Maidenhead was the location for the recent launch of marketing expert Nigel Temple's The Marketing Compass. The event was attended by over 60 local entrepreneurs each of whom were asked to share their 'three-year vision' while talking in the present tense about such factors as turnover and customer numbers.

During the event, Nigel discussed the ingredients for a concise marketing plan and low-cost ways of generating enquiries, sales and keeping customers. The Marketing Compass focuses on low-cost marketing techniques emphasising planning, market segmentation and a 'giving to get' philosophy.

Nigel is an experienced marketing consultant, speaker and writer with clients across the world and from the very smallest right up to large corporations.

His latest book How to Get Clients To Come To You is described by The Guardian 'as full of nuggets' and is available from Words At Work.

An overwhelming majority of small businesses have said that their confidence in the Government has diminished since the 2007 Budget.

In a snap poll conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), 93 per cent of small business owners said that their confidence in the Government had decreased since last year's Budget, while just 7 per cent said that it had increased or remained the same.

Ahead of the Budget on Wednesday March 12, the UK's biggest business organisation is calling for the Government not to go ahead with an attack on family-run businesses' tax arrangements and a planned 2p per litre rise in fuel duty.

John Wright, FSB National Chairman, said:

"A series of damaging tax rises and increases in red tape in the last year have totally undermined the Government's position with the UK's 4.5 million-strong small business community.

Changes to income shifting rules will force family business owners to create and maintain an unrealistic amount of paperwork on individuals' contributions to their business. It totally contradicts promises the Government has made about reducing red tape.

The fiasco over capital gains tax rules and the increases in corporation tax for small companies have also undermined the Government's credibility. The Chancellor should use this Budget to mend some bridges."

Law firm Addleshaw Goddard have produced, in conjunction with the CBI, a booklet about the changes being made by The Companies Act 2006. The booklet, has been completely updated to reflect the revised implementation timetable and market practice as at April 2008. Read more...

Reaching the finals of any competition is an achievement but for Alistair Lindsay getting through to the final 10 of a major business competition is definitely a reason to celebrate. Along with 3 colleagues, Alistair set up Rate My Placement in 2007 to enable students on work experience to provide feedback and ratings on their placements and idea has now taken them through to the finals of the 2008 HSBC Unipreneur Awards.

The overall winner will be chosen by an invited audience on April 23 and will receive a £20000 prize.

As well as providing a rating and feedback system Rate My Placement also enables students, employers and universities to talk with each other and provides students with other valuable information and advice.

Marketing Magician, Stefan Drew, spoke passionately about E-marketing at a recent seminarorganised by the Oxford College of Marketing at the Hilton Hotel, Milton Keynes.

To mark Oxford College of Marketing's 10th anniversary and the launch of the College offering Chartered Institute of Marketing courses in Milton Keynes Marketing Magician, Stefan Drew was invited to speak on E-marketing. Read more...