Newsletter #136 - Small business owners too busy to take a summer holiday, The ABCs of buying a business, How to survive a recession, How to avoid becoming isolated when working from home and much more

In this week's Business121:

1. Small business owners working 50hr weeks and too busy to take a holiday
2. The ABCs of buying a business
3. How to survive a recession
4. Working from home - tips to avoid isolation
5. How to work from home but look like a big business
6. The workaholic's guide to a successful home office
7. Home office insurance guide

Small Business News

8. 'Dog Psychologists' to 'Badger Consultants' - weird businesses on the rise
9. BCC forecasts recession is a distinct possibility
10. Entrepreneurs slow of the mark with adoption of "green" behaviour
11. Remote working brings more threats to network security

Small business owners working 50hr weeks and too busy to take a holiday

It seems that running a small business is particularly tough work at the moment. A study by Bank of Scotland shows that UK entrepreneurs are working an average 50 hours per week, and a quarter of those polled said that they would be working longer hours for the rest of 2008 as the "credit crunch" continues.

Interestingly, the Scots work the longest hours, clocking up an average of 52 hours every week, compared to a relatively lazy 47 hours by business owners residing in South East England.

And if that wasn't bad enough, a separate study suggests that around two-fifths of small business owners have too much work on to hit the beach this summer.

Of the 433 business owners quizzed by telecoms firm, Unicom, 42% said they would not be able to to take a holiday at all this summer because of work pressures.

So if you like long days and short holidays, run your own business!

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The ABCs of buying a business
Buying an existing business is an option that is often overlooked by entrepreneurs. The advantages it brings include an established name, existing customers and an immediate revenue stream. However, the process of finding a suitable business to buy can be time consuming, costly and frustrating. To ensure you don't make a very expensive mistake, make sure you give these important points careful consideration.

How to survive a recession
The Bank of England has recently confirmed the likelihood of a recession in the UK. So what is in store for businesses? Recessions are never nice things to go through. But as a business you can survive them by following and acting on a few basic principles. Here are some guidelines to help you make sure your business survives a recession.

Working from home - tips to avoid isolation
More and more small business owners are deciding to work from home. On the surface of it, working from home sounds like bliss - you can work the hours that suit you, you can fit in household chores round your work schedule and you're also saving money and travel time. However, it's easy to become cut off from the outside world. Here are some tips to stop you from becoming isolated when you're working from home.

Whether you're currently working from home or are thinking about making the move, these guides will help you to get the most from it;

The workaholic's guide to a successful home office
Here's how to successfully manage a home office, even if you're a workaholic.

How to work from home but look like a big business
Some customers could be put off if they knew your business was run from home, so here's how to look big while acting small.

Home office insurance guide
2.1 million businesses are run from home, with another 1,400 starting each week. Here's our working from home insurance guide to make sure your business is properly insured.

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SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

'Dog Psychologists' to 'Badger Consultants' - weird businesses on the rise
It seems that businesses are specialising in ever-stranger niches. Badger Consultants, Dog Psychologists and Vibration Consultants are just three of the unusual businesses that have joined more traditional British businesses such as plumbers and painters.

BCC forecasts recession is a distinct possibility
The British Chambers of Commerce has published its quarterly economic forecast, which predicts a distinct possibility of recession for the UK economy and foresees turbulent times for British businesses.

Entrepreneurs slow of the mark with adoption of "green" behaviour
Entrepreneurs in the UK have been slow to recognise the business advantages of adopting "green" behaviour according to a new report by business advisors Deloitte.

Remote working brings more threats to network security
With more businesses encouraging staff to work from home to save on overheads, companies should remember that remote working employees can present a very real security threat.

** For the latest Small Business News, visit http://www.Bytestart.co.uk **

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