Business121 Small Business Newsletter #38

In this week's Business121:

1. Supplying the Public Sector
2. How to raise the profile of your small business
3. Winding up orders to tackle the late payment problem
4. Top 10 tips for a successful Intranet
5. Ten VAT Tips to save you time and money
6. If it's too good to be true, it probably is
7. Free online health checks for small business
8. Small Businesses Balancing on Red Tape ‘Tightrope’
9. More than 7,000 contracts advertised on new Government website
10. British businesses say 'Bring it on!'

Supplying the Public Sector

The government's new initiative to open up public sector contracts to more small businesses could well prove to be a winner for many small businesses (see news article below).

Dealing with the government is never going to be easy, but the new supply2gov website certainly does make it easier for small businesses to find out about public sector contracts that are available.

If your business could potentially provide services to the public sector, then the site is certainly worth a look. There's a pretty painless registration process on the site. Once you've completed this, you can login and view public sector contracts in your area.

I was surprised at the number and diversity of contracts available in our area (South East). Just a few examples of the type of contracts available are;

• A 2-year contract to provide specialist business advice services for East Hampshire District Council

• A lift maintenance contract for Runnymede Borough Council worth an estimated £70,000 over the 3-year term

• A contract to supply a customer relationship management system to The Royal Borough of Kingston for a period of up to 5 years.

The full details of each contract are listed on the site, along with contact details and how to submit your bid. To save time, the site allows you to set up a profile of the type of work you're interested in tendering for. It then gives you a list of contracts that are suitable for your business. You can even receive a daily email alert of new contracts.

Public sector contracts tend to cover a period of 2 to 5 years, so can help to provide your business with a regular and reliable income to balance the inevitable ups and downs. If this is something your business could benefit from then visit the supply2.gov site to find out more.

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How to raise the profile of your small business
If you're looking to raise your company's profile, here are 10 useful pointers which will help you to get noticed and become better-known in your market;
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/cgi-bin/click.cgi?id=38

Winding up orders to tackle the late payment problem
A poll shows that winding up orders tend to be successful for companies who choose to put a business into compulsory liquidation due to outstandting debts... but the BPRG suggest this method should only be seen as a last resort;
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/cgi-bin/click.cgi?id=41

Top 10 tips for a successful Intranet
So you’re thinking of building an Intranet? Here are ten key tips to consider when creating an intranet for your small business workplace;
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/cgi-bin/click.cgi?id=37

Ten VAT Tips to save you time and money
Ten tips to help small businesses save VAT - how to simplify your VAT accounting methods to save cash and time;
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/cgi-bin/click.cgi?id=43

If it's too good to be true, it probably is
The internet has blown away many rules of the game but there is one that resolutely refuses to be demolished: if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Here's an interesting article from the Telegraph that tells the experience of a firm that used an SEO expert that offered "guaranteed" search engine listings;
http://snipurl.com/_banned_by_Google

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SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
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Free online health checks for small business
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A new tool from Business Link aims to help small business owners and managers run a quick and easy business health check and identify key problem areas early;
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/cgi-bin/click.cgi?id=40

Small Businesses Balancing on Red Tape ‘Tightrope’
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Potentially misleading advice from the FSB - intended to help reduce the red tape burden on small businesses - could put them at greater financial risk, according to Croner;
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/cgi-bin/click.cgi?id=39

More than 7,000 contracts advertised on new Government website
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There are now more than 7,000 Government contracts advertised on a new business portal which aims to remove the barriers faced by many small businesses trying to access public sector contracts;
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/cgi-bin/click.cgi?id=42

British businesses say 'Bring it on!'
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An increase in confidence shows British businesses are turning the corner after a gloomy end to 2005;
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/cgi-bin/click.cgi?id=44

** For the latest Small Business News, visit http://snipurl.com/Bytestart_News **

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