The Business Ladder Blog

A quick summary of the effect of the upcoming scrapping of HIPs (Home Information Packs) on property sales.

Estate agents selling property around the country should of course be aware of the influence of the new measures and the relevant cut-off date. However, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) – which formed part of a HIP – will remain in force, with particular application to the lettings market which continues to be robust.

See the 4 Everything Property blog for more details.

A very interesting video by the RSA* about the psychology behind human motivation – things might not work quite as we assume!

Definitely recommended viewing for anyone running or managing a business. View it here.

* Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

Owners of businesses of all sizes that manage personal data should be extremely careful in relation to keeping their customer records.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has introduced fines of up to £500,000 for breaches of the Data Protection Act, which came into force on April 6 to try to prevent further serious breaches of data protection laws and regulations.

Critics have pointed out that many of the most serious breaches have come from government bodies or departments, and not the private sector. However, the new penalties are expected to be used to fight violations by all persons or organisations holding information.

Especially in tough times where real financial issues occupy most of your time, it can be easy to overlook the importance of being fully up-to-date and compliant with all the relevant regulations. But this change in the applicable penalties should serve as a reminder to all business owners that compliance is far better than running the risk of being punished.

Notification to the ICO can be performed online at www.ico.gov.uk and costs just £35 for all but large entities.

New article up: a few saving tips for small businesses, looking at a variety of areas where savings can be made.

Smart savings mean greater efficiency, which leads to greater profitability! So money-saving is almost always worth dedicating a bit of time to.

See real course video from the Bringing in the Business course delivered by our Property Agency Training channel.

Providing high-quality, practical training to estate agents and letting agents alike, it’s real property training by real property agents!

Businesses of all sizes routinely send out invoices but so often miss a trick in the promotional potential of this usually humdrum document. In fact, including promotions with your invoices can not only promote repeat business but it can even attract new customers.

You could mention a special offer providing a discount when presenting the invoice or mentioning a code printed on it. It is worth encouraging a prompt response by time-limiting the special offer or discount to a certain period. Alternatively, a technique that is even more effective is an added a tear-off coupon to the footer of the invoice, though of course a separately printed voucher could also be included. As well as visual impact and appeal, a tear-off or separate promotional coupon/voucher also has the benefit that a customer or client may pass it on to someone else, providing an opportunity to generate new business.

This is a great way of making your business documents really work for you and maximising every contact with your clients.

For further business information, advice and to receive our ‘Building Better Business’ Newsletter packed with business tips and ideas, please click here.

Here’s the story of a bright young Palestinian entrepreneur out to help others in her community through business and enterprise. US President Barack Obama has invited her to the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, which he will host in Washington on April 26–27!

Have a read here.

Here’s a very interesting visual look at 20 well-known company logos that have developed over time, some over the entirety of the 20th century. As they explain, “companies evolve just as people. You have to roll with the times or you wind up getting squashed.”

A salutary lesson for businesses of all kinds!

Check them out here at Uncoached.com.

The Queen dissolved Parliament today for the general election to be held on Thursday 6 May.

We shall see what the various parties involved promise in order to foster business and enterprise, and get the business community on board with their platform…

In keeping with our recent look at sustainable business, here’s an interesting upcoming event in London – ‘base‘ or Businesses and a Sustainable Environment.

“Changing to a more sustainable operating model is simply a matter of doing good business and base will give your organisation a head start.”