Ask the Expert

As a Chamber Member, you can download any of these four-page fact sheets FREE, by clicking on the links below.

Ask the Expert Fact Sheets are available in PDF format. If you don’t already have it, you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them.

TITLES AVAILABLE

CORPORATE FINANCE

Valuing a business (CF 1)

Buying a business (CF 2)

Selling a business (CF 3)

Floating your company (CF 4)

Planning your exit from your business (CF 5)

EXPORTING AND IMPORTING

First steps to exporting (EI 1)

Research your export markets (EI 2)

Export finance (EI 3)

Import finance (EI 4)

FINANCE

Sources of finance

Overdrafts and bank loans (FI 1)

Subsidised and guaranteed loans (FI 2)

Venture capital (FI 3)

Business angels (FI 4)

Factoring and invoice discounting (FI 5)

Car finance (FI 6)

Financing equipment (FI 7)

Getting a grant for your business (FI 22)

Accounting

Key dates for the tax year 06/07 (FI 15/06)

Finance for non-financial managers (FI 10)

Budgeting (FI 21)

Preparing for your annual accounts (FI 11)

Payroll (FI 13)

The euro (FI 14)

Cashflow management

Managing your cashflow (FI 18)

Credit control (FI 16)

Interest on late payments (FI 17)

Debt recovery (FI 20)

Managing your creditors (FI 19)

Insolvency (FI 12)

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Managing your employees

Everyday workplace policies (HR 16)

An Internet policy for your employees (HR 35)

An email policy for your employees (HR 36)

Performance appraisals (HR 10)

Leadership (HR 12)

Managing change (HR 15)

Motivating employees (HR 27)

Teambuilding (HR 31)

Communicating with employees (HR 32)

Assertiveness (HR 30)

Managing your time (HR 19)

Stress management (HR 13)

Employees who work from home (HR 6)

Training

Investors in People (HR 1)

NVQs (HR 2)

Using training effectively (HR 28)

Personal development plans (HR 29)

Recruitment

Recruitment (HR 34)

Graduate recruitment (HR 14)

Interviewing (HR 3)

Consultants

Using a consultant (HR 17)

Employment law — see also Law

Employment contracts (HR 4)

Discipline and grievance issues (HR 18)

Dismissing employees (HR 5)

Redundancy (HR 20)

Employment tribunals (HR 21)

Rights for working parents and carers (HR 22)

Sickness issues and SSP (HR 23)

Discrimination (HR 24)

Working time regulations (HR 25)

Minimum wage and statutory pay obligations (HR 37)

The law on flexible working (HR 38)

Remuneration

Remuneration (HR 26)

Incentive pay (HR 11)

Pensions

Company pension schemes (HR 7)

Personal pension schemes (HR 8)

Executive pensions (HR 9)

Stakeholder pensions (HR 33)

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Setting up your IT systems and communications

Setting up a basic IT system (IT 5)

Specifying and purchasing IT (IT 6)

Network servers (IT 10)

Networks and communications (IT 11)

Mobile computing (IT 9)

Going online (IT 14)

Internet service providers (IT 27)

Email (IT 15)

Computer printers (IT 12)

Telecoms for competitive advantage (IT 24)

Managing IT

Getting the most out of your PC (IT 8)

Maintaining your IT system (IT 23)

IT disaster prevention (IT 1)

Software

Choosing accounting software (IT 2)

Using accounting software (IT 3)

Payroll software (IT 4)

Software use and your legal liabilities (IT 29)

Using the Internet for your business

Finding information on the Internet (IT 13)

Useful Internet sites (IT 16)

Your website strategy (IT 17)

Designing your website (IT 21)

Marketing on the Internet (IT 18)

Trading on the Internet (IT 19)

Intranets (IT 22)

Security and the Internet (IT 28)

INSURANCE

Insurance to protect your business (IN 1)

Making an insurance claim (IN 2)

Managing insurance risks (IN 3)

Litigation and insurance (IN 4)

LAW

Employment law — see also Human Resources

Employment law: the basics (LA 10)

Business law

Intellectual property (LA 5)

Your firm and the Data Protection Act (LA 14)

Court cases

Suing (LA 1)

Being sued (LA 2)

Health and safety (LA 3)

Health and safety risk assessment (LA 4)

MARKETING

General marketing

Research for your marketing (MA 12)

Planning your marketing (MA 5)

Pricing (MA 8)

Building customer loyalty (MA 4)

Marketing with your database (MA 6)

Design (MA 1)

Creating a brand (MA 13)

Marketing methods

Advertising strategy (MA 9)

Writing an advertisement (MA 10)

Exhibitions (MA 2)

Direct mail (MA 3)

Writing a mailshot (MA 7)

Effective PR (MA 11)

(See also Marketing on the Internet, IT18)

PREMISES

Moving premises (PR 1)

Choosing office premises (PR 2)

Renting premises (PR 3)

Buying premises (PR 4)

Getting out of a lease (PR 5)

Rent reviews and rating assessments (PR 6)

Securing your premises (PR 7)

PURCHASING

Purchasing (PU 2)

Negotiating a purchase (PU 1)

SELLING

Managing your sales team (SE 5)

Your sales strategy (SE 4)

Selling technique (SE 2)

Negotiating a sale (SE 1)

Sales presentations (SE 3)

STRATEGY

Your business strategy

Key issues in running your business (ST 19)

Writing a business plan (ST 6)

Increasing profitability (ST 16)

Creating a valuable business (ST 17)

Your money and your business (ST 18)

Management strategies

SWOT analysis (ST 1)

Key performance indicators (ST 12)

Cost control (ST 2)

ISO 9000 (ST 3)

Benchmarking (ST 4)

Your business and the environment (ST 11)

New product development (ST 13)

Innovation (ST 14)

Filing and records management (ST 15)

Growth strategies

Strategic acquisitions (ST 7)

The board of directors

Effective board meetings (ST 5)

Directors’ responsibilities (ST 8)

Role of the company secretary (ST 9)

Business formation

Forming a business (ST 10)

TAX

See also Accounting under Finance

Tax and NI (TA 6)

Corporation tax (TA 3)

Income tax self-assessment (TA 1)

National Insurance and state pensions (TA 2)

Company cars and tax (TA 4)

Common VAT problems (TA 5)