sent to battle it out in Monte Carlo against winners from over 30 countries.

Sponsors include The Times, Coutts and the London Stock Exchange

Editor’s Choice – Useful Websites

www.netmag.co.uk – full of useful tips and articles for online efforts
www.doyourownpr.com – wonderful ideas for promoting your business
www.shell-livewire.com/forums - helpful, supportive and open 24 hours a day
www.businesslink.gov.uk – a huge business resource for England
www.businesseye.org.uk – a business resource for Wales
www.bgateway.com – for Scottish businesses

Features

Working from home: Living the dream or pure nightmare?

Imagine every morning waking, sauntering down to your office in your pyjamas, enjoying your cup of coffee whilst reading those important emails? It’s got to beat queuing for the bathroom, coffee to go and the agonising wait in the daily traffic right?

Well, wrong! For some people working from home can make a swift transition from living the dream to becoming an absolute nightmare.

There are many serious issues that need to be dealt with before making that leap from the hustle of office life to the solitude of home working. Research is the key before making such a decision. It may look like the perfect option on the surface but home working may not be for you and you could end up feeling lonely and unmotivated.

Avoiding Loneliness:

Whilst working from home can bring its joys - no office politics, no boss breathing down your neck - it can also be a very lonely and isolating experience. There are many ways in which you can combat the loneliness that can accompany home working. One way of keeping in touch with the outside world is to join relevant forums and networking clubs. Not only will this be a great way to meet new business contacts but it can also help form relationships and keep you sane during those long days with no one but the cat to communicate with. However, be careful not to get too addicted to these and neglect any work you have to do!

The way in which you deal with loneliness is an individual solution, some people prefer to have more human contact so calling a fellow worker or a network associate or client contact can help. It is always a great idea to try turning the urge to combat boredom in to a more positive experience such as gaining more work. Visit potential clients in person or do some cold calling. All this can help fight the boredom battle.

Remember you are working:

When working from home you can be seen as an easy target for friends and family who need a baby sitter or fancy a chat. You need to ensure that people realise that you are actually working and you mustn’t be disturbed otherwise you’ll never get anything done. Where by it is near impossible to keep home and work life completely separate when you’re working from home you must realise that when your office door is shut you must act as though you are in an office.

It’s easy to forget your working when you work from home, this is why creating the perfect environment is essential to keep your mind on the job and motivated. Making sure that your home office is separate from other areas in the house can be a great start. Having a separate office equipment could also be a good idea; it’ll mean you can turn your phone off at the end of the working day and ensure that your kids don’t delete those all important files on your computer.

If you are going to be spending a majority of your time in your home office the set up has to be perfect.

Keeping it legal:

Working from home can bring about a minefield of legalists. These need to be thoroughly researched before undertaking any work from home. Mortgage lenders, landlords and your insurance company will need to be informed before you start working from home. In most cases they won’t mind but it could invalidate your insurance if you neglect to let them know.

In conclusion the above points are just a few things that need to be considered when deciding whether to work from home, the list could go on and on but the of course you will discover all this when you research the idea. Making sure that you build a strong support network will also be a key to success when working from home. So, research, perfect the art of networking and go forth into the exciting world of the home office.

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Our winning combination of professionalism, creativity and personal service will make sure your event is unforgettable – for all the right reasons. Your guests will have a fantastic day and presenting and maintaining your company image, ethos and message will be paramount at all times."

Coming Soon…

A feature on picking up useful skills through volunteer work. If you have any experience of volunteering – good or bad – please drop me a line.