BREAKING NEWS..........
Petition backing Community Pharmacy reaches over 120,000 signatures
The public petition to save local community pharmacy in Northern Ireland has now hit over 120k signatures. The petition officially closed on(9th July with the exact figure reaching 120,112. The representative body for community pharmacy in Northern Ireland has said that the Department of Health can no longer ignore the sheer volume of patients and […]
What are the best ways to start investing as a career?
When it comes to working within the financial sector, many people will opt to go for traditional routes such as bagging a job at a respected investment bank. However, for anyone who likes a bit more excitement and to be in control of their own money, becoming a professional investor is a real option. Moving […]
Ulster University student recognised for excellence with Allen & Overy award
Dr Mary-Ellen Leighton, received the award from Sarah Fahy, Allen & Overy Global Head of Library Services; Dr David Barr (left), Head of the School of Education at Ulster University; and Jim O’Hagan, Chief Executive Libraries NI. Ulster University student, Mary-Ellen Leighton, has been awarded the prestigious Allen & Overy (A&O) trophy in recognition of […]
Best Products to Start Your Own Cleaning Company
Are you thinking about starting your own cleaning company? If the answer is yes, then you need to carefully consider what cleaning products and materials you will need before starting your first cleaning job. Having a full stock of cleaning supplies and products will mean that as soon as you get your first customer, you’re […]
Barclays launches £100,000 unsecured lending, as new research shows the value of faster finance to SMEs
Barclays has launched £100,000 unsecured lending – doubling its maximum for unsecured business loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from £50,000 to £100,000. For further detail on the unsecured lending, see: https://www.barclays.co.uk/business-banking/borrow/loans/ The bank has also identified more than 40,000 SME clients, from dentists to manufacturers, that could be eligible for the higher levels […]
CD Fairfield secures £2m partnership
CD Fairfield, one of the UK’s leading Non-Statutory and Statutory property debt specialists, based in Belfast has secured an exclusive two year rolling contract with Move With Us to be the sole approved provider of debt services to its group. Move With Us (MWU) is the UK’s largest network of independent estate agents, with over […]
FEATURE ARTICLES..........
What is Longevity Risk and How Does it Affect Insurance/Pension Providers?
In the world of financial services, there are many different factors which influence the decisions of the professionals and businesses operating in the industry. Age, for example, can massively influence both life insurance and car insurance. Longevity risk is a factor which is becoming increasingly prominent in financial services, especially with regards to insurance and […]
Top 5 workplace benefits and how they affect staff morale
Employee morale is based on the views and opinions of those people who work for you, how they feel about the environment in which they work in and their overall level of satisfaction. It has a huge effect on engagement, productivity and retention. With high levels of morale throughout a workforce, satisfaction will rise but […]
Omniplex invests £5m in new Omagh Cinema
Omniplex Cinemas, Ireland’s largest multiplex cinema chain has officially launched its new state-of-the-art seven screen cinema following a £5 million investment that includes an OmniplexMAXX screen; the first Premium Large Format screen for County Tyrone. The new 35,000 sq foot Omniplex development will host over 1,100 patrons at full capacity with a range of new […]
Going Back To Older Ways To Transport Goods & Consignments
We are shifting towards the older ways to dispatch goods and important consignments from one place to another. People are changing their demands and shifting towards the traditional medium i.e parcel delivery services. It can be discerned that there is growth encountered in the delivery market and this has been a result of improved service […]
Hat-trick for Victoria Square
Belfast’s premier shopping centre, Victoria Square has secured itself two more top awards at a prestigious awards ceremony in London, just weeks after being awarded a Purple Apple Merit Award. The only shopping centre in Ireland recognised at the event, this time Victoria Square’s outstanding management team were awarded for their professionalism and expertise, with […]
Patrick Arends Appointed as Head of Hospitality, Leisure & Culture at HLM
Patrick Arends has joined HLM, a leading design and architecture practice with studios in Belfast City Centre. Patrick has been appointed as the Head of Hospitality, Leisure and Culture at the practice, bringing over 17 years of experience of delivering high quality and high value projects internationally. As sector lead, he will add to HLM’s […]
THOUGHT LEADERS..........
Selling your business? Here’s what you need to know…
Selling your business is not usually a decision made lightly and the sales process is never simple. However, the rewards of doing so can be great, and ultimately, life-changing. It can be seen as a daunting task, so, if you’re selling your business and need some assistance, talk to the experts, and sell your business […]
Busting the 5 most common AdWords myths
Andrew McParland, Ecommerce specialist from Flint Studios, exposes the misconceptions surrounding Google AdWords For some, advertising online using methods such as pay-per-click (PPC) ads can seem rather daunting. The thought of bidding for keywords can be a scary process for many, particularly when the internet is rife with incorrect information. Misconceptions surrounding Google AdWords are widespread […]
How can AI help businesses create a more diverse workforce?
A dramatic shift is taking place in the way businesses think about diversity and inclusion. Businesses are starting to recognise their value as a source of competitive advantage, says Steven Cox, Fujitsu. This comes down to two factors: Firstly, in an increasingly globalised and hyper-connected society, having a variety of perspectives can help your business navigate […]
Are UK consumers still more digitally aware than retailers?
Over the past decade, the UK has undergone a digital evolution. Technology has accelerated at an unprecedented rate in recent years, and one sector that has not gone untouched in this digital shift is retail. But to what extent is that transformation being led by retailers and how much is driven by consumers, asks Rupal […]
NI’s weighty public sector shielding retail from wider UK woes – Colliers
A weighty public sector has helped to protect Northern Ireland from the worst effects of a UK retail shake-up which has seen major recent casualties, commercial property experts Colliers International, which has a key regional office in Belfast, said today (Wednesday 27th June 2018). However, it also warned that retail property transactions which had been […]
5 Ways to implement learning at work
To show up every day being the best version of yourself is a journey of ongoing improvement, marginal gains which you achieve every day, says Royston Guest. Asking the questions; what have I learnt new today? Or more specifically, what have I learnt new today which is going to help me to be even better […]
MOVERS & SHAKERS...
Pinsent Masons Infrastructure Lawyer invited to Fellowship of Institution of Civil Engineers
The Institution of Civil Engineers has recognised the contribution of a leading infrastructure lawyer with an invitation to Fellowship. Adrian Eakin, a Partner at Pinsent Masons specialising in the infrastructure sector has accepted a Presidential Invitation from Professor Lord Robert Mair to become a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The Presidential Invitation […]
Law graduate Sarah Mulholland wins four exam awards and chooses career with TLT
Sarah Mulholland, a legal graduate from Portadown in Northern Ireland, has won four awards on top of her distinction from the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) and accepted a job as a fully qualified solicitor with her training contract provider, UK law firm TLT. The awards include the Belfast Solicitors Association prize for the […]
Judith Totten MBE joins a SERIOUS Board
Leading local businesswoman, Judith Totten, who was recently announced as a recipient of an MBE, is to join the board of SERIOUS PR. Ms Totten who is founder and Managing Director of Upstream and a board member of Invest NI will serve as non-executive chair of the award-winning PR firm. She joins as SERIOUS marks […]
Lough Erne Resort appointes Justin McGreevy as Resort Operations Manager
Lough Erne Resort has added to its experienced team of senior management with the strategic appointment of Justin McGreevy as Resort Operations Manager. The new role has been created to enable the leading hospitality business to further commit to its five-star guest experience and cement its ambitions to be renowned as Northern Ireland’s most luxurious […]
Rachael McGuickin is Visit Belfast’s new Director of Business Development
Visit Belfast, the city’s destination marketing and management organisation has appointed Rachael McGuickin as Director of Business Development. This appointment will see Rachael play an integral role in the delivery of Visit Belfast’s ambitious plans to generate £130m to the local economy through increased visitor growth and spend in 2018/19. Visit Belfast’s Chief Executive, Gerry […]
Enterprise NI has announced Michael McQuillan as its new Chief Executive.
Enterprise NI has formally announced Michael McQuillan as its new Chief Executive. The appointment comes after a highly competitive recruitment process to replace the outgoing Gordon Gough, who is retiring. Mr McQuillan takes up the post next month and will oversee the organisation which represents a total of 28 Local Enterprise Agencies across Northern Ireland. […]
FAMILY BUSINESS..........
How Your Business Can Save on the Essentials
Too often, business owners only ever think about spending on all of their important business-related goods, systems and software. These include marketing, CRM management and payment tools, amongst others. It is for good reason businesses spend on them because they’re essential to the growth, productivity and development of the business. What are also needed by […]
How To Start A Business With Zero Funds
Lots of people dream of starting a business but put it off because they have no money. Don’t you need thousands of dollars in funding to stand a chance in business? Not only is it possible to start from zero but, in my experience, it can actually be an advantage, says Oleg Campbell, Founder & CEO […]
How to Prepare Your Business for Its First International Customer
Going global and catering to international customers is easier to do these days, especially with improved distribution channels, better payment support, and the vibrant e-commerce landscape that we have today. As a business owner, you can choose to cater to business customers from other parts of the world, work with wholesalers and distributors, and even […]
What are the barriers to female entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland
In the third event of a series addressing issues around female entrepreneurship, Ulster University Professors Joan Ballantine and Pauric McGowan organized a full day conference at the MAC in Belfast to present five pieces of research and an expert panel discussion on the issue. Policymakers in developed economies are keen to accelerate growth by stimulating […]
Why your business should invest in SEO
With industries growing rapidly and becoming more competitive online, it’s important for any business owner to ensure they have a website that is optimised for SEO. You want traffic to flow to your site in order to be visible and enhance your online presence, ensuring that you rank as high as possible on SERPs. One […]
Registering a Domain Name: Preparing in Advance
Registering a domain name will place you on the fast track towards developing an eye-catching and profitable website. However, you should never rush into this process. There are several suggestions to keep in mind as well as a few common traps to avoid. You will therefore need to perform a bit of homework if you […]
HR ADVICE & IDEAS.....
How to Claim Compensation After a Personal Injury at Work
Have you sustained a personal injury in the workplace? No matter whether this is psychological or physical, as an employee it can hard to balance the feeling of responsibility between you and the company that you are working for. When you are considering a personal injury compensation claim it can be hard to know which […]
Women are happier at work than men despite being paid less, according to Gender Happiness Gap
The Gender Happiness Gap research today surveyed over 1200 UK employees about their happiness, enthusiasm, pride, and efficiency at work. The results demonstrate a significant gap in the workplace happiness between men and women across the UK. The research shows that contrary to, and perhaps in spite of the fact that the Gender Pay Gap […]
Employers need to act now on immigration law to keep their workforce in Northern Ireland
by Lisa Bryson, Head of Employment, Eversheds Sutherland, Belfast To paraphrase Mark Twain, many people complain about the weather, but no-one ever seems to do anything about it. Employers handling international recruitment could be forgiven for feeling the same way about the Brexit negotiations. It has been clear for some time that Brexit will cause major […]
Gender parity absent within Northern Ireland’s most senior roles
Northern Ireland’s business boardrooms are still facing a significant gender imbalance – despite growing awareness of a widespread female deficit, according to research released today. Of the 467 board members within Northern Ireland’s top 100 companies, just a fifth of these are women, according to Brightwater Recruitment, who examined the issue ahead of International Women’s […]
How to spot – and help – a high-functioning alcoholic in your organisation
Can you tell if a member of your team is a high-functioning alcoholic? And, once identified, what can you do to help them? Sobriety companion and coach, Dr Bunmi Aboaba, draws on her experiences to explain what to look for and what action you should take: Firstly, there are some simple signs to look for: […]
Flexible working: Why more companies need to embrace it
We’ve seen enormous technological and social changes in the workplace in recent years. These changes have forced some companies to adapt in order to attract and sustain much needed talent. Unfortunately, despite this, a lot more still needs to be done to ensure flexibility and inclusivity is addressed in every workplace and integrated into the culture of the […]
