business focus 13 of the month
HW, Chartered Accountants, presents a series of articles based on the HW blogs. They offer analysis, reviews and comments and welcome your feedback at
www.hwca.com/blog
Will your business celebrate a jubilee? writes John Bailey, partner at Haines Watts
This month the Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee – 60 years of reign; whatever your position on the monarchy, this is a considerable achievement. Her Majesty has managed to still be popular despite changes in virtually every aspect of life and society. From this viewpoint, ‘The Firm’ has performed well.
Sadly, many SMEs which were started with great ambition and hopes during these 60 years have not fared so well and have disappeared from our economy. Recently, with the recession, the number of
failing smaller-to-medium sized enterprises has soared.
So, what can businesses do to survive these days?
Some argue that luck plays a part if your business happens to be in the right place at the right time but this is a defeatist viewpoint. The successful would argue that you create your own luck and it's about being proactive, not reactive – and constantly planning ahead and researching your targeted market meticulously to ensure you're competitive.
Surviving entails both knowing how to retain existing customers
and where to win new ones – never taking your eye off the ball; never being too busy as an owner-manager to consider the future and never being complacent.
Accepting help is another thing. People find it hard to delegate but no one can do it on their own - concentrate on the things you do well and get support. Ensure your accounts are in order and get advice on how you can save money. If the banks won't lend, focus on finding alternatives. Successful entrepreneurs persevere and even turn challenges to their advantage.
A diamond jubilee for your business may seem like an impossibility right now – or you may not even want that – but whatever it is that you do want, start with a decent business plan and never say never!
Details:
www.hwca.com
HW is running the Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition for those who have started up their own businesses. Details:
www.hwye.co.uk
Pulsant continues as official Internet services provider for Edinburgh International Festival
In the run-up to the 2012 Edinburgh International Festival, cloud and managed hosting expert Pulsant is working hard behind the scenes to maintain the event’s increasing digital presence
For the sixth year, Pulsant will take its place as official Internet services provider for the festival.
The 2012 Edinburgh International Festival, August 9 – September 2, will see 3,000 top artists from 47 countries bringing dance, music, opera and theatre to venues across the Scottish capital.
This year Pulsant will be hosting the festival’s official
website
eif.co.uk on its cloud-based virtualized platform which will provide the capacity, availability and flexibility which is crucial in coping with fluctuating usage and huge traffic spikes generated by high-profile events.
Last year the Edinburgh International Festival website received 600,000 visits by over 450,000 unique visitors who collectively registered over 2.2 million page views.
In
addition, 45% of all of tickets were booked online.
The festival 2012 website includes an ecommerce platform; detailed multi- media information on the productions; the latest news on shows and artists; Standard Life festival backstage films; and in the run up to the festival itself unique online content on how to make
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2012
the most of your festival experiences.
“With Pulsant, we are able to ensure that the online experience reflects the quality and diversity of our event with compelling and captivating content that is available 24/7, anywhere in the world,” commented Joanna Baker, managing director of Edinburgh International Festival.
“Pulsant delivers the reliable infrastructure we need to handle high volumes of online traffic and the flexibility to continually enhance our website and make it more appealing to a broader audience both at home and abroad.”
The website also plays an important role in encouraging a younger audience. Recent studies show that it is the
main source of information for new international attendees aged between 15 and 34 years.
“The Edinburgh International Festival draws visitors to Scotland, has a global profile and makes a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy,” confirms Mark Howling, CEO of Pulsant. “We are proud to be involved and, conscious of how important the website is to Edinburgh International Festival’s success, we take our role very seriously.
"Our dedicated team is committed to ensuring that the website is optimised to ensure fast access and the best user experience possible. In this way, we can help the festival build awareness, generate sales and help visitors get the very best out of the event.”
www.businessmag.co.uk
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