Posts made in May, 2013

New Copyright Hub

Posted on 4 May 2013 in Business, Business Planning, Technology

Government funding of £150,000 to create a Copyright Hub website, which will provide information on rights ownership and copyright licences has been announced by Intellectual Property (IP) minister Lord Younger. The Hub will help small businesses to find out about a greater range of licensing options, while enabling firms to licence copyrighted works more easily and cost effectively. Lord Younger said: “Above all, it chimes with Government’s aim to provide a...

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IR35 Investigations on the Increase

Posted on 4 May 2013 in Business, Finance, Information

The number of IR35 investigations carried out by HMRC tripled in the seven months to April 2012, according to research by legal publisher Bloomsbury Professional. The research revealed that enquiries into contractors suspected of disguised employment activity increased from 59 in the previous tax year to 193 in the first half of the current tax year. However, the research also found HMRC has been unable to find any compliance failures. Martin Casimir, Managing Director of...

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Freelancers on the Rise

Posted on 4 May 2013 in Business, Business Planning, General, Information, News

The number of freelancers in the UK grew by 12% from 1.4 million in 2008 to 1.56 million in 2011, according to figures released by Kingston University and the Professional Contractors Group (PCG) for National Freelancers Day. The Prime Minister expressed support for the sector, saying that the Government “recognises the valuable contribution that freelancers make to the economy”. The survey also revealed that the most popular sectors for freelance workers are...

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Most small firms use social networks, survey finds

Posted on 4 May 2013 in Business, Information, Marketing, Social Media

Over 90% of small and medium-sized businesses use social networks for business purposes, up from 60% at the same point in 2011, a survey by PeoplePerHour.com has found. The research revealed that these firms use social networks to recruit new staff, find work and market themselves, and that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were the most popular. The results of the survey support recent research by Deloitte that suggested Facebook is worth £2 billion a year to the UK economy....

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New guidance on protecting data on personal devices

Posted on 4 May 2013 in Business, Information, Mobile

New guidance explaining how employers can ensure staff protect business data and information and comply with the Data Protection Act when using their personal devices, has been published by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). The guidance provides key recommendations, including using encryption to store data securely and installing a facility that remotely wipes the device if it is lost. The guidance follows research by YouGov, which revealed almost half of adults...

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